Solar Batteries & Generators: Why Backup Power Is Important Your Home
Having a backup power source for your home may have once sounded like a luxury, but these days, it’s more of a necessity. Backup power sources like solar batteries and generators offer important safety and money-saving benefits to homeowners in Arizona and across the country.
Keep reading to learn about the many benefits of a solar battery or generator for your house and why backup power is so important in Arizona.
Maintain Power During an Outage
There are few things in life more inconvenient than a power outage. The lights go out, you can’t charge your devices, and boredom quickly sets in. But entertaining yourself (and your kids) without electricity is a minor problem compared to dangerous issues like your AC shutting down during a heatwave or refrigerated medication going bad.
With whole home solar battery backup or a whole-house generator, you’ll be able to keep the lights on during a power outage and run your home’s essential appliances as usual. But even just one solar battery or a small backup generator can help you avoid disaster:
- Power critical loads like your HVAC system, refrigerator, and medical equipment
- Keep phones charged and ready to check in on loved ones or call for help during an emergency
- Power devices like your computer and television so that you can receive updates during an emergency
- Prevent food and refrigerated medication from spoiling
- Keep your family safe, calm, and comfortable during an emergency
You Need a Solar Battery to Use Solar Panels During a Power Outage
If you have a residential solar panel system, you may think you’re already protected during an outage, but you can still lose power with solar panels. Solar panels do not provide back up energy on their own, and grid-tied solar systems are automatically turned off whenever the grid goes down.
With a battery, however, solar energy systems may be set up to operate in “island mode”. This means that you’ll be able to continue generating electricity and charging your batteries during an outage.
Avoid Peak Demand Charges
When demand for electricity is high, utility companies charge more. These are called demand response rates. Demand response rates are intended to reduce strain on the electric grid by discouraging energy use during high-demand periods.
Backup power can reduce peak demand charges. If you have a solar battery or a whole home generator, you can tap into power from that device during peak demand times instead of buying electricity from the grid. As a result, your electricity costs will be lower and you’ll be able to run energy-hungry appliances like your washer and dryer during peak demand times without worrying about higher costs.
Use Solar Power When the Sun Isn’t Shining
Solar panels work by converting sunlight into electricity—when there isn’t any sunlight, your solar panels can’t generate electricity. If you have solar panels, but you don’t have battery storage, you’ll have to buy electricity from the grid at night. With a solar battery, however, you can store the excess electricity that your solar panels generate during the day and use it to power your home at night. Solar batteries reduce your reliance on the electric grid and they also help reduce carbon emissions from grid-generated electricity.
Take Your Home Off-Grid For Total Energy Independence
Going off-grid—disconnecting your home from the grid supplied electricity—is only possible with a backup power source like solar battery storage and/or a whole house generator. When you’re off-grid, you’ll generate all of the electricity you use yourself, leading to total energy independence, zero electricity bills, and a drastically reduced carbon footprint.
But to go off-grid, you need a way to store backup power so that you can have power at night. Solar batteries make this possible. A generator can also help you go off-grid, but you will need to purchase fuel for it. Many off-grid homes use a combination of solar batteries and generators for reliable power 24/7.
Install Energy Storage at Your Arizona Home With SouthFace Solar & Electric
SouthFace Solar & Electric is a leading Phoenix-based solar panel installer that serves homeowners throughout Arizona. We can help you compare the benefits of solar batteries versus generators and help you decide which backup power source is right for your home. Call us today to learn more about the high-performance battery storage and generator systems we install. We’ll find the best solution for your needs and ensure a smooth installation. Also, if you’re an APS customer, you may be eligible for their solar battery pilot program.
