7 responses to “Solar: My, what big batteries you have”

1. Joe

   September 23, 2023

   By the way, each battery is about 4 feet wide, 30 inched high and 7.5 inches deep.

2. Paloma Ave

   September 23, 2023

   Joe – What were you paid or credit for the 22.9 kwh that were exported?

3. Joanne

   September 24, 2023

   What are the batteries for to run the solar or in case the power goes out? Sorry know nothing about this stuff.

4. Joe

   September 24, 2023

   The solar panels feed the batteries during the day. At night when electricity is more expensive the house draws from the batteries. When they are full and it is light out the excess solar power flows back to the grid. The real motivation was the two-day outage which the batteries will now back-up.
   Paloma, I wish it was a simple as saying they credit X per kwh, but I think it’s more complicated. They only “true up” once per year and the rates also vary by time of day, etc. It seems like I sort of broke even last year without the batteries– there was lots of grid usage with all the rain and the need to run pumps for months. I think the cost/credit will be clearer next year, but I can also ask Steve Pariani.

5. Joe

   September 29, 2023

   Here’s a snippet from the WSJ:
   Battery storage has emerged as a tiny but important slice of the electrical-power mix during summer heat waves, helping bridge the gap at sundown when solar generation fades but everyone continues to crank air conditioners.
   Before 2020, large-scale batteries barely existed. Now U.S. developers are planning record amounts of large installations across 29 states, according to the American Clean Power Association and energy consultant Wood Mackenzie. The sector has seen a sharp increase in additions even as the pace of delivering other clean-energy projects has slowed.
   Companies connected nearly 1,500 megawatts of battery storage to the grid in the second quarter, enough to power about 300,000 homes during peak demand, up 60% from the same period last year, according to S&P Global.
   The U.S. battery market is dominated by states such as California, Nevada, Arizona and Texas. Batteries earn money through providing services that stabilize the grid or by arbitrage, often charging up on cheap or excess renewable generation, then discharging later when energy prices and demand soar. Battery installations in the West might provide power for 3 to 8 hours, while those in the Midwest and Texas often discharge for an hour or two.

6. Joe

   October 8, 2023

   I just learned about a feature of my solar system that automatically checks for National Weather Service alerts like the heat advisory we just had for two days. When it sees one it reacts with this:
   With Storm Guard, your Enphase Energy System can monitor severe weather notifications issued by the National Weather Service in the USA or the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia.
   When Storm Guard is enabled, your battery profile is automatically set to Full Backup if a severe weather notification is issued for your area. This allows your full battery capacity to be reserved before a potential grid outage event.
   While the severe weather notification is active, your battery gets charged from solar power or the grid, in that order of priority, depending on which is available. The battery discharges only when there is no grid power. Your battery profile returns to its prior setting once the severe weather notification ends.
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   Cool!!

7. Joe

   August 25, 2025

   This looks interesting, but I’m not sure the numbers pencil out:
   Solar panels that fit on your balcony or deck are gaining traction in the US
   The systems about the size of a door haven’t been as widely adopted in the U.S. as in Europe because of lack of awareness, patchwork utility rules and limited availability.
   The $2,000 plug-in solar system installed on Dwyer’s backyard deck in March consists of two 400 watt panels, an inverter, a smart meter and a circuit breaker. It saves him around $35 per month on his power bill because he is consuming less energy from the grid, but he said reducing his carbon footprint was his primary motivation.
   Installing a plug-in solar system requires some homework. What power companies let customers do with energy-generating equipment varies, which is why prospective purchasers should check their utility’s policies first. Building permits might be required depending on the municipality. Some systems can be self-installed, while others may require an electrician. For example, some kits have meters that must be wired into a home’s circuit breaker.
   —————-
   Even if you don’t need an electrician or any other added expense, that is a 4.8 year payback saving $35/month.