Solar battery FAQ

All questions about solar batteries

Nowadays it is becoming more and more important to switch to sustainable lifestyles. Therefore, we have to adapt various aspects of our lives more and more until they are better for our environment overall. This concerns, for example, our electricity consumption. Many people have already switched to solar energy consumption because they know that it is a wonderful alternative for the environment and, in the long term, also relieves the burden on their own wallets.

Solar systems are all well and good and you can see them everywhere in Germany today. The sun doesn't always shine, but it shines often enough to be profitable. However, there are fluctuations here because sometimes too much electricity is generated so that it is lost to the power grid. Other times it is too little and you have to buy additional electricity.

But there is also a solution for this that is excellent and also falls under the aspect of sustainability. Just as there are normal generators, there are also solar alternatives. Today we want to introduce you to solar batteries - and two models in particular that, in our opinion, really pack a punch. Have fun with the post!

What exactly is a solar battery?

To understand a solar battery, you must first understand the entire solar system. The general way it works is that you have solar panels on the roof. These are irradiated by the sun during the day and this solar radiation is converted into energy, which you can then use straight away. The biggest problem here is that the solar panels themselves can only generate energy for you and cannot store it for you.

If you're out and about for a whole day and the sun is shining brightly, or you just don't use that much energy, it can happen that your solar panels are generating too much energy. That's not a problem per se. As a rule, your solar power should still be connected to the normal power grid. This is because you often don't generate enough solar power to power your entire household. If in doubt, you can draw additional electricity from the network. Conversely, any electricity you produce in excess is immediately fed back into the power grid. Sometimes this goes unrewarded, sometimes your electricity provider will accommodate you so that you benefit from it.

If you now have a solar battery, there is a third alternative: excess electricity is now fed into the solar battery so that you have a charged battery in your house. You can then draw power from it whenever you want.

For example, if you're out and about all day, the only thing that will probably draw power is the refrigerator. However, the sun shines brightly on the solar panels and excess electricity is produced, which goes into the battery. When you come back in the evening, you need electricity to cook, charge your phone and shower. Now you don't have to draw electricity from the power grid, which costs you, but you can simply use your solar battery.

How do solar batteries work?

Well, we have actually already explained to you how solar batteries work. They store excess electricity that you can use in the evening or on a rainy day, for example, to save money that you would otherwise have to spend with your electricity provider. As with most solar systems, this is a really good investment - if you think long term. Solar systems are of course expensive if they are intended for a particularly short period of time. But you probably already know all that.

But there is one more thing that a solar battery can do for you: emergency assistance in the event of a blackout. Blackouts are becoming more and more common. In Germany this does not happen as often as in other countries, but it is still not a rarity depending on the region. And if the power goes out all over the city, it's definitely worth having solar energy in your house. Then you can continue to charge your devices and power the fridge, so you can always stay up to date and save your food. It's especially important to follow the news during a blackout. This way you know when you have power again and what is happening around you.

Solar batteries are really useful and we recommend that you get one. Especially if you already have a comprehensive solar system on the roof, but have not yet connected a solar battery to it.

Buying a solar battery: this is what you should pay attention to

When purchasing a solar battery, there are a few aspects you should consider before making any decision. Here are all the important features that will help you make a smart solar battery purchase:

1. Capacityät of the battery

Sure, this factor is probably pretty obvious. The capacity of the battery is quite important because it shouldn't be too small - then you can do without it altogether. This capacity tells you how much your battery stores for you.

It's best to find out how much surplus your solar system usually produces. The battery should have enough capacity to absorb this excess. It's best to have more, because it can happen (especially if you're on vacation for a week) that your system generates too much electricity for several days at a time and then has to temporarily store it for you. So it should definitely not be less than your average daily surplus, but tend to be more.

Conversely, you also have to consider how much you actually need in order to continue to operate your devices in the event of a power outage, for example. Because then you can see your battery as a power bank on a large scale and use it to keep your system, i.e. your house, running - at least for a while.

2. Power Output

This output determines how much energy can be spent in a certain period of time to power your devices. Again, it depends a little on your situation and wishes, but if you want to use the solar battery for a possible power outage, you should definitely think about a large output.

Because a low output would mean, for example, that you can only charge your cell phone or your cell phone and your laptop, but not the refrigerator. This is despite the fact that your solar battery has stored enough energy to power your refrigerator for several hours. This doesn't help you with a low output.

There are often solar batteries with high capacity and low output, or vice versa. Both together are always a little difficult to get and you have to keep your preferences in mind. In general, however, you should try to find high capacities with medium to high output.

3. Efficiency

When you talk about efficiency with such a device, you mean what percentage of the energy introduced can then be used.

