Kirk A. Abbott, Ph.D • January 12, 2021 • 3 minute read

This is a question we get very often. We offer a battery backed or Hybrid Solar PV system, which includes batteries, but also allows you to say connected to the utility grid. One of the greatest benefits of having a battery backed Solar PV System is that you can still have cleanly generated energy when there is a power outage.

So how does this work?

At Saddle Energy Ltd, we provide Lithium Ion Batteries for our Hybrid Solar PV Systems. 

A quick note on this: Lithium Ion batteries are by far the safest and most efficient option for a Solar PV System battery, as they require less space, ventilation and maintenance than their nearest competitor, Lead Acid batteries. Think of a very large cell phone battery. They are supremely easy to use, and require little to no maintenance!

When implemented in our Hybrid Solar PV Systems, these batteries are storing unused energy that is generated by the panels throughout the day. We take a detailed approach to analyzing your energy needs to ensure that sufficient energy is stored to power your home or facility throughout the night, and longer if your needs demand it. 

With our Hybrid Solar PV System, you get the best of both worlds: 

• solar power generated by the panels to be used during the day, 

• solar energy that is stored in the batteries to be used at night,

• in the case of a stretch of bad weather, you still have the power of the utility service to fall back on. 

During a power outage, there is no power being sent through the grid. This will affect the energy generated by solar panels in a Hybrid Solar PV System as well, as all systems tied to the grid have to abide by the rules of the utility.  Although it may seem arbitrary, it is important to follow these rules as they ensure the safety of the technicians working on the grid at any point in time. However, if you have a battery backed system, you will still have your stored energy to fall back on!

The batteries will be able to take over the energy requirements when there is a power outage, however the rules of the utility service mentioned above have to be considered. The grid can't be "activated" by your system during a power cut, as that would jeopardize the technicians working on it. Therefore a mechanism is needed to separate your system from the grid for the duration of the power cut. Fortunately, there are batteries that allow for this to happen with a simple physical relay switch that is switched when a power cut is detected!

As reported in the news on an almost daily basis, individuals, communities and even corporations are realizing the importance and benefit of switching to a clean, renewable energy resource. At Saddle Energy Ltd, we would love to help you get the conversation of switching to solar energy started. Give us a call at 876-884-5528 today!

Post/See Comments