Integrated Project 2024

Solar energy storage is devices that can gather the electricity generated by the solar panels, store it inside the device and then release it when the energy is needed – for example, after sundown or during power outages.

How much energy you can store depends on the type of storage system and its energy capacity, meaning how much energy it can hold at a given time. An average solar battery has a total of about 10 kWh, though there are also batteries that can store up to 13.5 kWh.

Thermal or hydro storage systems can store far more energy inside themselves (Pumped Hydro Storage capacity is, on average, 100 times higher than any available battery solution), but they are also far more complicated and costly to build.

Why energy storage system is so important?

The interest in solar panel systems is booming as homeowners and businesses are looking for ways to lower their energy costs and become more environmentally friendly. For example, the number of solar panels installed by Americans in 2022 would be enough to power 22 million homes – and that’s when we capture and turn to electricity only a fraction of the sunlight power.

As they are, solar panels also have some limitations though.

The main disadvantage is that the panels can only generate energy when the sun shines on them. So during cloudy weather or winter when it’s getting dark quickly, the solar panels’ efficiency naturally drops. On the other hand, during sunny days the solar panels often generate far more energy than needed – but the power might be wasted since panels can’t store it themselves.

Solar energy storage systems can solve both of those problems though, as they can gather the excess electricity, store it and then let companies use it whenever they need it. With the capacity of some of the storage systems, businesses can even gather energy in summer (when renewable energy sources are producing more electricity than needed) and then use it to power their company in winter, when there is a high demand for electricity but a low supply of solar energy.

The sun offers a limitless supply of clean power – and thanks to solar panel systems getting more efficient all the time, harnessing it is no longer a problem. Storing the gathered solar energy can be a bit more problematic though – unless you have installed a solar storage system. With those, you can store enough energy to power your business with solar energy even when the panels don’t generate as much electricity as usual – and lower your energy bills and carbon footprint even further.