Home battery storage is a hot topic for energy-conscious consumers. If you have solar panels on your roof, there's an obvious benefit to storing any unused electricity in a battery to use at night or on low-sunlight days.
And batteries are becoming increasingly popular, with the number of installations increasing every year . As of , according to data from solar analytics company Sunwiz, there are more than 250,000 home storage batteries installed in Australia. Approximately 57,000 were installed in alone. The majority are installed as part of a brand new solar panel system, but a significant number of batteries are additions to an existing solar panel system.
We explain how these batteries work and what you need to know before installing one.
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Learn moreThe concept of home battery storage isn't new. Off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind electricity generation on remote properties has long used battery storage to capture the unused electricity for later use. Storage batteries are increasingly popular with new solar installations, and it's possible that within the next five to 10 years, most homes with solar panels will have a battery system.
If your solar panel array and battery are large enough, you can run your home substantially on solar power
A battery captures any unused solar power generated during the day for later use at night and on low-sunlight days. Installations that include batteries are increasingly popular. There's a real attraction to being as independent as possible from the grid &#; for most people it's not just an economic decision, but also an environmental one, and for some it's an expression of their wish to be independent of energy companies.
If your solar panel array and battery are large enough, you can run your home substantially on solar power. Using electricity from your battery can be cheaper per kilowatt-hour (see Terminology) than using electricity from the grid, depending on the time of day and electricity tariffs in your area.
Check out some of our other articles on home batteries:
A product recall is currently in progress for LG storage batteries. These have also been sold as rebranded batteries under brand names including SolaX, Opal, Redback, Red Earth, Eguana and VARTA.
If you have a solar storage battery from any of these brands, you should urgently check the product recall details on the ACCC's Product Safety website.
The recalled batteries may overheat and catch fire, and need to be shut down immediately. The product recall site linked above has all the details. LG will remove and replace the recalled batteries for free, or provide a refund.
Costs vary significantly for solar batteries, but generally, the higher the battery capacity, the more you can expect to pay.
Here are typical battery costs for some common sizes (including basic installation). Prices are based on information from SolarQuotes.
Most households are likely to benefit from a battery with a decent amount of capacity, about 10kWh or more. But a smaller battery can be sufficient for small households with low energy usage.
As an example, one of the most popular batteries is the 13.5kWh Tesla Powerwall 2. This currently costs about $12,100 before any subsidies. Fully installed it will come to about $15,500 (or more, if the installation is complex).
The lower-end prices tend to be for a battery pack only (cells plus battery management system). Higher-end prices often mean that the battery system has a built-in battery inverter and other integrated components as well. When getting quotes, make sure it's clear whether the cost of a new inverter and extra electrical work are factored in.
It can be more cost-effective to buy a battery as part of an entire new solar panel system package than to retrofit it to an existing system, especially if the existing system is several years old (it may need substantial upgrading to accommodate the battery; for example, older systems are often relatively small, say 3-5kW, and may need more panels added to deliver enough power for charging the battery and powering the home).
For many homes, we think a battery doesn't make complete economic sense yet. Batteries are still relatively expensive and the payback time will often be longer than the warranty period (typically 10 years) of the battery.
Batteries are still relatively expensive and the payback time will often be longer than the warranty period of the battery
Currently, a lithium-ion battery and hybrid inverter will typically cost between $ and $16,000 (installed), depending on capacity and brand. As the electricity market changes over the next few years, and (hopefully) battery prices improve, it may then make clear economic sense to always include a storage battery with a new solar PV system.
Despite the points made above, a storage battery can still be worthwhile, economically and for other reasons. Households with high power consumption that are savvy about using their solar-generated and stored power can make the battery pay for itself in less than 10 years. Joining a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) scheme can improve the economics too (see below for more on VPPs).
For many people investing in home battery storage, the motivation isn't just about the economics. Protection against blackouts, maximising the benefits of your solar panels, and even simply liking this new technology are all perfectly good reasons to consider a battery. Or at least making sure your solar PV system is battery-ready for a future installation. Batteries are often seen as being less about the pure economics and more about being as independent from the grid as possible.
