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A home battery backup system is essential to cover any dips in energy production for a home solar system.
If you still rely on the grid for power, you’ve likely had to deal with your fair share of outages. A home battery backup system can help keep the lights on and everything working to minimize disruption to your life.
However, not any backup battery will do. The type you might have stored in your vehicle to jump the car isn’t sufficient to supply an entire home with energy. Read on to learn how to choose a home battery backup system, including factors to consider, costs, and the different types available.
What is a Home Battery Backup System?
A home battery backup system stores reserve energy. It can operate on a standalone basis or as part of a home solar system.
The backup battery gets its charge via multiple means, usually solar charging or the home’s connection to the grid.
Stack multiple batteries, and you have plenty of stored power for the days when your solar system isn’t producing as much energy.
How Does a Backup Battery Work?
How a backup battery operates depends on how you have it connected to your home electrical network.
A backup battery can supply additional energy to the solar generator if you use solar. The generator can keep your house running.
In some cases, it also can be an alternative to a net metering program or extra storage capacity to run alongside it.
If you rely on grid energy, backup batteries act like oversized power banks. Depending on the capacity, you can plug in appliances, electrical devices, and more.
It also can allow you to make a real dent in your home energy bills if you draw from your stored power when grid costs are at their highest during times of peak demand.
Understanding Battery Backup Systems: What Are the Main Components?
For a full-fledged battery backup system at home, you’ll need to combine components that include a battery, charge controller, inverter, and monitoring system.
Battery
Your battery is the core of your battery backup system. The battery is where the energy generated from your solar panels is stored so you can use it when you need it. You’ll tap into the battery storage when you need power during peak demand or outages. Make sure that you choose a battery with a capacity that is sufficient for your needs.
Charge Controller
The charge controller’s responsibility is to regulate how much energy gets delivered to the battery so it doesn’t overcharge. While this might not seem important, it’s crucial, as proper energy optimization will extend the battery life so you can enjoy its benefits longer. There are different types of charge controllers, so make sure you choose the one that’s best for your circumstances.
Inverter
Your solar panels produce electricity in the form of direct current (DC), but most of what you want to operate functions using a different kind of energy known as alternating current (AC). Your inverter’s job is to transform the DC energy into usable AC energy for your home.
Hybrid inverters can work exceptionally well for this use case, converting DC to AC or AC to DC when necessary. If you choose this route, you may not need a charge controller as these devices are robust.
Monitoring System
For your home backup system to be reliable, you need to closely monitor it for any issues so you can address them quickly and efficiently. Remote monitoring devices such as apps can be helpful, allowing you to check in as needed and even receive alerts if there’s an issue with one or more components of your battery backup system.
What are the Benefits of Having a Home Battery Backup System?
A solar energy system provides you energy when the sun is out, but a solar energy system with a home battery backup system allows you to store and use solar energy during times of darkness, poor weather, or grid blackouts. Here are the many benefits of creating this kind of system for your home:
Lower Bills
Save money on electric bills by reducing your dependence on the grid. You can store excess electricity in your battery when the sun is shining and use it when the sun isn’t out, rather than relying on the grid during those times. You also may be able to utilize time-of-use pricing by using stored energy during otherwise peak-rate hours.
Power Despite Outages
When the power goes out, even if you use solar, you’d be out of energy without a battery backup system. However, a battery backup system will keep your essential devices and appliances powered even during a grid outage.
Energy Independence
When you’re not reliant on the grid to power your home, that’s called energy independence. It frees you up to create and use your own energy without falling victim to rising electricity prices. With the right setup, you could achieve energy independence.
Increased Home Values
Installing a solar panel system (especially one with a battery backup) adds significant value to your home. This addition means new owners could enjoy lower utility costs. In an era where electricity costs are skyrocketing, this is extremely attractive to buyers.
Good for the Planet
Solar energy is clean, renewable, and good for the planet. This sustainable form of energy also helps to preserve our limited natural resources. If you value sustainability, this is a great way to live out your values
Types of Battery Backup Systems
There are two main types of batteries for home backup solutions: lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.
Lead Acid
Lead-acid batteries are a low-cost solution for home backup energy. They offer a usable capacity of up to 50% but are popular because they are cheap and robust.
Lithium-Ion
Lithium-ion batteries use cell technology to offer ultra-high charge rate efficiency. With a usable capacity of up to 100%, they let you maximize your energy use. While they are more costly upfront, they are maintenance-free and integrate with solar systems.
EcoFlow DELTA Mini Portable Power Station
The perfect portable companion for any situation with low output from a home solar system, the EcoFlow DELTA Mini is the reliable solution for a temporary outage or a camping trip.
Don’t be fooled by the small size—it has an 882Wh capacity and 1400W output. With this much energy, it can power up to 12 devices.
The EcoFlow DELTA Mini comes with a wide choice of outlets. X-Boost means you can bump that up to 1800W to handle heavy-duty kitchen appliances or power tools.
X-Stream technology means it reaches full charge in just 1.6 hours. That’s nearly four times faster than other portable power stations.
EcoFlow DELTA Pro Portable Power Station
Able to power 13 devices simultaneously, the EcoFlow DELTA Pro is the ultimate home backup battery solution. It boasts a 3.6kWh capacity, and you can integrate this battery directly with your home circuits via the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel.
Featuring hybrid charging, you can use a wall outlet to charge the Delta Pro, a 12V car port, or solar panels. It covers all bases, whether you want to expand the capacity of a home solar system with extra output or find a reliable solution for lowering your energy bills.
