With homes and businesses more and more reliant on technology, having reliable power is a concern for many. An energy storage system offers a dependable solution.
We’ve all heard about individuals and families who have gone without power for days or weeks following a hurricane, tornado, ice storm or other severe weather event. In fact, one Florida community was left without power for several months after Hurricane Ian hit in October of 2022.
Power interruptions aren’t just limited to storms. Some areas have older grid infrastructure and lose power frequently. In some cities during heavy demand times (think hot summer months with air conditioning running 24/7), utilities are using rolling brownouts or blackouts to control power usage and reduce the likelihood of a systemwide blackout. In other areas, utility rates are rising significantly, and consumers are being charged more to use electricity during “peak demand” times.
This uncertainty and unpredictability are leading homeowners to consider backup power and how they can become energy “resilient” or even energy independent – meaning they go off the grid entirely.
Energy Storage System: Delivers Energy on Demand
The term “Energy Storage System” may be unfamiliar to homeowners, especially those who have no experience with renewable energy. Essentially, an Energy Storage System or ESS is a large battery system that stores energy and allows the user to draw that energy on demand.
Homeowners and businesses with solar energy use ESSs as a secondary power source at night or during cloudy or rainy days. Since the costs for these systems have been coming down in recent years, battery energy storage is now a solid alternative to a traditional backup power source like a generator. In fact, ESSs aren’t all that new. They’ve been used for decades in rural areas and by early adopters who wanted to get off the grid or didn’t have access to the grid.
In addition to solar, ESSs can be charged by residential wind turbines or they can store energy from the grid or a generator. Tapping the grid and storing energy for later use is referred to as “peak shaving.” Homeowners buy the power during “off-peak” hours for a lower cost and then have their battery power kick in at times when the utility traditionally charges more.
With ESSs, there’s another way to save money, or even put money in your pocket. Some utilities are creating “virtual power plants.” Homeowners give the utility access to their stored energy and in return they receive a credit on their bill or even a rebate check.
Best Battery Option for Energy Storage Systems
While there are a number of types or battery chemistries to choose from, many prefer Lithium Ferrous Phosphate batteries, or “LFP,” due to their proven performance in military, humanitarian and off-grid applications, and their safer design. An LFP battery has three essential components – a cathode, an anode and an electrode, making it more stable and less prone to overheating issues than lithium-ion batteries. In addition, LFP batteries are cobalt-free, which means they’re more environmentally friendly, compared to other chemistries.
Energy Storage System Installation
Similar to a home standby generator, professional installation is required for an ESS. A local energy storage installer will work with you to determine the amount of power you’d like your ESS to store and whether you’d like specific items or the entire home backed up. They’ll also find the best location – either inside or outside the home.
In addition to the batteries, ESSs require an inverter to convert the DC power they store into AC power that the home can use. Typically, a separate electrical sub-panel is installed so “critical load items” can be placed on that panel and backed up by the ESS. If the inverter doesn’t have a built-in Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS), an exterior one must be added. Transfer switches come in five sizes so your home’s electrical service will determine the size you need. Again, the installer will guide this decision.
The ATS monitors the utility line and instantly recognizes when power is lost. This in turn triggers the ESS to kick in within a few milliseconds. It’s so fast that most homeowners don’t even realize they’ve lost power and are now on ESS backup.
Energy Storage System Tax Credits & Rebates
For those who are considering green energy, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 has made ESSs even more affordable. The Act expanded the federal investment tax credit to include battery storage systems, so homeowners and businesses can now claim a tax credit of 30% of equipment and installation costs for qualifying battery storage systems. This 30% credit applies to systems installed from 2023 to 2032. It decreases to 26% in 2033 and 22% in 2034.
In addition to the IRA, many states, municipalities and even utility companies, offer incentives or rebates to homeowners who install battery backup systems.
Next-Generation Energy Storage System Solution
Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions recently introduced an advanced LFP battery that caught my attention. It’s the SimpliPHIⓇ 6.6 battery storage system and it delivers more power at a lower cost and is extremely versatile. It can kick on during an outage to provide backup power, just like a standby generator would, and it can supply power during peak utility rate times or with demand response programs to lower utility bills.
SimpliPHI is more powerful, more affordable, more versatile and more compact than others, and offers a wide range of benefits including:
- Versatile and Reliable: Like a generator, the SimpliPHI 6.6 batteries provide backup power to a home during power outages, but deliver it without noise, fuel or emissions. The system is recharged by the grid or solar energy during normal operation, and it can be paired with a generator for off-grid power.
- Smart and Efficient: One of the standout features of these batteries is their automatic activation during power outages. They sense when the grid goes down and seamlessly kick in to power your home. In addition to backup power, the SimpliPHI 6.6 battery system can be used to save money. It can supply power during peak utility rate times or with demand response programs to lower utility bills.
- Flexible Installation: The SimpliPHI 6.6 can be installed indoors or outdoors. The system can be ground- or wall-mounted inside a garage, shed or basement or outside on an exterior wall. The flexibility of using one, two or three batteries per stack means the system can fit into small spaces and batteries can be added at a later date for more energy.
- Easy Monitoring: Homeowners can monitor and manage their SimpliPHI 6.6 battery system through the EnergyTrakTM mobile app, and all EnergyTrak data is securely stored in the United States.
- Scalable Affordability: The capacity of the 6.6 SimpliPHI Battery System can be tailored to meet your specific requirements. With the average power outage in the U.S. lasting 5.5 hours, a one-battery SimpliPHI 6.6 system can meet the needs of many homeowners by delivering over 10 hours of power at 50% backup load. Easily stack a second or third battery to increase capacity to nearly 20 kWh. This scalability ensures that you get the right amount of backup power without overspending. Plus, thanks to federal and local tax credits and incentives, the system is more affordable than ever.
Conclusion
These days, we’re so dependent on electricity it seems like a gamble not to invest in backup power. While home standby generators have been the go-to backup power solution for decades, new technology is here that offers an alternative. For a homeowner who doesn’t have a big enough yard to accommodate a generator or convenient access to a natural gas or propane fuel source, an energy storage system could be the answer. A battery system could also be a perfect backup power solution for someone looking for zero-emissions or needs quiet power.
For those who are looking at the dollars and cents of energy storage systembackup power, I’ve talked to many homeowners who have paired their solar panels with battery storage and they haven’t had an electric bill in years. And, they haven’t had to go without power.
I think that’s something we can all appreciate.
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