We recommend you work through two or three quotes from reputable installers before committing to a battery installation. The results of an independent trial of storage batteries show that you need a strong warranty, and commitment of support from your supplier and battery manufacturer in the event of any faults.
Our solar partner SolarQuotes has a battery calculator to help you figure out the savings you might make from adding a storage battery to your existing solar panel system.
To use it, you'll first need to obtain a NEM12 file from your electricity distributor; this is the data collected by your smart meter, which shows in detail how much energy your solar panels generate, how much electricity your home uses at different times of the day (night-time power consumption is a key factor here), and therefore how much would be available to charge a battery. Here's their guide to how you obtain this file. Request 12 months of data, so that you have a full picture of your solar usage in every season.
If you don't have solar at all, and are wondering if you should buy a system with battery included, the CHOICE Solar Estimator is a quick and easy way to look at the potential savings with and without a battery.
Government rebate schemes, and energy trading systems such as Reposit, can definitely make batteries economically viable for some households. Note that the Small-scale Technology Certificate (STC) financial incentive for solar panel systems (the "solar rebate") only applies to the solar panels in the installed system, not the battery. But there are currently battery-focused rebate or special loan schemes in some states and territories.
Victoria: Solar Homes Program
Northern Territory: Home and Business Battery Scheme
Note that the Victorian Solar Homes Program has a fixed number of subsidies available over a set period. So it's possible for a subsidy scheme to be active, but unavailable until the next round of subsidies opens up.
Rebate schemes are revised from time to time, so it's worth also checking the federal government energy website to see what's available in your area.
A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a network of solar and battery systems installed on homes and businesses, centrally controlled by a computer system run by the VPP operator company. By joining a VPP program, you agree to make the stored energy in your home battery available to the VPP operator who can then use it to supply the grid in times of high demand.
In return, you're paid a subsidy, which might be in the form of reduced energy bills, a rebate towards buying the battery, or even free solar and battery installation. But note that even joining a VPP program won't always guarantee that your battery pays for itself, and it can mean that you'll sometimes find your own battery is running low at night when you want it, due to the VPP having taken some of the stored energy earlier that day.
There are various Virtual Power Plant programs in most states which can help reduce the cost of a battery. SolarQuotes maintains a list of current VPP programs.
Some electricity retailers such as Amber offer plans that price your electricity in 15 minute intervals, based on the wholesale market price at that moment in time. This price can vary wildly, from extremely expensive to buy (but great to sell your excess solar or stored battery energy at that moment), to negative pricing (when you'll actually be paid for using grid energy, but might have to pay the retailer for any solar power you export; so that's a great time to charge your battery with solar or grid power).
These plans can be very effective, even profitable, if you are prepared to monitor prices daily and adjust your home energy usage accordingly. But if you'd rather just "set and forget" your electricity plan and not worry too much about when you run your appliances, this type of plan could end up costing you more.
When you're doing the sums to decide whether a battery makes sense for your home, remember to consider the feed-in tariff (FiT). This is the amount you're paid for any excess power generated by your solar panels and fed into the grid.
For every kWh diverted instead into charging your battery, you'll forgo the feed-in tariff. While the FiT is generally quite low in most parts of Australia, it's still an opportunity cost you should consider. If you still have a generous FiT (30c/kWh or more), it could be more profitable to not install a battery and just collect the FiT for your surplus power generation. However, any system still on those rates is probably an older, small capacity system, and it may be better in the long run to upgrade it to a new, larger capacity system.
Your solar panel system (panels, inverter, and battery if you have one) is part of your house, and as such it's covered by your home insurance. However, you should make sure your home's insured amount is increased to cover the replacement cost of the solar panel system. Check out our guide to solar panels and home insurance for more info.
There are four main ways your home can be set up for electricity supply.
The most basic set-up, where all your electricity comes from the main grid. The home has no solar panels or battery.
The most typical set-up for homes with solar panels. The solar panels supply power during the day, and the home generally uses this power first, resorting to grid power for any extra electricity needed on low-sunlight days, at night, and at times of high power usage.
