Sizing a storage system: Inverter Power vs Battery Capacity

It’s not always obvious how to choose the size of the battery (kWh) or the rating of the battery inverter (kW). These choices, along with your specific household energy usage, have a large influence on the cost and benefit of a new battery storage system. In this blog, we will show you examples from SunnyDesignWeb.com that illustrate the effect of different battery and inverter combinations for a typical household.

Daniel Chungby Daniel Chung (guest post), , 6 Comments

Detailed Analysis of Commercial Battery Storage Systems with Analysis Pro

Batteries are taking on an increasingly important role in decentralized energy systems and constitute the heart of off-grid systems. They can also be increasingly found in on-grid systems, where they can cut energy purchase costs by means of increased self-consumption or peak load shaving. Battery monitoring plays a key role here. After all, PV system operators want to know whether their systems are actually working as intended, because downtime costs money and causes hassle. That is why SMA is offering a comprehensive upgrade for battery analysis via ennexOS.

Johannes Kehlby Johannes Kehl (guest post), , 9 Comments

How a Solar-Powered Micro Grid Is Changing the Lives of 1,000 People

Approximately 1,000 people live in the village of Gutu in Nepal, about 800 kilometers away from the capital city of Kathmandu. There is no public electricity supply. Until recently, everybody shifted for himself: open fires to cook on and smoke in the house, a huge stock of candles or the hum of the diesel generator at the local metal processing company were a part of everyday life. Find out why the village inhabitants have been able to leave all this behind them.

Raju Maharajan, Peak Powerby Raju Maharajan, Peak Power (guest post), , 0 Comments

Fire safety for PV systems

In Australia, over 2 million households enjoy safe and clean energy from PV systems. Spread fears about PV safety are unfounded and used to sell add-on safety products. Comprehensive studies indicate existing PV systems are generally safe, fires are rare, and firefighters are still able to work safely.

Daniel Chungby Daniel Chung (guest post), , 0 Comments

Forecast-Based Battery Charging: How to Store Solar Energy Properly Instead of Curtailing It

The aim of PV system operators is to achieve the highest yield and most efficient operation. However, reality can be rather different. Some Distribution Network Operators (DNO’s) or local connection conditions for residential storage systems require a limitation on the maximum PV feed-in power at the grid-connection point. So, if a PV system produces too much energy, it has to be curtailed and the highly valuable resource, solar power, goes to waste. SMA’s forecast-based battery charging feature helps combat this.

Michael Ebelby Michael Ebel (guest post), , 0 Comments