Have you ever thought to yourself that you wish you could enjoy more of the clean energy you produce with your solar energy system? Youandrsquo;re not alone. Your panels produce at their peak throughout the majority of the mid-morning through the late afternoon, when the sun is shining at its absolute brightest and for most people thatandrsquo;s when your home is empty or using minimal energy. People are off at work, kids are away at school and your panels are just producing kilowatt after kilowatt with nobody there to use it.
Of course, this unused energy is sent back to the grid through “net metering,” but time of use rates make energy fairly cheap during these hours, which means you arenandrsquo;t going to recover a whole lot back from your local utility for it. This is particularly true when you consider that peak energy hours are generally when panels stop producing as much as they can and you become more dependent on grid power right as it becomes the most expensive.
Whatandrsquo;s the solution to your issue? A battery backup system. A battery backup is essentially a giant repository of batteries that your solar panels charge with the excess energy they produce throughout the day. Then, later in the day when you need it, the batteries discharge and provide you with that energy you produced throughout the day. This is the best way to enjoy your solar panels to the fullest and keep the energy you produce as much as possible.
While nearly everybody could benefit from a battery backup system in some way, there are a few situations in which a battery backup could prove to be an outstanding investment in your energy consumption and your future. Here are three of those ways.
If You Own an Electric Vehicle
Electric vehicles are becoming extremely popular in California for not only their emissions-free driving, but also their ability to avoid the currently over $4 per gallon gas prices. However, you have to charge an electric vehicle and with surging grid power costs, that thought is becoming a bit hard to stomach as well. By harvesting the power of the sun and storing it in a battery backup system, you can then use that energy to charge your car and get where you need to go without the added price tag.
If You Have High Peak-Time Demands
Peak time gets its name from the fact that most people use the most electricity at that point during the dayandmdash;generally between 4PM and 8PM every day. This is usually when electricity is at its most expensiveandmdash;possibly as much as double the cost per kilowatt hour as it would be during your lowest off-peak period. If your lifestyle and schedule dictates that you use the majority of your energy during this period (which isnandrsquo;t uncommon), then you may benefit from storing energy in a battery backup system.
You Want to Reduce Carbon-Based Energy
Californians are known for being environmentally-conscious and some people even choose to go so far as to try and reduce their dependence on grid-based energy purely because so much of it comes from carbon-based fuel sources like coal, oil or natural gas. By using more clean energy, the grid wonandrsquo;t need to burn as many of these carbon-based fuel sources. The goal is to eventually have so many people relying on renewable energy resources throughout their day that these fossil-fueled resources simply donandrsquo;t have to turn on at all!
If youandrsquo;re considering installing a battery backup system in your home, turn to the San Jose, Silicon Valley and South Solar experts from Valley Heating, Cooling, Electrical and Solar! Give us a call at (408) 868-5500 today.
Elsewhere on Our Blog
Also on our blog this month, we took a look at an upcoming change that could impact your heating and cooling system. Starting January 1, 2020, the United States will no longer produce or import Freon, a refrigerant thatandrsquo;s been extremely common for decades. Freon is harmful to the ozone layer and has since been replaced with other types of refrigerants that are more efficient and less expensive, as well as not nearly as harmful to the ozone layer. Does this mean youandrsquo;re going to need a new air conditioner? Will using your current system become illegal? Will it become even more expensive to have your air conditioner fixed? We take a look at the answer to each of these questions.
Also, we took a closer look at the difference between AC and DC electricity. These two types of power were direct competitors for a while in the early days of electricity, but today theyandrsquo;ve found a way to exist harmoniously, with each having their own niche role in society. As a result, electricity is safer, more reliable and cheaper for everyone. However, knowing the difference between the two is still particularly important. Check out our blog to learn the story and see where each is still used today: https://www.valleyheating.com/blog/