These have solar panels, a battery, a hybrid inverter (or possibly multiple inverters), plus a connection to the main electricity grid. The solar panels supply power during the day, and the home generally uses the solar power first, using any excess to charge the battery. At times of high power usage, or at night and on low-sunlight days, the home draws power from the battery, and as a last resort from the grid.
For more on different types of inverters, how they work and their pros and cons, check out our guide to buying a solar inverter.
This system has no connection to the main electricity grid. All the home's power comes from solar panels, and possibly some other types of power generation as well, such as wind. The battery is the main power source at night and on low-sunlight days. The final back-up is usually a diesel-powered generator, which may also kick in when there's a sudden high demand for power (such as when a pump starts up).
Off-grid systems are usually much more complex and expensive than grid-connected systems. They need more solar and battery capacity than a typical grid-connected system and may also need inverters capable of higher loads to cope with peak demands. Homes that run off-grid need to be particularly energy-efficient and the load demand needs to be well-managed throughout the day.
Off-grid systems generally only make sense for remote properties where a grid connection isn't available or would be prohibitively expensive to install.
Read more: How to maintain your solar panel system
For most grid-connected systems, having a battery doesn't necessarily protect you in the event of a blackout. You may still lose all power to your home, despite having solar panels producing power and a charged battery ready and waiting.
This is because grid-connected systems have what's known as 'anti-islanding protection'. During a blackout, the grid and any engineers working on the lines must be protected from 'islands' of electricity generation (such as your solar panels) pumping power unexpectedly into the lines.
You may still lose all power to your home, despite having solar panels producing power and a charged battery ready and waiting
For most solar PV systems, the simplest way to provide anti-islanding protection is to shut down entirely. So, when it senses a grid blackout, your solar PV system shuts down and you have no household power at all.
More sophisticated inverters can provide anti-islanding protection during a blackout, but still keep the solar panels and battery operating so that the house has some power. But expect to pay a fair bit more for such a system, as the hardware is more expensive and you may need more solar and battery capacity than you think to run the house for a few hours during a blackout.
You should probably choose to allow only critical household circuits to operate in that situation, such as the fridge and lighting (and that might require extra wiring work). A storage battery is likely to be drained very quickly if it also has to run things such as a pool pump or underfloor heating, which can draw a lot of power.
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Read solar panels reviewThe most common type of battery being installed in homes today, lithium-ion batteries use similar technology to their smaller counterparts in smartphones and laptop computers. There are several types of lithium-ion chemistry. A common type used in home batteries is lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC), used by Tesla and LG Chem.
Another common chemistry is lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO, or LFP) which is said to be safer than NMC due to lower risk of thermal runaway (battery damage and potential fire caused by overheating or overcharging) but has lower energy density. LFP is used in home batteries made by BYD and Sonnen, among others.
The good old lead-acid battery technology that helps start your car can be also used for larger-scale storage. It's a well-understood and effective battery type, and banks of these batteries can be (and are) used for home storage batteries. But attempts to develop advanced lead-acid technology over the past several years have not delivered sufficient results, and this technology is fading away as a storage solution as lithium storage batteries have more advantages. It's extremely unlikely that you'll be offered a lead-acid battery these days.
One of the most promising alternatives to lithium-ion, this type uses a pumped electrolyte (such as zinc bromide or vanadium ions) and chemical reactions to store charge and release it again. Redflow's ZCell battery is the main flow battery currently available in Australia. They haven't really taken off as a home battery option, but are being installed in large commercial and utility-scale applications.
Battery and storage technology is in a state of rapid development. Other technologies currently available include hybrid ion (salt water) batteries, molten salt batteries, and graphene supercapacitors. None of these are in common usage at this stage.
These are the key technical specifications for a home battery.
How much energy the battery can store, usually measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). The nominal capacity is the total amount of energy the battery can hold, while the usable capacity is how much of that can actually be used, after the depth of discharge is factored in.
Expressed as a percentage, this is the amount of energy that can be safely used without accelerating battery degradation. Most battery types need to hold some charge at all times to avoid damage. Lithium batteries can be safely discharged to about 80&#;90% of their nominal capacity. Lead-acid batteries can typically by discharged to about 50&#;60%, while flow batteries can be discharged 100%.
