What is a solar home energy storage system?
Some people interested in solar gravitate towards the idea of going completely off the grid. But staying connected to the grid and investing in a battery backup system actually has more benefits.
When you're connected to the grid, you can rely on the grid as a backup power source if your solar cells die. You can also sell extra electricity back to the national grid through net metering if local policy allows it.
This article will cover what a solar home energy storage system is, solar cells, and whether a hybrid system is better than an off-grid system.
What is a solar home energy storage system?
After installing solar panels, the energy they produce needs to be converted into electricity for your home. There are a few ways to do this - you can stay connected to the grid, go completely off the grid, or have a hybrid power system.
A hybrid power system is one where your solar panels remain connected to the power lines of the grid and have a backup battery system to store excess power. The solar energy absorbed by the solar panels generates usable electricity through an inverter. From there, electricity either goes into your home, into your battery, or into the grid.
The benefit of a hybrid solar system is that you will always have electricity in all situations. With a backup battery, excess energy produced by your solar panels (but not used by your home) is stored in that battery. Then, when the sun isn't shining, the battery will power you at night, during system outages, or inclement weather.
With a hybrid solar system, you have the ability to draw power from the grid if you were to drain all the power in your battery.
Hybrid solar systems work by sending solar energy to your inverter, which then sends the energy to power your home. The extra energy not used to power your home goes into your home battery for storage.
This battery can power your home when your solar panels are not producing energy. After all these steps, if there is still energy remaining, this energy is sent to the grid.
How Much Does a Home Hybrid Electric System Cost?
In the U.S., most homes can be powered by a 6kW solar system, with an average cost of $13,320 as of January 2022 after applying the federal tax credit. Solar panel system costs will vary based on the state of your home, contractor costs, and the amount of electricity your home uses.
For hybrid solar systems, battery backup is what drives prices up. Batteries typically cost around $8,000 or more and need to be replaced about every 10 years.
