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Articles Informational Topics Solar Panel

How To Store Solar Energy-A Detailed Insight

With the use of non-renewable high carbon emissions sources, the Global temperature has risen, causing global warming, and almost 40% of electricity generation is the leading cause.

Solar energy is considered a better alternative to combat the issue.

how to store solar energy

However, over time, it feels necessary to have a backup source or raise a query about “how to store solar energy.”

To solve your query, we have brought in a handy yet detailed guide to let you know how solar batteries efficiently store energy and provide it at the time of need.

Other than batteries, many sources are available, but due to the current modern-day lack of residential and commercial, batteries are the most favored.

How To Store Solar Energy:

Solar energy is a plentiful source and needs storage units for emergency blackouts for which different systems and units are opted, including solar batteries, mechanical pumped hydro systems, and molten salt energy storage units.

Solar batteries have gained tremendous usage over time, comprising the most common lithium-ion battery.

Other types include lead acid, salt water, and flow batteries.

To know how they store the energy and which mechanism is followed with longevity and holding capacity, stay till the end!

Solar Energy-Briefly Explained:

Solar energy refers to the power received from the renewable source “sun” in the form of high-energy rays that bear photons captured and then utilized to create current and help power the sites.

Solar energy is among the plentiful sources that nature has gifted us and has opted for without worry.

Sun is the primary source, and the energy provided generates clean power with low limited carbon emissions that benefits humans and cares for the nature to which it belongs.

Methods For Storing Solar Energy:

How to store solar energy? With advancement, engineers decided to use solar energy for power generation.

For that, solar panels and modules came into existence but then, with time, the necessity for storing them became a prime requirement.

On days when solar energy was less than required, it used to limit the power efficiency, so different methods have opted to store the solar energy.

The prime ones include;

  • Solar Batteries
  • Mechanical pumped hydro systems
  • Molten salt energy storage units

Each type is specific for its site based on the solar energy storing capacities.

Solar batteries became of prime importance for residential and medium commercial areas because the pumps and molten salt methods required massive space for their settings, compared to batteries that needed a specific predefined space.

Solar Batteries-Types:

Being a popular source for storing solar energy, solar batteries are further classified into three types;

  • Lithium-ion Battery
  • Lead-acid Battery
  • Flow Battery
  • Salt Water Battery

The Mechanism For Storing Solar Energy V.S Battery Type:

Lithium-Ion Batteries :

One of the top leading solar batteries for storing solar energy is opted by thousands to store the excess solar energy for power outage conditions.

Mechanism:

Lithium-ion batteries work by relying on a chemical reaction that releases stored chemical energy by electron transfer or lithium-ion transfer from anode to cathode.

In the presence of electrolytes, lithium-ion provides electrons to generate electric current for powering devices.

After the battery drains out, the process reverses and solar energy again starts to get stored by the reverse flow of lithium ions from the cathode to the anode, ready for another chemical reaction.

Lead-Acid Battery:

Another common secondary cell lead acid solar battery for storing solar energy comprises a high life span and less cost.

Still, the other types opt more because of their low energy density, high maintenance, and medium to moderate efficiency.

But those requiring an affordable one can rely on lead acid batteries.

Mechanism:

When electrical energy flows, a chemical reaction occurs, and energy is stored.

Lead acid batteries store solar energy with a reversible chemical reaction in the presence of electrodes comprising the positively charged lead oxide as the anode and the negatively charged lead as a cathode.

The reaction between the electrodes occurs in the presence of sulfuric acid as an electrolyte.

The reaction occurs at both electrodes, completing the overall response and storing and discharging the battery for power at desired conditions and situations.

Flow battery:

The highly efficient, long-lasting solar batteries with infinite cycles comprise the flow batteries that offer better performance than other battery types.

The flow batteries can store electricity because of large electrolytic tanks.

Still, they have a limitation of high cost in the mature marketplace, making them a secondary option compared to other batteries.