How much power (in kilowatts) the battery can deliver. The maximum/peak power is the most that the battery can deliver at any given moment, but this burst of power can usually only be sustained for short periods. Continuous power is the amount of power delivered while the battery has enough charge.
For every kWh of charge put in, how much the battery will actually store and put out again. There's always some loss, but a lithium battery should usually be more than 90% efficient.
Also called the cycle life, this is how many cycles of charge and discharge the battery can perform before it reaches the end of its life. Different manufacturers might rate this in different ways. Lithium batteries can typically run for several thousand cycles.
The expected life of the battery (and its warranty) can be rated in cycles (see above) or years (which is generally an estimate based on the expected typical usage of the battery). The lifespan should also state the expected level of capacity at the end of life. For lithium batteries, this will usually be about 60&#;80% of the original capacity.
Batteries are sensitive to temperature and need to operate within a certain range. They can degrade or shut down in very hot or cold environments.
Read more: How we test solar panels
In principle, most solar battery types should be able to last 10 years or more under normal usage and if not subjected to extreme temperatures. That is, they should be able to last at least as long as their warranty period, which for most models is 10 years.
However, there isn't enough market data to show whether modern solar batteries typically last that long in real-world home installations &#; recent generations of batteries have only been around for a few years.
Most solar batteries should be able to last 10 years or more under normal usage and if not subjected to extreme temperatures
Lab testing of battery durability and lifespan has not been encouraging. A solar battery trial in Australia found a high rate of failure, with very few of the batteries in that trial operating without any major problems. Most of them either had operational problems the manufacturer had to step in to resolve, or failed and needed to be replaced, or failed and couldn't be replaced (for example because the manufacturer was out of business or would no longer support that product).
That said, several batteries from major brands performed well, or at least had good manufacturer support when problems occurred.
But consumer reviews on a variety of websites suggest that most households with storage batteries are happy with them so far, especially with the major brands. Some customers report problems with battery failure or with customer support from the supplier, but in most cases it appears that the batteries are performing as expected.
The electricity grid in Australia wasn't originally designed to cope with large numbers of homes exporting solar power into it. There are proposals for how to modernise the grid and manage it more effectively and fairly, and these include a possible surcharge &#; or 'solar tax' &#; to owners of solar PV systems who want to sell their excess power to the grid. What's this all about, and does it mean a storage battery becomes a better option?
The electricity grid in Australia was originally built with the expectation that electricity went in one direction only: from power stations to homes and businesses. It wasn't designed to also allow for solar-generated power to flow back the other way. While that's been possible to a reasonable extent so far, the grid is starting to hit the limits of how much electricity it can handle from domestic rooftop solar.
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The grid needs a lot of work to update it to become flexible enough to take full advantage of renewable energy sources, including domestic solar feed-in, but also to allow flexibility for all consumers. This work has to be paid for somehow. Currently, some consumers (renters, apartment owners, low-income households) have little access to the benefits of solar power but must still pay for electricity, and to some extent they subsidise the benefits that solar owners obtain.
Solar owners are also disadvantaged by the lack of flexibility and modernisation of the grid, in that in some areas, there's already limited or zero feed-in due to capacity constraints on the local grid. This means that some solar owners get limited or no feed-in tariff income, and their excess solar-generated electricity may be wasted.
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has proposed several changes to how the market and the grid operate to allow more flexibility in how power is bought and sold, and to better accommodate domestic solar, batteries and electric cars in future.
The roll-out of the new charges and rewards is at this stage still a proposal and won't take effect for a few years, and there will be trial programs and consultations along the way. This is not to say all will be perfect &#; we need to keep watch and make sure the new system truly is fair and reasonable.
But in short, there's no need to panic, and it still makes sense to consider investing in solar power for your home right now.
A unit used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. One kilowatt = watts. With solar panels, the rating in watts specifies the maximum power the panel can deliver at any point in time. With batteries, the power rating specifies how much power the battery can deliver.
