How to Choose Home Energy Battery?

When it comes to choosing a battery for solar energy storage, there are certain factors to take into account, such as the battery’s lifespan, storage capacity, initial cost, and maintenance cost. Take a look at their details below:

· Power Rating

The power rating of a battery tells about the amount of power that the battery can deliver at once and is measured in kilowatts. This gives the user an idea of which appliances to run. As far as home energy batteries (for solar panels) are concerned, they’ve two ratings; peak rating and continuous rating. Continuous rating represents the power the battery gives continuously to run any such appliance that needs a constant supply, such as a refrigerator. On the other hand, Peak Rating is the power released by a battery for shorter periods.

Most batteries usually have a 7kW peak rating and a 5kW continuous rating, and looking for a home energy battery in this range is suitable. So, if you’ve to power several appliances at once, you must look for batteries with greater power ratings.

· Capacity Rating

The sole purpose of a battery is to store electricity in it so that it may be used later. The capacity ratings tell about the amount of electricity or power a battery can store. Some batteries also have two capacity ratings to show; usable capacity and total capacity. The former is essential to note since it dictates the amount of electricity saved by the battery that will be usable for your home or workplace.

For home battery storage, it’s better to look for batteries with at least 10kWh usable capacity in order to have more backup power. Installing multiple batteries for increasing the power storage and supply to your home is another option to consider. This will increase the capacity rating of the entire system.

· Lifespan

Though the lifespan of batteries depends on how often you use them and for which appliances, this is an important factor to consider. Usually, Li-ion batteries are used for solar energy storage because of their longer life. You can measure the lifespan of a battery in the following ways:

· Estimated Cycles

· Throughput

· Number of years

Cycle life means the number of times you can charge and discharge a battery. Throughput is the amount of power released by the battery for a specific period and depends on the battery’s capacity. While looking for a home energy battery, don’t forget to choose one with at least 3,000 cycles.

· Safety Rating

Every company follows a set of rules in order to meet safety requirements for batteries installed in homes. However, certain batteries are safer than others. For example, NMC Li-ion batteries detect temperature changes better than lead-acid batteries. So, the former has a greater chance of catching fire if not handled properly. So, it’s important to have a look at the safety rating of batteries also while choosing them.

· Cost

The cost of solar batteries varies from one battery to another and depends on the type of battery, its capacity rating, and its power rating. An average home energy battery will cost you between $9000 and $15000.

Conclusion

Home energy battery is the need of the hour these days, and to choose a better one, you must have the answers to specific questions. This guide will help you understand how you can find an efficient battery for home battery storage.

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