Some of the most frequently asked questions about solar power systems centre around the need for a smooth energy output curve and reliable electricity flow at night or on cloudy days. This is critical if you want to maximise industrial energy saving, minimise reliance on the grid, or move your facility off-grid completely. Here are some insights from a leading commercial and industrial solar panel services team.
Why Solar Alone Isn’t Enough
In order to get the optimal benefits out of your industrial solar power system, batteries are essential.
Reduce waste – Any solar energy that is not used is wasted energy. There are two solutions to this: firstly, you can put your excess energy back into the grid to earn Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), or you can store the energy in a battery system. Choosing RECs is a good idea if your system will deliver profitable returns, but it does mean you need a sunny day for your panels to provide electricity. On very cloudy days or at night, you’ll need to rely on the grid. A battery system is a better idea if you want to go completely off-grid or fully-utilise your solar panel system for your facility. This means that all solar energy you capture is free energy for your facility to utilise at any time of day, in any weather.
Reduce actual demand – Regulations from the Australian Energy Market Commission force industrial businesses to pay cost-reflective tariffs, so the way you are billed is related to actual demand and not total usage. Essentially, this is how much energy your facility draws in any 30-minute period. By drawing on stored solar energy, you can maximise industrial energy saving by levelling out your load and reduce demand.
Ensure reliability – Many organisations are choosing to move to a solar power system due to the unreliability of the grid. Power surges, failures and blackouts damage equipment and lead to costly downtime and delays. If you are running a solar power system with no battery backup, however, you are only partially protected from the instability of the grid. If the power goes out while your facility is operating at night, you are in the same position as before you had a solar power system. By implementing a battery backup system, facilities can reduce their downtime risk.
Speak to Leading National Solar Panel Services Providers and Reach Your Industrial Energy Saving Goals
Quality Energy has been in the commercial and industrial energy solutions sector for over 30 years, helping clients find innovative and cost-effective ways of improving power quality and reaching industrial energy saving goals. As national solar panel services providers, we can assist you with every step of developing, implementing and servicing your industrial solar power system. Contact us today for more information on our solar panel services.
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