A measure of energy production or consumption over time. The kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the unit you'll see on your electricity bill because you're billed for your electricity usage over time. A solar panel producing 300W for one hour would deliver 300Wh (or 0.3kWh) of energy. For batteries, the capacity in kWh is how much energy the battery can store.
This describes the complete package of battery, integrated electronics, and software to manage the charge, discharge, depth of discharge (DoD) level and more.
Our thanks to ITP Renewables for their assistance in producing this guide.
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Read solar panels reviewStock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
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Visit CHOICE CommunityWhen most people talk about solar generators, they&#;re often referring to a portable power station that is powered by sunlight. For context, you can think about a solar generator as a larger version of a portable power bank that can charge and power not only small devices, but nearly all of your electronics and appliances. Like other generators, solar generators provide portable power, but instead of using diesel, wind, or gas, they use sustainable solar energy to generate power.
What is a Solar Generator?
Generally, solar generators contain a battery, an inverter, and multiple outlets, and they usually are capable of being powered very efficiently with solar panels. For the user&#;s convenience, they typically offer USB-A ports, USB-C ports, car cigarette lighter ports, and AC outlets that users can directly plug into, and charge their devices. Some might offer additional charging options like barrel plugs (a rounded output for outdated devices) and wireless charging to support wider ranges of devices and appliances.
A solar generator is an ideal portable power solution in various scenes where the grid is not accessible. It is a perfect choice for people to bring with them during camping, road trips, and other outdoor activities. It&#;s also possible to use a solar generator as an emergency backup when encountering power outages caused by unstable grid or extreme weather.
A solar generator usually works with solar panels, which are used to gather sunlight and convert solar energy to electricity. After harvesting, the sunlight that has been converted will be stored in the batteries, which can be used to provide DC power for DC outlets such as USB outlets, the car cigarette lighter, and wireless charging, or it can go through an inverter to provide AC (alternating current) power from AC outlets.
However, many people hesitate to go all in on a solar generator because it is known that the solar harvest is strongly affected by environmental conditions. Solar charging is often time-consuming and may take 5-8 hours on average to fully charge. That's why some portable power stations have introduced MPPT (maximum power point tracking) technology to regulate and optimize the energy extraction as conditions change. On an average, industry MPPT technology can support a conversion efficiency of around 94-97%, however the industry leading technology from Growatt can reach an efficiency of 99% while utilizing up to a massive 800W of solar input, making it possible to fully charge within just 2.5 hours.
A watt-hour indicates the battery capacity of a solar generator, which is the most important specification to look at. The battery capacity also determines the size, and the weight of a solar generator since the battery can take up 60% of the total size and weight especially nowadays when many users might prefer larger capacities. Under the same discharging environment, a larger battery capacity means that you can run the same devices for longer, and possibly power more devices at the same time, but that doesn&#;t mean a larger capacity is better, because as the capacity grows, the weight of the battery also increases. If you require portability when using solar generators outdoors, you may want to avoid large systems that are difficult to carry.
The output power level decides the types of devices you can power and charge. You need to pay attention to this specification because the output power must be larger than the total rated power of your electric needs in order to keep all your devices running properly, especially if you want to run them all at once. You must understand your electric loads and make sure you have high enough output power to ensure your solar generator can meet your needs.
How long can a solar generator run? The answer may vary depending on different models and different discharging situations. For example, if you run a high power device like an electric grill or microwave oven, power will be consumed very quickly. But if you only need to power your smartphones or laptops, even a tiny model can provide all the power you would need for a weekend trip. Here&#;s a quick calculation so that you can easily estimate the time of discharging:
Battery capacity * Usable percentage (usually 80%~82%)/ rated power of your device = Discharging time
Despite sunlight being inexhaustible, we only have limited sun hours in a day. As mentioned before, on average, a solar generator needs 5-8 hours to charge because of the limited solar input it can handle, but the Growatt INFINITY can finish charging in only 2.5 hours with 800W solar input. This means you can charge your devices with solar panels much faster when using Growatt&#;s solar generator.
There&#;s also a formula that you can use to calculate the solar charging hour:
Capacity / maximum solar input = Solar charging hours
Takes INFINITY as an example,
Wh / 800W = 1.89Hrs
Due to the intensity of sunshine and various environmental factors, there might be a disparity between the actual solar charging hours and the calculated times. But Growatt can guarantee that INFINITY portable power station can be fully charged in 2.5 hours.
