Future of Solar, Green Energy, Solar Energy, Solar Energy Basics, Solar Technology
by Bisera Apostolova 1 year ago 14 min
The cost of solar batteries for solar panels varies. It depends on numerous factors such as the manufacturer, the battery’s chemistry, etc. These batteries are essential for storing the energy collected by solar panels for future use. The combination of solar batteries and solar panels is known as the hybrid solar system. This system has plenty of benefits like backup power and utility autonomy.
But, how to know which solar batteries are best for your solar panels? Are the pricier ones really worth it or can you find budget-friendly ones that will do the work just fine? Answers to these questions as well as all about the cost of different solar batteries on the market today in the guide below!
A solar battery is used for storing surplus solar energy produced by solar panels. This is great if the power isn’t used right away as it’s stored for later. The panels tend to make the most electricity in the middle of the day when it’s usually the time of using electricity the least. If you have a standard, grid-tied solar system, it will transmit the surplus energy back to the utility grid. But, if the panel is hooked to a battery, the surplus energy will go back to the battery rather than into the grid. And, when the night falls and the panels aren’t making electricity, you can use the stored battery energy instead of paying for the electricity from the utility. This is a great feature as you can power your home with clean and renewable solar energy at any time of the day.
Needless to say: the price of everything these days has gone through the roof. So, it’s no wonder you probably think that solar batteries are pricier than ever before. But, this isn’t the case. In fact, their price has dropped in the last couple of years. Despite the price drop, it’s still not something every household could afford. In fact, you may need to spare anywhere from $200 to more than $15,000 for the installation. The final price depends on a lot of factors, including the chemistry of the battery. Solar batteries with smaller power, like the lead-acid ones, may cost you as little as $200; however, they’re not recommendable if you want a consistent power supply. This is why these types of batteries are usually used as a backup for RVs. If the residential grid solar panels are combined with lithium-ion batteries, you may need to spend anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000 for the installation process. The good news is that there are ways to get financial assistance depending on where you live. For example, in some states, there are government incentives for solar batteries to reduce the upfront costs or you can apply for federal solar tax credit.
Let’s check out the estimated cost for some of the most popular brands of solar batteries prior to the installation:
| Brand | Cost |
| Trojan (SPRE 06 255) | $213 |
| Tesla Powerwall | $9,200 |
| Enphase IQ 10 | $9,000 |
| LG Chem RESU Prime | $8,000 |
| sonnenCore | $9,500 |
Thanks to solar batteries, you can reap the most benefits from solar panels. They provide backup power, add to the energy independence, and may save you money by reducing the electric bill costs due to pulling power from them and not from the grid. But, solar battery systems aren’t cheap. So, if you wish to reduce electricity bill costs, a solar battery may not be a good choice particularly if the utility has net metering.
On the other hand, if you live in a place where blackouts are common, for example, Texas or California, or a place with time-of-use rates of utility, a backup with batteries that will store energy for moments like this could be a smart decision. Since the cost of solar batteries is dropping, it’s expected that in the near future, these batteries will become a standard and will be included in all solar energy systems.
Solar batteries are becoming more and more common with solar panels. Despite this fact, they’re not necessarily a good decision for every household. If you’re unsure whether you should spend additional funds on solar batteries, here are a few cases when they’re a great choice:
👉 You live in a place where power outage is frequent
👉 Your place of living doesn’t provide full-retail net metering
👉 There are convenient offers for battery stimuli
👉 You have environmental reasons for going solar: they will optimize the renewable energy consumption in your home
On the other hand, if you wish to save money, a solar battery may not be a smart decision for you, particularly if you live in a state with full-retail net metering. This is because there will be no difference in terms of money saving with a solar battery and without one. In this case, the battery will just add thousands of dollars of costs and provide power backup in case of an outage.
The budget you need for solar batteries will be affected by several factors. One of the most obvious ones is the manufacturer, but there are also some important ones not to forget such as the chemistry of the battery and the number of batteries. Let’s check out each of the contributing factors that will form the end price of the solar battery:
The Brand
Same as any other product out there, the manufacturer influences the cost of the battery. This is a result of the fact that brands provide different types of services and products. they implement their own processes and methods of manufacturing. For example, the solar Powerwall battery by Tesla costs around $13,000 (installation included) whereas the luxury solar batteries by Sonnen, a German brand, have upward costs of $30,000.
The Number Of Batteries
The more solar batteries you need to install, the higher the cost. The number of solar batteries that you need for the system is conditioned by several factors such as the kilowatt hours of energy, the battery’s storage ability, the number of appliances that you plan to power, the duration of time that you plan to power the appliances, etc.
The Chemistry Of The Batteries
Today, you can find diverse types of solar batteries. However, most residential solar power systems operate on lithium-ion ones. The two chemistries used for them are lithium iron phosphate and nickel manganese cobalt. The latter has been present for a longer period of time and is, therefore, a bit cheaper than the former ones. In addition to lithium-ion batteries, there are also lead-acid ones. Many users opt for them due to them being less expensive; however, they have several disadvantages like smaller capacity, shorter duration, and frequent maintenance.
With Or Without An Inverter
Solar batteries store the direct current electricity. So, if your household or business uses alternating electricity, there’s a need for an inverter. This will transform the stored electricity in the battery into usable AC electricity. In some cases, the solar battery will have its hybrid solar-plus or a storage-specific inverter. If the battery doesn’t have it, you may need to spend extra to buy the inverter.
