How to Choose Home Energy Storage?

25 Mar.,2024

 

As homeowners, it is important to understand the different energy storage solutions available to us. Whether you are looking to reduce your energy usage or become more energy efficient, implementing an energy storage system for your home is one of the best ways to do it.

This post will discuss the various energy storage solutions for residential homes, how they work, and the benefits of investing in an energy storage system for your home.

What Is Energy Storage?

Home energy storage, or residential energy storage, is a way of storing energy from solar, wind, or other power sources when electricity is needed. Energy storage for homes isn't a brand-new concept, but it's becoming more widespread as people look for ways to downsize their carbon footprint and save money on their electricity bills.

Some Types of Home Energy Storage Systems

Batteries: The ability of very big batteries to store electricity until required is not dissimilar to that of more typical rechargeable batteries. These systems can use various battery technologies, including lithium iron, lithium-ion, lead acid, and others.

The storing of thermal energy: It is possible to generate thermal energy with the help of electricity, and this energy can be saved for later use. For instance, during periods of low electricity demand, it is possible to use power to make chilled water or ice, which can be used for cooling during courses of high electricity demand.

Flywheels: Flywheels, which are a type of rotor, can be accelerated with the use of electricity, which then allows the energy to be preserved in the form of kinetic rotational energy. When it is necessary to produce energy, the force created by the flywheel's rotation is applied to turn a generator. Some flywheels use magnetic bearings, can achieve rotating rates of up to 60,000 revolutions per minute, and operate in a vacuum to limit the drag they experience.

How To Choose the Right Home Energy Storage System

Having a reliable home storage system is essential when it comes to powering your home with renewable energy. With the right approach in place, you can store excess energy from wind, sun, and other sources to use when you need it most. But choosing the right home energy storage system can be tricky. Here's what you need to consider when selecting a home energy storage system:

1. Battery Capacity: The capacity of your battery will determine how much energy you can store for later use. Measure your electricity usage and determine how much power you need to store at once. This will help you decide on a battery system with the right capacity.

2. Research the Different Types Of Systems Available: Various options are available. From advanced lithium-ion batteries to hydrogen fuel cells, the options can make it difficult to choose the right system for your needs. To help you make an informed decision, it's important to understand the different types of home energy storage systems and their associated benefits and drawbacks.

The most popular type of home energy storage system is lithium-ion batteries. These advanced batteries have become increasingly popular for residential applications due to their high energy density, long lifespan, and relatively low environmental impact. Lithium-ion batteries can store large amounts of energy for extended periods and can be easily recharged with solar panels or a generator.

3. Consider Your Budget and Energy Usage: It isn't easy to select a system without considering your individual energy requirements, but it is also important to ensure that you get the most cost-effective and efficient system for your home. Understanding how much energy you use can help you determine the best type of storage system for your home.

4. Reliability: When it comes to having a reliable energy storage system for your home, you want to ensure that you have the best option for your needs. That is why it is important to consider the reliability of the energy storage system when making your decision.

when assessing the sustainability of a home energy storage system. The first thing to consider is the brand and model of the energy storage system. Different brands and models can have significant differences in reliability.

Choosing a reliable brand and model with a positive reputation among homeowners is important. Doing research and reading reviews will help you make wise decisions.

5. Look into Additional Features, Warranties, And Customer Support: One of the most important things to consider is additional features and customer support. Additional features can make or break a home energy storage system. The right system should be equipped with features that enhance the user experience and make managing energy efficient.

Features may include advanced control systems for monitoring and adjusting energy output, automated emergency backup, and remote access. It is important to research the available features provided by each option before selecting a system.

Another critical element to consider is warranties and customer support. Warranties help protect your investment in case of system failure. These factors will help you to decide if the system you're considering is the right one for your home.

How to Install Home Energy Storage Systems

Installing an energy storage system in your home is a smart investment that can provide significant long-term savings. Before installing an energy storage system, you should familiarize yourself with the available home energy storage systems.

Some of the most familiar types of energy storage systems include solar batteries, thermal energy storage systems, and flywheel energy storage. Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to research the details of each system to ensure you make the right decision.

Benefits Of Home Energy Storage

Environmental Benefits: Do you want to reduce your electric bills and your home's carbon footprint? Home energy storage may be the answer.

Energy storage for home allows you to store energy for later use, effectively lowering your energy costs and helping you reduce your environmental impact. Unlike traditional energy sources like electricity or natural gas, energy storage allows you to store energy when energy is abundant and use it when it is scarce.

This helps reduce energy costs and eliminate energy usage during peak hours. Additionally, energy storage systems can provide backup electricity in case of a power outage.

Financial Benefits: Home energy storage systems also allow the use of renewable energy sources like solar or wind power. By harnessing the sun's power, homeowners can reduce their electricity bills and maintain a steady flow of power when the sun isn't shining.

The most obvious benefit of home energy storage is that it allows homeowners to store unused electricity that they generate through their solar panels and use it later.

Wrap Up

FranklinWH is the best energy storage provider for your home. It offers great customer support and reliable warranties, which make it the ideal choice for your energy storage needs.

With its cutting-edge technologies, innovative products and services, and knowledgeable customer team on standby, you can be sure that you'll be getting the most value out of your investment in energy storage products.

Make the right choice today and choose FranklinWH to power your home with clean, reliable energy.

The bad news? You're facing down severe weather and the possibility of a power outage.

The good news? You've got several options to help you keep the lights on.

