Solar power storage is a great addition to every solar system, regardless of what time of year it is. However, they can be especially helpful in the colder months of the year. If you have solar power, but you have yet to add a battery bank to your system, here are three reasons you should seriously consider adding one before winter gets in full swing.
Fewer Daylight Hours
It’s no secret that the days are shorter in the winter. This means less sunshine for your solar panels to absorb and lower energy production. While productivity during the day can actually increase during the winter (colder temperatures make your equipment more efficient), there’s simply no getting around the fact that 8 hours of sunshine provide less solar power than 12 hours.
With fewer daylight hours, you’ll not only be producing less electricity, but you’ll be using more of it as well since your lights will need to turn on that much sooner. This means that your power bill will keep climbing as the days keep getting shorter—unless you install a battery bank. Batteries can take advantage of those productive hours and store the power generated for use in the darker hours of the day.
Possibility of Power Outages
The possibility of a power outage tends to rise in the winter months. Rough winter storms can quite easily take out power lines, leaving neighborhoods without electricity for hours. Additionally, cities will sometimes institute rolling blackouts if there’s too much strain on the electrical grid—a distinct possibility when everyone is cranking up their thermostats.
Even if you have solar, your electricity will go out like everyone else’s to ensure workers are safe while trying to repair electrical lines. The only way to keep your lights on during an outage is to have a backup power source, like a battery bank.
Use Peak Shaving
Peak shaving is a money-saving method solar users employ to further reduce power costs—and it requires a battery bank. Your system can switch between active energy, battery power, and the grid as needed to ensure that you’re only using grid power in those “off” hours and never during “peak” hours when every watt costs more. While this is something you can do year-round, it is worth noting that peak hours can shift in the winter, charging you more per watt earlier in the day (another side effect of those long nights).
If you have solar power, speak to a professional to ensure you have the right kind of inverter to add Crown batteries to your system before winter fully sets in.