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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

What You Need To Know About Home Energy Storage

By Sharlene Fleming


First of all, the term 'home energy storage' is most often used in terms of solar power and how this energy is held in terms of being able to use it later on when you need it. Many solar systems use batter banks that actually hold power for long periods of time. When you need the power for running the microwave, then that power can actually be drawn from this 'bank' of batteries.

There are many different types of systems available now. Solar energy has gotten increased attention and focus over the last twenty years. Increasing cost, due to high charges for power directly from utility co-ops, has caused many people to reassess ways that they can save money.

All over the world, people are learning that solar power can bring them conveniences that were never available before because of the remote locations in which they lived. Villages that are miles from any source of electricity are now able to harvest sunlight and save it in the form of energy that can be converted to run laptops, water pumps, charge cell phones and so much more. Electricity can now be something that saves lives in the world's most remote places.

The most efficient way to utilize solar power is to catch and save the power and store it for use later on. There may be days that the sun is as bright and solar panels won't collect as much power. On these days, power won't be lost because of the stored power in the battery bank.

There are even hybrid systems that collect power from wind or a combination of wind and solar. These systems all store power by sending it to battery banks that are made-up of a group of specialized batteries, designed for constant charging and draining. These batteries are run parallel with a series of wires that allow them to work together, rather than individually.

Other specialized equipment is necessary, such as inverters that make sure that batteries are not overcharged. Constantly overcharging batteries can cause them to be ruined and have a much shorter life span. Also, batteries need to be maintained on a regular basis, to make sure that they have water levels that are adequate. You do not want your batteries to get hot and become ruined. This can even be dangerous.

These solar systems can be tied into the grid at your home. Your home can become a conduit between your own system and the grid, taking and sending power back and forth at will. These two systems can work together so that if your batteries get too low, the system will automatically switch you over to take advantage of the electric company hook-up.

Likewise, your home energy storage system may actually build an over abundance of power and when the battery bank is full, some power companies will allow you to actually send power back to them and they will pay YOU. It is possible to actually receive a check in the mail from the power company for the power that you have supplied to them.




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