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Battery Use for Peak Shaving Using the battery for peak shaving—in other words, for limiting the feed-in power—is not an argument against small storage sizes either. SMA's research shows that in typical PV systems with internal household consumption, 2 kWh of usable capacity are sufficient in minimizing losses due to capping of feed-in power at 70 percent of installed PV power (required under Section 6 of the Renewable Energy Sources Act). Additionally, if battery storage is connected to a smart energy management system that uses generation and consumption predictions, peak shaving does not limit increases in self-consumption in practice. Thus, the battery can be deliberately charged at times of large power surpluses and discharged again as soon as consumption in the house exceeds current PV power. In the event that feed-in power is capped at 60 percent of installed power, as is envisioned in the recently launched incentive program for PV storage, then (for typical south-facing orientations) somewhat larger storage capacity will naturally be needed for optimal use of the energy supply. However, in the case of an orientation that is not completely optimal or of an east-west generator, a system with only 2 kWh capacity can meet the 60 percent criterion and still use almost all of the PV energy that accrues. The same is true in the case of particularly high power consumption with flexible timing, such as occurs in electric heating of household water by means of a heating cartridge or heat pump. In individual circumstances, the ideal usable storage capacity depends on many additional parameters, such as cyclical charging that deviates from the generation and load profile, or the battery technology that is used. If lead batteries are used or if there is a desire for a backup electricity supply in case of a power outage, then larger storage batteries definitely make sense too. For typical household applications (2,500 to 7,000 kWh per year, with PV generation at the same scale) and for lithium-ion batteries, however, the most economical size is about 2 kWh, and therefore significantly below the capacity of common storage solutions on the market. Sensible Self-supply When combined with smart energy management and a small storage system, ideally designed PV systems can supply more than 50 percent of households with inexpensive electricity that is produced in a maximally environmentally friendly way, with costs that can be calculated and that are stable for years on end. In addition they are extremely well prepared for new smart grid business models (participation in virtual power plants, supply of storage services) that will come up during the systems' service life of at least twenty years.

Solar Spotlight: Naghtaneqed School Graduates to a Cleaner, Quieter Campus

Hakai Energy Solutions Delivers a Solar Hybrid Integration Project for Students in Canada! The Naghtaneqed Elementary School sits nestled in...

by Trish Moratto (guest post), 2. Apr. 2020, 0 Comments
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