Mechanism:

Flow battery Work by allowing the flow of electrolyte based on the type of flow battery as in the vanadium redox flow battery, vanadium is permitted to flow using dual pumps.

A two-chambered unit attached to the central unit collects or releases the Vanadium charges depending on whether the battery is charging or discharging.

Based on chemical reaction, the oxidation of Vanadium V4 to V5 and reduction of V3 to V2 cause the tanks to be complete with energy later utilized by powering devices by reversing the oxidation and reduction process.

Salt Water Battery:

Saltwater batteries also store solar energy but are large with low energy density but are much safer than other battery types and require cheap materials.

Mechanism:

Salt batteries work by simply utilizing the sodium ions for charging the battery.

When a solar panel provides excess electric power, the battery collector collects it.

Through sodium ions, the charge is transferred to the cathode in the presence of an electrolyte and separator, reaching the anode grid where they remain till that battery fully charges.

Upon discharging, the process reversed, and the sodium ions reached back to the anode with a release of charge that flowed in the form of current to power the device.

Are Solar Batteries A Worthy Choice For Storing Solar Energy?

Like a power bank, the solar batteries charge sideways with the excess solar energy you aren’t utilizing during the daytime.

When the solar input becomes minimum at the day’s end, these batteries get active and provide the stored solar energy to help you deal with blackouts, power outages, or any emergency conditions.

So being beneficial makes it a worthy option to purchase.

You can use solar energy without batteries, but these batteries become an optimal choice to keep you back-supported without any power shortage issues.

For How Long Will The Batteries Store The Solar Energy?

Various types of solar batteries are available, but estimating an average storing limit per day of a solar storm may require considering multiple factors.

A typical solar battery would store energy for almost 05 days and within the same period can be opted for any time for powering the sites or devices.

Before purchasing batteries for solar energy, always consider the longevity and the time for energy storage to assure you get a durable and long-lasting power backup battery that provides clean power without harming nature.

Life Span Of Solar Batteries:

Compared to the life span of solar batteries, i.e., 25 -30 years, it may require a battery change over time because a standard solar battery runs for almost 5 to 15 years based on type, usage, maintenance, and storage conditions.

More specifically, a lithium-ion battery provides nearly 7000-10,000 cycles or ten years minimum average life span to keep storing the solar energy compared to a lead acid battery with an average life span of 5 years.

But with proper maintenance can reach Almost 12 years.

The most extended-duration flow batteries offer an operating life span of over 25 years but are highly expensive.

Cost Of Purchasing Solar Batteries:

Based on the various types of solar batteries, each costs differently.

Among them, the high-cost ones are the flow batteries because of the immature market with highly used lithium-ion batteries, salt water, and the least expensive lead salt batteries.

A 05-10 kilowatt-hour battery would cost about $3500-7000.

If you require a battery to power up your whole house, based on the battery type and capacity, an average estimation can be $10,000 – $20,000. Terrible high cost!

Comparison Table:

Solar Battery 
Life Span 
Cycles 
Cost 
Lithium-Ion Battery 10 Years  7000-10,000 Costly 
Lead-Acid Battery 05 Years  1200 Standard Cost
Flow Battery Over 25 Years  Infinite Cycles  High Cost 
Saltwater Battery 15-20 Years  5000 Cycles  Less Costly 

Conclusion:

Finally, we have reached the end of solving the query of how to store solar energy. It is clear that with such detailed insight, you are clear and well understood different types of storage sources, with the most common ones like batteries, their mechanisms, life span, cost analysis, and each factor about storing solar energy. These are highly sophisticated systems to opt for solar panels based on their cost; they are only investible when the price isn’t an issue, along with if you opt for commercial or business purposes.

Video Help:

If you want to know more, watch the below video.

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About the author

Anthony Miller

Hello Guys! I am Anthony Miller, a high dynamo, communicative author, and editor of the Renewable Cop, always providing amazing, engaging, informative, unique, highly researched, and verified content based on all sorts of generators. Read more.

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