Solar generators on the market mostly use NMC batteries and LFP batteries. NMC stands for lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, while LFP stands for lithium iron phosphate. Because of the different material compositions, they show different densities, life cycles, and stability.
It is hard to tell which kind of battery is better, but you can have a look at the table to see the differences between them.
NMC Battery
LFP Battery
Density
Higher
Lower
Weight & Size (w/ the same capacity)
Lighter & Smaller
Heavier & Larger
Life Cycles
Shorter
Longer
Safety
High
Higher
As you can see, NMC batteries are smaller in size but have shorter battery life cycles and stability, but LFP batteries are larger but have longer battery life cycles and safety. If portability (lighter weight and smaller size) is what you are looking for, you can choose solar generators with NMC batteries. And if you value longer cycles or safety, LFP batteries are a better choice.
You need to look at the
numberand
typesof outlets of the best solar generator . The number of outlets determines how many devices or appliances the solar generator can charge or power at the same time, and the types of those outlets dictate which type of device or appliance can be plugged in.
Diesel generators are known for their capability of handling larger power loads than other generators and have been a favorite choice for many people. Yet their shortcomings are apparent when compared to solar generators in these aspects:
The core of these generators is to generate power from sunlight or diesel, right? You need to have the power source, either sunlight or diesel oil, for them to work.
Diesel oil is consumable. You will have to buy diesel oil constantly for if, when, and in case it runs out. That makes the cost of using diesel generators cumulatively increase over time.
Alternatively, the purchase price of a solar generator is usually higher than a diesel generator ranging from 3 to 8 times at the same output level. Despite a solar generator seeming to be more expensive than a diesel generator, when talking about the cost, there are a few important key factors.
The only additional costs for you to generate solar power is the up front cost of solar panels. You don&#;t have to pay extra for the sunlight which is inexhaustible. All you have to do is to put the solar panels under the sun when it is sunny outside and solar panels can last for years with only basic maintenance.
So if you look at the long-term benefits, a solar generator is often a more cost-worthy choice.
Diesel generators emanate strong fumes when diesel is burnt as fuel. The pollutants in those fumes, including nitrogen oxide, pollute the air so much so that they cannot be used indoors. In addition, diesel is nonrenewable, states like California have already banned outdoor appliances like weed wackers and leaf blowers due to their carbon impact, it might only be a short while before other states follow suit with things like generators.
The fumes that diesel generators emanate also have a strong smell, and are extremely harmful to our health. Especially for people who have respiratory problems, the smoke and smell may worsen their problems.
As for solar generators, each and everyone of them can endlessly use renewable solar energy as a power resource, and will not produce those hazardous substances as diesel generators do when generating power. In fact, no fumes will be emitted, so there is also no smell when they work.
When it comes to portability, a solar generator is a winner. It is smaller in size in general, and more importantly, the power can be stored in the batteries that have been already designed in it. When you go out for a trip, all you need to take along is the solar generator itself and the solar panels if you need to charge the batteries outdoors.
However, if you are bringing a diesel generator with you, you would also have to pre-purchase and bring the diesel oil with you. Sometimes, this may become a problem when you cannot estimate how much you&#;ll need during the trip. And if the diesel is used up, you will need to spend time looking for a diesel provider or gas station which are not available everywhere. Besides, the larger machine and extra fuel will increase the burden when carrying.
Solar generators can be used in various scenarios both indoors and outdoors. We live in an era where technologies develop rapidly and we can barely live without electronic equipment. So it is important to always have accessible power to keep our life moving. And that&#;s when the solar generator plays an important role.
Most people would bring a solar generator with them when they go for a road trip, travel with an RV, or camping, even off-grid life. During the trip there are always several devices that need to be charged, not only our phones, but maybe a Bluetooth speaker, a tablet, and a computer, but also you may want to charge appliances such as fans, coffee machines or other electronic devices. A solar generator is sufficient to meet most of your outdoor power needs, and more importantly, you can always recharge a solar generator outdoors with solar panels and maintain a continuous power supply during your adventure.
