How Solar Battery Resilience is Changing the World

Resilience: we know in general that this word pertains to the capacity to quickly recover. Many use toughness as a synonym. In the solar battery world, resilience can refer to two things.  First, resilience can refer to the way that batteries in a region can relieve stress on a power grid. Second, it can refer to the way that batteries can continue to power individual homes during outages. Resilience is why battery owners’ lights can stay on when the rest of the block is dark.  The main reason that homeowners install energy storage systems is resiliency: batteries provide emergency backup power during a power grid failure. Grid outages happen, and many predict that they will become more commonplace in California moving forward. Energy storage simultaneously allows your home to stay ‘on’ while your neighbors have no power. Solar panels alone do not provide resilience. That’s because one of their best features won’t work during an outage. We all love that we can sell excess power back to the grid, but sending power out to the grid during an outage could mean that work crews encounter dangerous active power lines. That’s why your solar system doesn’t work in a power outage. And that is where batteries come in. All of the power that would have gone out to the grid is stored and ready for you to use. And when the power comes back on, you can still store power and send extra electricity to the grid. In an ideal world, as more people get solar systems and energy storage - the electric grid will be more distributed and have less chance of failure.  Achieving Zero Net Energy Have you heard of that ‘Zero Net Energy’ concept that people are starting to talk about? Basically, it refers to when a person uses a solar system, a solar battery, and an electric vehicle to run their entire life on the sun. Their solar system generates enough energy to cover all energy usage at home, and their home battery stores excess electricity that can be used to power their electric car.  This means that they no longer have electricity or gasoline bills. One of our customers, Peder Norby, tracks his savings and has retained hundreds of thousands of dollars since he went solar with us in 2008.  His solar system in Carlsbad generates enough energy to cover his electricity needs at home while also powering his electric vehicles. This means his family doesn’t need to worry about rising electricity prices each year with SDG&E, or the fluctuating gasoline prices either. Notably, the Norby family’s solar system paid for itself in less than five years. Over half of their $750 monthly savings resulted from not buying gasoline. Instead of gas guzzlers, the family drives 2 electric BMW i3s. Peder noted that the environmental aspect of their decision was also a big factor: “Equally as important to us is that we have also slashed our carbon emissions from over 20 tons per person per year, to fewer than 2 tons per person per year according to the EPA emissions calculator”.  Battery Systems are Improving in a Big Way Some of the most popular battery systems being sold today provide more energy storage for a lower price than ever before. That is correct: the technology is improving while also becoming more affordable. That means that even though emergency battery backup is still the primary reason for battery purchases, there is a growing number of forward-thinking manufacturers and customers moving toward all-electric homes including electric vehicle charging.  Whether you just want to keep your lights on, or you want to step ahead with whole-house backup, battery buyers today can choose from some amazing options. From Tesla to LG, or Encharge to Q Cell, your battery shopping experience can include some amazing options:  How about a battery app on your phone that lets you see your home’s energy use in real time? Yes - you can see your home’s power usage fluctuate in real time as you turn appliances off and on. Or how about a more compact battery with an enormous 16kWh storage capacity? This battery can also deliver a continuous power rating of 7kW and an impressive peak power rating of 11kW. Interested in ultra-safe lithium ion technology? We can tell you about a lithium ion battery that comes with 100% depth of discharge as well as app-based load control. There’s even energy storage systems available with scalable storage capacity from 4.5 kWh to 18.9 kWh in a modular design that lets you connect up to three batteries in a series using only one inverter.  While people may think that solar batteries cost as much as a car, we have storage solutions for the low teens that will get you through a stormy night while your computer and lights stay on, your phone charges, and you really can open the fridge. And if you want whole home backup and electric vehicle charging for a multi-level home, we can design a system specific to your needs. Stellar Solar has been installing solar panels and home battery systems for over 20 years, and we have a track record of developing world-class residential and commercial solar systems across southern California. If you live in San Diego County, Riverside County, Orange County, or beyond - it’s a great time to consider purchasing a solar system, electric vehicle, or home battery. There are a surprising amount of incentives and rebates on a state and federal level.  For example, there is currently a 26% Federal Tax Incentive for solar systems purchased by the end of 2022. These incentives won’t last forever: consider this as a short-term and long-term investment: saving now with incentives and saving in the future on electricity and gasoline costs.  Stellar Solar installs both electric car chargers and solar panels: we offer a plethora of options including Tesla PowerWall, LG Chem, and Enphase batteries.  Contact us to get a quote on electric car chargers, solar systems, and solar batteries. Now is an excellent time to take advantage of the financial savings of going solar. Plus, it’s nice to know that you are taking an environmentally sustainable approach that helps lessen stress on the grid during difficult times.  Solar battery resilience is changing the world for homeowners who can now own their energy independence and future. Technology is improving by leaps and bounds while quickly becoming more affordable. As we’ve seen with customers like Peder Norby, ‘going green’ is likely best financial decision he ever made.  

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