Energy Storage
Many solar-energy system owners are looking at ways to connect their system to a battery so they can use that energy at night or in the event of a power outage. Simply put, a solar-plus-storage system is a battery system that is charged by a connected solar PV system.
Solar plus energy storage can smooth electricity prices through arbitrage, manage evening energy ramps, mitigate the risk of curtailment, provide black start capability, provide backup power and more.
The cost of Lithium-Ion batteries (the most common type of storage paired with solar) has fallen rapidly as manufacturing has scaled up to support both electric grid applications and electric vehicles. The advantages of lithium-ion technology for solar power battery storage include:
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Longevity. They last anywhere from 15 to 20 years, which is longer than lead acid batteries.
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They have a very high cycle stability. This means that they can withstand up to 10,000 charging and discharging cycles.
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Discharge depth of 100% compared to lead batteries that can only tolerate about 50%.
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Unlike lead accumulators, they do not emit gases and do not require placement in a ventilated room.
Putting a PV system and a storage system in the same place (co-location), enables the two systems to share some hardware components, which can lower costs. Co-location can also reduce costs related to site preparation, land acquisition, labor for installation, permitting, interconnection, and more.
What’s more, when a Solar PV system and Storage are implemented together, the investment in Storage become part of the Solar PV system and is eligible for the Investment Tax Credit. That’s a 26% tax credit based on the final cost of the storage system!
Apadana Solar consults with our solar PV system customers to determine their interest in integrating a battery system for energy storage during the PV system design phase.
We provide and are authorized installers of Tesla Powerwall and Sonnen energy storage systems.