As a rule, you introduce a certain amount of energy into a battery. So, let's say we have 100% energy and we want to divert it from our solar panels, where the energy was just produced, to the solar battery. On average, 20% of the energy is lost. Conversely, this means that only 80% of the solar energy just generated arrives in the battery.

At first glance this sounds pretty shocking, but this is a well-known average value. Because, unfortunately, that's completely normal. Typically we always lose around 20%. Nevertheless, efficiency is a very important factor that you should keep in mind. Because there are certainly solar batteries where the value is much worse. You should then try to avoid such things, because wasted solar energy is ultimately like money that you are throwing out the window. In addition, it also means that it will take a longer time for your battery to charge because you are losing some of the energy.

4. Costs

This is a final and no less important point that you probably already have in mind when you want to introduce a new device into your household.

In general, solar batteries are not cheap. The better the solar battery, the more expensive it is. If your budget is limited, you have to somehow try to find a happy medium that makes sense for you.

You shouldn't go for the cheapest products if they don't meet your needs. Imagine buying a cheap solar battery, which is still expensive - but above all not quite enough to power you in the event of a blackout. Then you've basically thrown the money out the window because you can only charge your cell phone with the solar battery. In this case, a much cheaper power bank would probably have been sufficient.

So, try to find a very good balance between your maximum budget and your needs so that you can make a purchase with a clear conscience and know that it was the right decision.

Which solar batteries are recommended?

As already announced, we would now like to introduce you to the products that, in our opinion, represent true highlights among the solar batteries on the market. These are different series from Ecoflow and Bluetti.

Introducing the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Intelligent Additional Battery, EcoFlow DELTA Max Intelligent Additional Battery, BLUETTI B230 and the BLUETTI B300. We will also briefly show you how you can connect the B230 or B300 to the AC200MAX. Let's go!

EcoFlow DELTA Pro Intelligent additional battery

This additional battery is connected to DELTA Pro to increase the total capacity to 7.200 Wh to double. Connect two of these to DELTA Pro to get an amazing 10.8 kWh for off-grid use. The additional battery can be integrated into your home's wiring when connected to DELTA Pro. These battery units become part of the power supply for consumption peaks and emergencies in your home.

EcoFlow DELTA Max Intelligent additional battery

With the additional battery, the capacity of the Delta MAX can be doubled or tripled. That means you get 4.032Wh or 6.048 Wh and thereby extends the running time of the most important devices. The intelligent additional battery from DELTA MAX can be charged using all charging methods that DELTA MAX offers. This means that you can charge your device anytime and anywhere as long as the additional battery is connected to DELTA MAX. Once the auxiliary battery is connected, they charge/discharge simultaneously, keeping the battery percentage on both units the same.

BLUETTI B230

The B230 is equipped with a fairly new lithium iron battery cell . The technology itself is not that old and currently this is one of the most advanced options available on the market. This means that this battery is very efficient, does not leak, overheats and is expected to have a particularly long life. You have a total capacity of 2,048Wh and can charge your phone about 175 times when using the B230.

The B230 was built so that you can combine it even further - with another battery and with a power station like the AC200Max!

BLUETTI B300

The B300 is pretty comparable to the B230, as you already know can imagine. At least the two are largely based on the same technology.

You will find lithium iron technology here again. This means you can expect less heat and longer life. The capacity here is a whole 3.072Wh! That's an unbeatable amount.

The B300 was also built so that you can combine it even further - with another battery and with a power station like the AC200Max!

Connect BLUETTI B230 or B300 to AC200MAX

As already mentioned, you need the power station to connect the batteries and generate an entire system. The batteries are only compatible with BLUETTI Power Stations. The AC200MAX is an excellent option and with four batteries and the AC200MAX you get 12.288Wh of power! That's an incredible amount. So you can put together massive power stations if you buy several solar batteries.

Here you will find another video on how you can connect the BLUETTI AC200MAX with the B300 :

 

Conclusion

A solar battery is a pretty smart solution if you have a solar system and find that you eat regularly You often generate too much energy and lose it to the power grid. If you actually use up all the solar energy that is generated every day, this is not that important, because then you will not generate any energy that will be temporarily stored anyway. But it's more like you need the battery.

Most people use less energy during the dayüwhen solar power is generated because they are at work. At night they then have to use the power grid because the sun no longer shines. The battery can help out here and represents a completely smarter voltage solution.

The most important points summarized here:

1. If you want to buy a solar battery, you have to pay attention to, among other things, the price, the output, the capacityät and the efficiency.
2. You only need a solar battery if you üexcess energy or if you expect a blackout You want to be prepared.

Hopefully this post about solar batteries helped you! If you now buy a solar battery to become more sustainable and efficient, we hope you have a lot of fun with it!

Do you have any further questions or would you like to receive advice from us on this topic? Please feel free to contact us via our contact request or simply by phone on 04761 9258747.