How Long Can a Solar Battery Power Your Home During a Blackout
The duration of a solar battery backup during blackouts for your home primarily depends on the battery’s capacity and your household’s energy consumption. Here’s a detailed overview based on the information available:
Battery Capacity and Power Duration
- Average Duration: A fully charged solar battery, typically around 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in capacity, can generally power essential systems in a home for approximately 24hrs if the household’s energy usage is around 10 kWh per day. This estimate assumes that no major appliances like air conditioning or electric heating are running during the outage
- Factors Influencing Duration:
- Battery Size: Larger batteries (e.g., 20 kWh) can provide power for a longer duration, while smaller batteries (e.g., 2 kWh) may only last a few hours.
- Energy Consumption: The actual time the battery lasts will vary based on how much electricity your home uses. For example, if your home consumes 30 kWh daily, a single 10 kWh battery would only last about 8 hours under maximum load.
- Appliance Usage: Prioritising essential appliances (like refrigerators and lights) over non-essential ones can extend the battery life during an outage.
- Depth of Discharge: It’s crucial to maintain a certain charge level in the battery (typically around 5-10%) to ensure its longevity and performance. Fully discharging a battery can lead to damage, so it’s advisable to use only a portion of the stored energy.
Practical Considerations for Solar Battery Backup During Blackouts
- Solar Panel Functionality: During a blackout, standard grid-tied solar systems will not operate unless equipped with a battery backup system. This is a safety measure to protect utility workers during repairs.
- System Design: Homeowners can design their solar and battery systems to meet specific needs, which may include installing multiple batteries for extended outages or selecting higher-capacity batteries depending on expected energy usage.
Related Blog:How to Choose the Best Solar Batteries in Kenya
With solar power and battery storage, you become your own energy provider. Your solar panels generate electricity, and any excess power is stored in your battery for later use. This gives you control over your energy, ensuring that you have power when you need it most.
Whether you’re looking for a solar system, a battery storage solution, or a combination of both, our expert team is here to help and you can contact us at any time.
Phone Number: 0759493610
Email: info@voltmaticenergysolutions.co.ke