If you’re installing a solar power system, you’re going to be installing an inverter. An inverter’s primary function is to change the DC power your solar panels create into the AC power that your home needs. The inverter will also manage your various power sources, switching seamlessly between your solar and grid power as necessary. But did you know that your inverter can also have its own built-in energy storage? Keep reading to find out more about this feature, and why you should consider an ivnerter that has this.
Keep the Lights on in a Blackout
The primary benefit of built-in storage is providing emergency backup power when the grid goes down. When your neighborhood has a blackout, your solar power system will shut down, even if it’s the middle of a sunny summer day. This helps prevent errant electrical currents from harming utility workers. But if you have backup energy—even a small amount—you can disconnect from the grid and run your home’s electrical systems using your solar and backup power. And, if a blackout happens when there’s no sunshine, you’ll still have a small amount of stored electricity you can use for keeping the essential systems in your home running.
Increased Energy Independence
Though the built-in storage you’ll find on inverters may not be very large, it’s enough to provide you with a bit more independence from the solar grid. You can store excess power in your solar battery during the day, which means less grid usage every night. Though you may still need to tap into grid power on a daily basis, you’ll be decreasing your reliance on it with that bit of extra power storage.
Added Cost Savings
Tapping into the grid less comes with another obvious benefit—even lower utility costs. You’ll already be cutting down on your power bill significantly by installing a solar power system. Add a few extra kWh of storage to that, and you’ll be paying for that much less electricity on a daily basis. This can add up over time, giving you a faster ROI on the cost of your solar power system.
If you’re installing a solar power system, it’s a good idea to look into a Solis energy storage inverter. Though they’ll cost a little bit more than inverters without internal storage, the added cost will typically pay for itself in the long run, thanks to the greater independence it offers you from the city utility grid.