Getting Solar Power Without a Battery

Is it worth getting solar power without a battery?

There is no denying that there has been a huge shift in the renewable energy market with the uptake of residential solar power at an all-time high, but are solar batteries worth it? With the ability to store the power created during the day and power your house at night, it sounds like once installed, you would not have to pay a cent to power your house.

We often hear that batteries can pay for themselves, but up-front they are still quite expensive. With average costs of close to $10,000 to install before any government rebates, in many cases, this would take close to 15 years to pay off. Further to these home batteries such as the Tesla Powerwall currently have a life span of about 10-12 years. More than any other electric batteries which cannot be last more than 5-6 years.

So why invest in it?

There are a few other key factors and benefits to consider when it comes to investing in it.

The higher the uptake of solar in homes the greater the growth in this industry. Despite electric cars being the stronger driving force behind the growth of this technology, greater uptake in homes will eventually create inroads into the viability of this tech.

Energy prices are not going to decrease. Energy companies will continue to adjust their pricing to meet their business needs and compensate for inflation. If they invest in renewable energy sources themselves such and wind and solar farms, they will need to recoup on these investments which of course they will pass on to the consumer. The Tesla Powerwall has a cost per warranted kWh, so if you compare this value against the cost of purchasing from the grid then every cent you save is profitable to you.

If you happen to already have solar panels power providers often allow you to feed excess power back into the grid and pay you for it. Having a plan like this can be highly beneficial to recoup some of your investment but is not on offer from every energy provider and can vary depending on your location.

What is the benefit of having it?

All the measurements discussed so far have all been about financial measurement, but there is one other significant benefit. Having a battery can power your home in the case of a blackout. How do you put a cost analysis against this? If you happen to work from home, then this can be of significant value to you and should be considered as a factor. Depending on the size of your system you could have enough power to ensure you last for an entire night.

Last but not least

Another final consideration is that investing in a battery can add value to your home and increase interest in your property if it was for sale. Many people now view this as something worth having in their home, looking to have more sustainable elements included in their residence.