The Delta Pro can handle heavy-duty appliances, and if you pair two units together, you can reach an output of 7200Wh.
This battery offers the ultimate versatility and flexibility as there are multiple charging options and multi-device usage, so there is no home or scenario this battery wouldn’t suit.
Backup Systems Compared: Whole-Home Backup vs. Partial Backup
When choosing a battery backup system for your solar generator, you’ll need to determine whether you want a whole-home battery backup system or a partial backup system. The best place to start is by understanding your unique energy needs.
A whole-home system like EcoFlow Whole Home Backup Solution is ideal if you have a larger budget and seek the most optimized system and user experience. Larger electrical appliances will require more energy, so the fewer of these you need to power, the more feasible a whole-home backup system will be.
On the other hand, a partial home backup system is still favorable to sitting in total darkness during outages. A partial backup system lets you choose which devices or appliances are most crucial to you, prioritizing where stored energy will be sent during an outage. Partial backup systems are more budget-friendly.
Can You Add a Backup Battery to an Existing Solar System?
You can retrofit backup batteries to an existing solar system, but you need to ensure they are compatible with the system.
Take the EcoFlow DELTA Pro, for example. It can integrate with your existing solar system and is compatible with 90% of solar panels. It also offers an expandable capacity of up to 25kWh, when you pair it with the EcoFlow Smart Battery and Smart Generator.
How Much Does a Home Battery Backup System Cost?
Prices for home backup batteries usually range from $300 to $4000, depending on the battery type, power output, and capacity.
Always look beyond the base cost and consider capacity, output, longevity, and maintenance. It is probably fair to say that although lithium-ion batteries cost more, they do last longer and provide more energy efficiency.
What to Consider When Buying Home Battery Backup?
Battery Capacity and Output
The total amount a battery can store, i.e., its capacity, is measured in watt-hours (Wh). Depending on your needs, you might find it better to have one larger battery or to stack several smaller ones.
Capacity doesn’t always equal the amount of power a battery can provide. It also depends on the output capacity.
For example, a high-capacity battery with plenty of storage can have a low power rating or output. This solution is ideal for running several low-usage appliances or devices you want to keep connected for a long time, like a laptop or television.
A low-capacity battery with a high-power rating will be able to manage to run the household, but only for a short period.
However, generally speaking, the higher capacity a battery offers, the higher its output. If you want a home backup solution, it might be better to have one high-capacity battery or a mix of backup batteries to cover different needs and situations.
Recharging Options
The main decision is whether you want a battery that you can recharge on the grid or solar.
If you lack a solar system, then outlet charging is a must. That said, a battery that recharges using solar panels can be a more reliable solution for those inevitable outages.
Depth of Discharge
You can’t exhaust 100% of a backup battery’s capacity. Indeed, completely discharging a battery shortens its lifespan.
Depth of Discharge (DoD) refers to how much of the backup battery’s power you can use. A higher DoD allows you to access more capacity.
Battery Type
When deciding on the battery type, you’ll want to consider the longevity, cost, and other factors like environmental impact.
Lithium-ion—like the ones used in electric cars or EcoFlow DELTA portable power stations—are generally preferred as they have a long lifespan and a high DoD.
Lead acid batteries are another option that is cheap and robust. Unfortunately, they also pose significant environmental risks that can lead to pollution, fires, explosions, leaks, and more.
Compatibility
If you retrofit a solar system, make sure your choice of battery is compatible with your solar system.
Safety
Solar batteries hold a lot of energy, so it’s critical to ensure proper safety measures to avoid hazards or accidents. The safest batteries will be those that have been rigorously tested and industry-certified to meet safety standards.
You can find additional safety features on some batteries, such as built-in protections for things like overheating, overcharging, or short circuits. You should also consider the battery’s design – does it have enough ventilation and protection from the elements?
Check for these features and more to ensure safe operation. Checking that all necessary safety measures are in place is critical to ensure you can safely operate your system.
Technical Support
An effective solar battery backup is a reliable one – but how reliable can it be if there’s no one you can count on for help if something goes wrong?
If something goes awry with your system, having reliable technical support available will eliminate the hassle of figuring it out yourself and help you get your power back on as soon as possible. Good customer support should be able to help with things like installation, setup, operation, and any troubleshooting.
Technical support through an app or other monitoring system is also helpful, giving you insights into how your system works on demand.
Lifespan and Warranty
Warranties go a long way in providing peace of mind regarding potential defects or issues after purchase. Often, these issues are no fault of the purchaser, so having a warranty on your backup system ensures repairs or replacements if needed.
Also consider the expected lifespan of products in your decision-making process so you have an idea of how long they should last.
Final Thoughts
For residential solar systems, home battery backups are essential to store excess electricity produced by solar panels so you can use it later, such as when the sun isn’t shining or during a grid outage.
Battery backups allow energy independence from the grid and utility providers. They protect against power outages, rising utility prices, and environmental damage while providing peace of mind. They also allow you to take your energy production and use into your own hands – decreasing your reliance on energy utility companies.
If you’re looking for a reliable, eco-friendly home energy solution, shop EcoFlow today. In addition to solar panels and power systems, we also offer bundled options, including an inclusive Whole Home Backup Power Solution – some even include the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel.
With the right power solution, you’ll never have to worry about being out of power again. Shop our variety of products to find the perfect power solution for your home and seize your energy independence with help from us at EcoFlow.