Everything you need to know about home energy storage.
Home energy storage is growing in popularity among conscious customers. Properly selected and operated, they increase the energy security of the property owner, and also translate into optimization of costs related to their operation. From this text you will learn what the basic functionalities of energy storage are, how much they cost, how to choose their power and much, much more. We invite you.
Basic functionalities of the energy storage.
Conscious investment in a home energy storage is associated with certain benefits. One of them is increasing self-consumption. It consists in the fact that a smaller amount of energy produced by the photovoltaic installation is returned to the grid. This translates into lower operating costs related to energy consumption as part of the use of the house. Good quality Victron Energy solutions are also a guarantee of uninterruptible power supply, which minimizes the risk of possible faults of electrical devices in the household. The warehouse can be connected directly to the photovoltaic installation, which increases the efficiency of its use.
Other functionalities important from the user's perspective include:
- power assist;
- live view;
- remote software updates;
- the ability to change the working parameters of the warehouse at any time;
- configuration of e-mail notifications;
- integration via modbus TCP or Web API;
- integration with car charger;
- option to connect a heat storage;
- the ability to connect a power generator;
- the possibility of connecting a wind turbine;
- separation of non-guaranteed circuits;
- and other high-tech charging and discharging algorithms.
All this translates into a huge potential for using a home energy storage. This type of system is universal, flexible and allows for precise adjustment to the client's needs and the specificity of a given facility. You can find more information about key functionalities and their importance in the video below.
Construction of an energy storage system
The basic task of the energy storage system is to accumulate energy from such sources as, for example, a photovoltaic installation (usually) or from the grid when a cheaper tariff is in force. Then, this energy is given back and used for the needs of the house when it is needed. In this way, electricity consumption in a household or company is optimized, which translates into lower operating bills.
The main elements of building a home energy system proposed by ENERP are: batteries and a hybrid inverter with a charger function. Thus, the customer does not need a grid inverter. If it is, the inverter used in the system can work with it. The inverter used in the Victron warehouse can work with any selected photovoltaic inverter without losing the manufacturer's warranty for the installation.
Several power sources can be connected to the warehouse. These can be, among others: a photovoltaic installation, a wind turbine, a power generator or several such solutions. Thanks to this, the warehouse can be simultaneously connected to, for example, three different photovoltaic installations.
Single-phase and three-phase warehouses. Which one to choose?
We divide energy storage into single-phase and three-phase. In a nutshell, the former have one inverter, and the latter three inverters.
The three-phase solution is fully functional, i.e. it has all the previously mentioned aspects. The advantage of a three-phase warehouse is that it will successfully supply energy to the entire house, and the investor will not have to rebuild the main switchgear. In addition, in island mode, the solution can support the operation of the photovoltaic installation. This type of storage works with all three-phase receivers. Therefore, it is worth considering whether your household or business uses three-phase appliances. At the same time, this storage remains a more expensive solution than the alternative single-phase storage.
In comparison, a single-phase storage will not work with a three-phase photovoltaic inverter. This means that in the event of a power outage, the storage facility will not obtain energy from any installation with a capacity above 3.5 kW PIC. In addition, with this type of solution, it is necessary to invest in a high-power inverter. Only in this way will it be possible to power the entire house in the event of a power outage. The advantages of single-phase storage include: lower purchase price, smaller size, the ability to connect more receivers to one circuit, and the fact that a single-phase storage can be expanded to a three-phase at any time. At the same time, this type of warehouse usually requires reconstruction of the main switchgear and involves a greater scope of necessary installation work.
Therefore, before buying, it is worth reviewing your needs thoroughly and consulting your decision with a specialist.
Storage capacity selection
An extremely important element of the investment is the selection of the warehouse for your needs. A solution with too little power will not ensure energy security and comfort for the household members, and on the other hand, an oversized warehouse will absorb unnecessary additional costs. By default, it is assumed that:
- the power of the storage should be greater than the maximum instantaneous power that the building can consume at a given moment;
- the power will be less than the connection power.
Household members can interfere with the energy demand at the time of power outage. This can be achieved by excluding selected large energy receivers from the emergency power supply, the operation of which is not crucial for the safety of household members. This is primarily about receivers such as: sauna, swimming pool, three-phase heater or heat pump in the summer season.
ENERP customers usually opt for a 12 kW (3×5 kVA) three-phase home energy storage
Selection of storage capacity
When choosing an energy storage, another important parameter is its capacity. It directly affects the cost of purchasing the system. To calculate the recommended storage capacity for a given property, it is worth obtaining the annual electricity consumption indicator for the building from the invoice or contact with the energy supplier. The obtained value can be divided by 365. In this way, the averaged daily electricity consumption in the property will be obtained. It is then determined how long the stored energy should last in the event of a grid failure.
If the daily consumption is 20 kWh and the investor wants the energy storage to ensure uninterrupted operation of the devices for 12 hours, then the capacity should be 10 kWh. Of course, in winter there is more consumption than in summer. To check this thoroughly, it is worth installing a sub-meter under the heat pump to check its real consumption. The investor must remember that on warm days the warehouse is recharged by a photovoltaic installation, so it will realistically provide energy security in a longer perspective than the mentioned 12 hours.
At the same time, as a provider of this type of service, we recommend setting the minimum capacity in a 1:1 ratio to the capacity of the selected warehouse.
Is it possible to expand the home energy storage?
Once a decision is made, it is not final. The home energy storage can be rebuilt. It is possible to add additional components to convert a single-phase storage into a three-phase storage, or to increase the power and capacity of the storage. Currently, the warehouse can be successfully expanded to a capacity of up to 256 kWh. Of course, households in Poland do not have such great needs.
What does a home energy storage look like?
Home single-phase energy storage is smaller in size. This means that the wardrobe dedicated to it will be about half a meter lower. Below the storage there are batteries and the whole thing takes up little space and looks very compact. The construction of the three-phase solution is very similar. The main difference is that the wardrobe is higher by half a meter. Other key dimensions remain unchanged.
How much is it?
The final cost of purchasing and installing a home energy storage depends on several factors. These include: number of phases;
- warehouse power;
- warehouse capacity;
- additional functionalities (e.g. larger touch screen, additional connections).
The basic costs associated with the purchase of DME can be checked on the website https://sklep.enerp.pl/. In the case of non-standard solutions and additional functionalities, the valuation is individual.
If you do not feel confident enough to choose the energy storage yourself, do it step by step with this video:
Where to buy it?
You can buy a ready-made set of home energy storage in our store https://sklep.enerp.pl/. There are sets recommended by our specialists, which can be configured and modified by the customer at the store level. This affects the final valuation. In case of non-standard needs, we encourage you to contact our team directly. Then we will prepare a quote for a tailor-made project. As ENERP, we have been implementing high-quality and efficient energy storage for the needs of individual and business customers for years. We rely on proven solutions from Victron Energy. Of course, we not only deliver the selected warehouse, but we are also responsible for its installation. The valuations given in our store already include this aspect of cooperation.
Feel free to contact us.
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