Solar PV and Battery Storage create business opportunities for each other. Battery storage is very important for both small rooftop installations and large-scale solar farms. While there are still millions and millions of people around the world without a reliable supply of electricity, great steps are made every day to develop smart, low-cost, sustainable distributed generation resources. Considering the advancement in technology it is not overstated to say that energy storage will form the bedrock of the future electricity grid.
Last year when everyone kept saying it could not possibly get worse, unfortunately it always did. The spread of the virus, millions got affected, lockdown imposed, work restriction, work from home, high electricity bills, power outages and so on and so forth.
Luckily for companies in the solar and storage industry, their products and services were in high demand. It is true that we faced some issues while getting the permit granted but apart from that, from a business perspective, 2020 was not as bad as it could have been. We can’t forget that President Trump extended solar investment tax credit last minute. That was a great relief!
Due to ongoing effect of Covid-19, work from home culture is going to with us for quite a sometime, hence the demand for inexpensive and reliable energy supplies is likely to be even higher in 2021. The President, Senate and House of Representatives are also committed to accelerating transition to clean energy. Considering that we are sharing some of the trends across the solar + storage market.
Energy Storage Evolution
Over the last couple of years, utility-scale energy storage products are common and increasingly modularized. Before middle of century we may see, every house with two batteries. One in their EV and one on the wall for power backup. Changes with net metering, unreliable utility power, lower battery costs (hopefully), grid-services capabilities, energy management features, government incentives will drive customers toward selecting complete solar + storage offerings.
Sustainable Buildings
Solar PV Modules with higher efficiencies eases buildings under two stories in height to be carbon negative. Panels will generate more energy than they operationally consume in a much lesser roof area. The days of ignoring northerly sloped rooftops are gone.
MLPE will lead the game.
Power optimizers and microinverters have become the standard on over 75% of rooftop installations. With the speed in which technology marches forward, Module-level power electronics is truly representing the future of solar module optimization. The benefits of MLPE are plentiful: increased energy yield, shade tolerance, module reliability and design flexibility.
Oversized Rooftop System
Generally, if you asked us how much solar you should put on your roof we would say, “As much as will easily fit on your roof or your budget allows”. Before arguing further answer these following questions:
- What if you think to add an EV to your lifestyle in the future?
- What if number of persons in your home increases.
- What if your started consuming more energy as more and more electronic devices start to come into play.
- Switching from a gas stove to an electric.
- Do not forget spike in electricity rates by your utility company.
Believe us Solar is the best investment any household can make.
Net Solar System Cost
Labor, inverter and racking costs are up for now. But there is no way we can say that they may went down. Building departments are constantly increasing storage system permitting fees and safety requirements. To make situation more ruthless, the Investment Tax Credit’s phase-down will effectively increase costs in coming years. It is difficult to say that lower hardware costs will offset such higher soft costs. Hence the best time to go solar is Now!
There are several innovations taking place across the energy storage and solar market and it has certainly come a very long way. Solar, Storage and Wind are top instruments when it comes to reducing the CO2 emissions that cause global warming. While the technology continues to advance, the question remains singular: how can we provide affordable, reliable energy across the globe? Solar + storage will continue to play a critical role in answering that question