Gone are the days when your only option was the fuel-powered standby generators. Quieter, fume-free home battery backups have arrived and are here to stay. While generators can run as long as you have fuel (usually propane, diesel or methane gas -- more commonly known as natural gas) to feed them, batteries come without the carbon monoxide risk, noise or as much of the fuel cost. Solar panels can keep your battery topped up but come with their own price tag.

Batteries and generators both provide the same basic service but are considerably different devices. We'll sort through the pros and cons of each. Here's what you need to know to decide between the two.

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Generators

On the other hand, standby generators connect to your home's electrical panel and kick on automatically when the power goes out. Generators run on fuel to keep your electricity on during an outage -- typically natural gas, liquid propane or diesel. Other generators have a "dual fuel" feature, meaning that they can run on either natural gas or liquid propane.

Certain natural gas and propane generators can connect to your home's gas line or propane tank, so there's no need to refill them manually. Diesel generators, however, will need to be topped up in order to keep running.

Battery backup vs. generator: How do they compare?

These pieces of equipment perform the same basic job but come with different costs, maintenance requirements and performance. 

Pricing

In terms of cost, battery backups are the pricier option upfront. But generators need fuel to run, which means that you'll spend more over time to maintain a steady fuel supply. 

With battery backups, you'll need to pay for the backup battery system upfront, as well as installation costs (each of which are in the thousands). Exact pricing will vary based on which battery model you choose and how many of them you need to power your home. However, it's common for an average-size home battery backup system to run between $10,000 and $20,000.

For generators, the upfront costs are slightly lower. On average, the price of purchasing and installing a standby generator can range from $7,000 to $15,000. However, remember that generators require fuel to run, which will increase your operating expenses. The specific costs will depend on a few factors, including the size of your generator, which type of fuel it uses and the amount of fuel used to run it.

Installation

Battery backups earn a slight edge in this category since they can be mounted to the wall or floor, whereas generator installations require a bit of additional work. Regardless, you'll need to hire a professional for either type of installation, both of which will require a full day of work and may cost several thousand dollars.

Some home batteries are more like oversized portable power stations, and require little more than having an electrician install a transfer switch or smart electrical panel.

Aside from setting up the device itself, installing a generator also requires pouring a concrete slab, connecting the generator to a dedicated fuel source and installing a transfer switch.

Maintenance

Battery backups are the clear winner in this category. They're quiet, run independently, don't produce any emissions and don't require any ongoing maintenance.

On the other hand, generators can be quite noisy and disruptive when they're in use. They also emit exhaust or fumes, depending on which type of fuel they use to run -- which may irritate you or your neighbors.

Keeping your home powered

As far as how long they can keep your home powered, standby generators easily outperform battery backups. As long as you have enough fuel, generators can run continuously for up to three weeks at a time (if necessary).

That's simply not the case with battery backups. Let's use the Tesla Powerwall as an example. It has 13.5 kilowatt-hours of storage capacity, which can provide power for a few hours on its own. You can get extra power out of them if they're part of a solar panel system or if you use multiple batteries in a single system.

Expected lifespan and warranty

In most cases, battery backups come with longer warranties than standby generators. However, these warranties are measured in different ways.

Over time, battery backup systems lose the ability to hold a charge, much like phones and laptops. For that reason, battery backups include an end-of-warranty capacity rating, which measures how effective a battery will hold a charge by the end of its warranty period. In Tesla's case, the company guarantees that the Powerwall battery should retain 70% of its capacity by the end of its 10-year warranty.

Some backup battery manufacturers also offer a "throughput" warranty. This is the number of cycles, hours or energy output (known as "throughput") that a company guarantees on its battery.

With standby generators, it's easier to estimate lifespan. Good-quality generators can run for 3,000 hours, as long as they're well maintained. Therefore, if you run your generator for 150 hours per year, it should last about 20 years.

Which battery backup is right for you?

Across most categories, battery backup systems come out on top. In short, they're better for the environment, easier to install and cheaper to run long-term. Plus, they have longer warranties than standby generators.

With that said, traditional generators can be a good option in some cases. Unlike battery backups, you only need a single generator to restore power in an outage, which brings down the upfront costs. Plus, standby generators can last longer than battery backup systems in a single session. As a result, they'll be a safer bet if the power is out for days at a time.

Of course, you might not need that big of a solution if you're only planning to back up a few things for short periods of time. You can also consider less-permanent solutions like portable generators and portable power stations if your needs aren't as intensive.

How long does a solar battery last?

Many solar batteries are warrantied for 10 or even 15 years. Batteries lose some of their capacity over the course of their lifetime. Tesla Powerwalls, for example, are guaranteed to have at least 70% of their capacity at the end of their 10 year warranty.

How long can a home battery backup your home?

This depends entirely on how much you're trying to power during an outage. A Tesla Powerwall has a capacity of 13.5 kilowatt-hours. If you want to keep the lights on and you have one 100-watt light bulbs, you could theoretically keep it burning for 135 hours. If you want to add a refrigerator that requires 500 watts, it would reduce your run time to 22.5 hours. If you want to have a power-outage movie marathon on your 500-watt tv, your charge would last for a bit over 12 hours. When a backup battery is installed, you might be able to designate critical loads and send battery power only to those circuits during a blackout.

If your battery is connected to solar panels, it'll recharge throughout the day, extending its useful charge, sometimes over days.

How to Choose Home Energy Storage?

Backup Power Solutions: How to Choose Between Home Batteries and Generators

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