The Backup Board
Solar batteries aren’t capable of powering every single appliance in your home, especially during outages or if you live off the grid. Usually, things like the lights and the refrigerator will keep working; however, if you want to power additional appliances, like the AC, the energy demand is higher and you will need a backup panel. This panel will keep the important appliances running during an outage. The budget for a backup panel may increase the end costs by $1,000 to $2,000.
Labor
The labor needed for the installation of the batteries is an essential factor to take into account when planning the budget. If the solar panels and the batteries are installed at the same time, there will be lower costs for labor. This is because the electrical processes and permitting with the battery and the solar system will be done at once. On the other hand, you may expect higher costs if you add the battery after the panel system installation. This will require new permits, incentive forms, and extra electrical work in order to finish the connection of the battery with the panels.
Refunds and Stimuli
The final budget for your solar batteries will be influenced by the refund and stimuli options available in your place of living. For example, if you reside in California, you can apply for their battery incentive program or SGIP. This will cover around a quarter of the expenses for the installation of the battery. Also, Oregon provides programs for solar batteries which will reduce your upward expenses. Users who qualify for the federal solar tax credit may expect a 30 percent reduction in the installation costs, even if you don’t connect the battery and the solar panels.
When choosing solar batteries, the most common options are lithium-ion or lead-acid ones. The former is newer and more expensive. But, they don’t require any maintenance and provide a long lifespan. On the other hand, you will need to spend less on lead-acid solar batteries; however, you should be aware of their shorter durability and the need for continuous maintenance for optimal performance. Below, check the key differences between these two types of solar batteries to make an easier decision when choosing one for your solar power system:
If you decide to go with the lead-acid batteries, you will need to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars less than if you go with the lithium-ion ones. Currently, expect to spend anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 for the lithium-ion ones with the installation included. Despite the lower upfront costs for lead-acid batteries, their shorter lifespan and need for maintenance even out the scale because of the long lifespan and no need for maintenance of the lithium-ion batteries.
When we discharge batteries to power our appliance and then charge them again using the panels, it is known as a single cycle of charging. And, the lifespan of batteries is measured in terms of the number of cycles prior to expiration. Knowing this, a sealed lead-acid battery installed at a vacation home may pass through 100 cycles in a period of four years. On the other hand, if it’s installed n a full-time household, it may go through 300+ cycles in a single year.
The life cycle of batteries is also a depth of discharge function. This is the capacity that’s used prior to the battery’s recharging. A deeper discharge causes higher stress and further reduces the cycle life. For example, if one-quarter of the battery’s capacity has been used, its depth of discharge is 25 percent. A battery won’t discharge entirely when used. They have a recommended depth of discharge or usage recommended prior to charging. Lithium-ion batteries have a deeper discharge of 80 percent or more and therefore higher usability. On the other hand, a lead-acid battery’s depth of discharge is up to 50 percent. Anything above it will have a negative impact on the lifespan.
Lithium-ion batteries have a faster charging rate. And, they handle higher charger amperage. As a result, you can fill them up more quickly than lead-acid ones. In fact, lead-acid batteries are restricted in the charge current that they can receive. This is because you can overheat them if they’re charged fast. Also, the rate of charging will slow down as full capacity approaches.
Lithium batteries thrive in terms of efficiency and boast 95 percent of it. They help store and use more solar power or more than 950 watts of available power with 1,000 watts. The lead-acid ones have a lower efficiency of 80 to 85 percent (this depends on the condition and model of the battery). So, if the battery is 1,000 watts, you only have 800 to 850 watts available after the processes of charging and discharging. Moreover, the lithium ones will charge more quickly.
Lithium-ion batteries have a higher energy density than lead-acid ones. Sometimes, the extra weight of the lithium-ion ones may make the installation more challenging due to the need for help when lifting and setting them in place. The good news is that their higher density provides more storage capacity in a smaller space. For example, for powering a 5.13 kW system, you will need two lithium batteries but eight lead-acid ones. All in all, the lithium option will weigh less than half in comparison with the lead-acid ones. This is beneficial when you need to be creative with the mounting: a more useful energy density will fit better into tighter areas.
Averagely speaking, a solar battery can last anywhere from five to 25 years. The lifespan depends. It’s conditioned by a long list of factors, many of which we discussed in the above sections. As the most commonly used solar battery today, lithium-ion offers a lifespan of up to 15 years. With lead-acid batteries, you can expect a much lower lifespan, i.e., between three and five years. If the battery is properly maintained and kept safe from extreme weather, you will get the most out of its lifespan.
If you have solar panels installed or if you plan to install them, you’re probably curious if solar batteries are a worthy investment too. With solar batteries, you can preserve surplus power produced by the solar panels instead of letting all of the power go back into the grid. Thanks to these batteries, you can use the stored energy for later and power the appliances when the production of electricity is lower. For example, in the evening and at nighttime or during an outage.
In addition to monetizing the solar panels and having solid backup power, solar batteries are also a smart decision if you live off the grid, if you deal with frequent power outages, and if there’s no full-retail net metering provided in your area. The choice of a solar battery depends on numerous factors, including your budget, the manufacturer, the number of batteries necessary, etc. Consider each of them to determine if a solar battery is a smart addition to your solar energy system.
In 2023, solar batteries cost between $200 and $15,000, influenced by brand, battery chemistry, and local incentives.
Lithium-ion batteries are more expensive initially, but have a longer lifespan (up to 15 years) and higher efficiency (around 95%). Lead-acid batteries cost less upfront, but require regular maintenance, have a shorter lifespan (3-5 years), and lower efficiency (80-85%). The choice depends on budget, intended use, and long-term energy goals.
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