Some larger models that support high output power can be used to organize outdoor parties (like the tailgate party). You may use portable solar generators to power an electric grill, projector, and light bulbsto add more fun to your party.
If you live in an area where the grid is unstable, you can rely on a solar generator to provide you with necessary power to meet your basic needs. If it&#;s just a sudden blackout that only lasts for hours, the battery inside the solar generator should provide enough power to keep your life moving.
It can be hard when you encounter extreme weather like a hurricane or blizzard because it may take days or even weeks for the electricity of the grid to be restored. In that circumstance, a solar generator can help you survive rough days ahead by allowing you to recharge with solar panels in the daytime. You can rely on the solar generator to meet your basic needs and have the backup power to cook and charge your mobile devices. A solar generator can also run a heater or air conditioner if the weather becomes intolerable.
For small offices, or what some might call micro-businesses with only a few employees, solar generators can keep office devices working and prevent you from being interrupted by an unstable grid on your tasks. Some solar generators that come with UPS function can guarantee the continuous running of your server and avoid losing important data due to sudden power outages.
Related: How to Guarantee Your SOHO When Power Outage?
For photographers and videographers who find themselves in the outback, far away from any power grid, and maybe even any humans for days at a time might need solar generators which can be used to power their shooting equipment such as cameras, studio lights, and drones. Compared to other generators, the benefit of carrying a solar generator is that it is lighter and easier to generate power.
Related: A Perfect Camera Charging Station for Photographers and Videographers
If you are a talented craftsmen often finding yourself on job sites without electric, or in the wild on remote build locations, a solar generator can be a great help. Portable power allows us to access power where the grid is not available like never before, you can bring a solar generator to run any number of tools, even circular saws, table saws, and of course all of the electric drill batteries you can pack.
Portability is important for people who work outdoors. Musicians, for example can use solar generators to provide an easy outdoor power supply for their electric or acoustic instruments, in addition to microphones and speakers to amplify the message.
INFINITY has a huge battery capacity of 1,512Wh and an AC output of 2,000W, which means it can power almost any outdoor or home appliances. With up to 12 outlets, it can meet diverse electric needs. It also has an MPPT efficiency of up to 99% to enable fast charging within 2.5 hours. For wall charging, it only takes 2 hours. The leading Battery Management System (BMS) technology ensures the higher safety of the battery. The multi-unit expansion, and App remote control enable it to meet further demands of its users.
Among various kinds of solar generators on the market, what makes INFINITY stand out? Not only the product itself but also the brand that produced it.
Packed with a Wh capacity, W output, and utilizing the most durable, safest LiFePO4 battery chemistry, INFINITY is undoubtedly one of the most reliable and mighty power station that can power most of your devices. Recharging by solar panels at a blistering speed of up to 800W, you can juice up INFINITY from zero to full in 2.5 hours. With up to 14 outlets, it can meet diverse electric needs. The EPS, BMS, multi-unit expansion, and APP control make it possible to 100% satisfy its users' growing needs.
VITA 550 has a 538Wh battery capacity, a 600W AC output, and 11 versatile outlets to charge most electronics. It supports up to 800W solar input and can be fully charged within 2.5 hours, additionally to a 1.6-hour AC charging speed. VITA 550 leverages Growatt's unique Watt+ technology to power the devices at a rate of W. VITA 550 is an excellent companion for outdoor adventures with more customizable settings like adjustable lighting and fast and slow charging options.
Growatt Products Features Recharge Time Growatt Solar Generator VITA 550 538Wh Capacity & 600W OutputEstablished in , Growatt has rich experiences in producing high-quality PV inverters for 11 years, and it has become one of the top-tier brands in the PV industry. With the belief in making a difference in the world's energy future, the company is dedicated to creating more possibilities for a greener future for all.
Focusing on product and technology innovations, with an R&D team of over 500 professionals, the company has obtained more than 140 patents. Now, millions of customers in over 150 countries and regions around the world are enjoying the energy storage solution provided by Growatt, and the brand always considers customers&#; product experience as a priority.
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