Gone are the days when we had to depend on non-renewable sources of energy to fulfil our power needs. Now that we are in an era which is beginning to witness the high potential of solar energy, more and more homes and commercial establishments are investing in solar systems.
A solar battery is an important component of a solar system. It is a device that is used to store the energy generated by the solar panel. This power backup stored in a solar battery is used to supply electricity to your appliances when the solar panels can’t generate electricity due to limited or no exposure to sunlight, i.e., during nighttime, cloudy days or power cuts.
Therefore, if you are looking for a solar battery, just know you have come to the right place. Here are all the tips that you would be needing to buy a solar battery.
- Consider your Power Requirement
A solar battery purchase doesn’t have to be a mindless decision. You have to consider your power requirement before you buy a solar battery. Power requirement refers to the appliances you wish to run during an electricity outage. It is the total of the power required by those appliances.
You can use the Luminous’ load calculator to calculate your power requirement.
- Power Rating and Battery Capacity
Power rating is a metric used to ascertain the amount of electricity that can be supplied by the battery. It is to be noted that a solar battery having a high-power rating can run major appliances of your home for a few hours. If you are looking for a longer supply of power, it’s suggested you consider a solar battery with high capacity and low power rating.
- Consider Round Trip Efficiency
Round trip efficiency refers to the electricity consumed as compared to the amount generated. In other words, it is the amount of consumable power that the solar battery can deliver against the amount of energy it stores.
Let’s say a solar battery stores 5kWh and receives 4kWh, the round-trip efficiency would be 80%., i.e., 4 kWh 5 kWh.
Round trip efficiency needs to be considered before you invest in a solar battery. It is suggested that you go for a solar battery that delivers a higher round-trip efficiency. The higher the round-trip efficiency, the less will be energy loss.
- DoD, Depth of Discharge:
A solar battery must preserve some amount of charge to deliver efficient and optimal performance. Depth of Discharge, or DoD is the amount of how much of the battery’s capacity can be utilized.
Let’s explain it with an example. If you are considering a 10-kWh solar battery that has mentioned a Depth of Discharge of 90%, it means that you would be able to consume only 9 kWh before recharging it again.
Therefore, it is suggested that you go for a solar battery that has a higher Depth of Discharge.
- Warranty:
A solar battery is a heavy investment, you wouldn’t want to pay a high price only to get a solar battery with a short lifespan. Therefore, always consider warranty before buying a solar battery.
The warranty for a solar battery isn’t specified in terms of years but in terms of charging cycles. In other words, how fast a solar battery gets charged, and how fast it drains. The charging and discharging make 1 charging cycle.
Going for a solar battery with longer warranty tells you a lot about the quality of the solar battery. At the same time, a warranty offers you protection in case you face solar battery-related issues.
Last but not least,
Now that you know what to look for when you are buying a solar battery, ensure that you are only buying them from putative brands like Luminous. When it comes to innovation and quality, Luminous brings you the best of both worlds with its first-rate class of power solutions designed to make your lives easier than ever.
