Lots of people are asking us about battery storage. There’s no doubt that the technology is the way of the future and the next major step towards energy independence in businesses (and homes).
With the right software combined with battery storage, you can:
⦁ Store excess solar production during the day for use at night
⦁ Manipulate time of use tariffs (TOU) to buy power at off peak rates when it’s cheaper
⦁ Provide backup power
⦁ Sell energy back to the grid at peak times for a premium rate
Many solar owners generate more electricity than they need during the day and are increasingly facing network restrictions on how much excess power they can feed back into the grid. This is where a solar battery may be useful. Put simply, battery storage soaks up the excess power a solar system generates during the day, and discharges it back into you home at night. In the long term this can be a more cost effective option than selling excess power back to your retailer for a small feed in tariff, and gives customers the feeling of self-sufficiency. Battery systems can also be configured to provide power in an outage. There are a few different types of storage systems such as Hybrid inverter, AC Coupled and DC Coupled solutions. Our consultants can help you pick the right one for you.
Installed between the solar panels and inverter, this system senses when excess power is being produced and redirects it to the batteries. Later, when you are consuming more power than you’re producing, this power is then released back into your inverter for conversion to AC power and use in the home. One of the advantages of this system is that power is stored in the batteries before it is converted into AC, saving on unnecessary conversions later on. A limitation of this configuration is that you’re unable to draw power from the grid and store it for use later on. It also can’t be configured to provide power in a grid outage. This solution however is cost effective, efficient and usually quite easy to retrofit into existing systems.
AC coupled battery setups are the most common way of arranging a storage solution. Whilst not as efficient or as cost effective at storing solar energy as DC coupled, AC solutions have some advantages over DC. AC storage can draw and store power directly from the grid, enabling homeowners to purchase power at cheaper rates for discharge during peak times (when grid power is most expensive). AC coupled systems can also be configured for battery backup and can store excess solar energy. These can work independently of solar power systems, so they’re completely retrofit-table and allow you to draw on other energy sources. T
Hybrid inverters are purpose built for solar and batteries and provide significant advantages. Hybrid inverters are technically DC and AC coupled solutions, and like a DC coupled battery can store power before it is converted to AC. As is it also AC coupled, features like battery backup and power storage during cheaper off-peak times can be incorporated. All the monitoring for solar and storage is performed on one unit, which makes it a popular choice for residents wanting to incorporate the two options.
Batteries allow you to store your excess solar energy for later use instead of sending it to the grid for a small feed in tariff (or worse, having your system shut down due to network export limitations). Depending on the type of storage set-up, when your solar PV system is not producing power, you can use battery power to run your business- and in the event of a power outage, some batteries can provide you with back-up power. GEE Energy offers a range of batteries in different sizes and brands to accommodate all business owners and households.
Solar is a totally renewable, reliable power source. Unlike fossil fuels, we have a limitless supply of solar irradiance which does not impact the environment when we harness it. There is no drilling, no mining and no harmful by products involved in generating power from the sun.
Did you know that a large proportion of your energy bill is made up of the costs of generating and transporting electricity to your business? In some cases distribution, transmission and environmental costs can exceed 50% of your bill. By producing you own energy onsite via solar PV, you can instantly avoid all of these costs and make a large reduction in your power bill, particularly if your business uses power during the day.
With no moving parts, solar panels only require occasional cleaning to keep them performing at their optimum levels. The frequency of cleaning depends on the tilt of the panels and the location (flat mounted panels in dusty areas require more frequent cleaning). Cleaning is relatively inexpensive and often comes with a complete system check to ensure that your investment is working to expectations.
Wherever the sun is shining, solar PV can be installed. This is particularly helpful for remote areas that may not be connected or supported by an electricity network. Solar PV can also be incorporated into a microgrid, where solar, batteries and sometimes generators are used to provide reliable power in the absence of a grid connection.
It is now a well known fact that installing solar is one of the most responsible decisions we can make with regard to reducing emissions. We are fortunate in Australia that going solar also makes economic sense, with the availability of generous government incentives and feed in tariffs. Given that most businesses use the majority of their power when the sun is shining, it makes perfect sense to go solar and save money and the environment.
We have found that once our customers go solar, they become far more aware of their energy consumption and power costs. GEE provides monitoring with commercial solar systems, and this new visibility drives our customers to be more energy conscious, saving them even more money by switching off appliances that are not utilised.
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