Industrial Solar Energy Storage: How Photovoltaic Solar Energy Is Stored

What is industrial solar energy storage? How photovoltaic solar energy is stored using a power system stability?

Renewable energy, more specifically industrial solar energy storage, is an issue that has become very important in recent years. At Liniotech, we always try to resolve issues related to this energy.

Today, we want to answer how photovoltaic solar energy is stored with the help of power system stability. However, before we answer some questions, what is industrial solar energy storage? And what is photovoltaic solar energy?

What is industrial solar energy storage?

As the question itself indicates, it is the action of storing energy for later use. Generally, industrial solar energy storage will be done using solar batteries. But first, let’s see some necessary questions to understand how solar energy is stored.

What is photovoltaic energy?

Photovoltaic solar energy is renewable energy. Its purpose is to use the energy that comes from the sun to transform it into electricity. This entire process is possible thanks to solar panels, made up of solar cells, which receive radiation and transform it into energy. Solar batteries will be used to store this energy. Which is the essential power system stability in installing photovoltaic solar energy.

These batteries will be the ones that will store the energy during the day. And can be used at night or in periods of unstable weather. Without sun, where solar radiation is not sufficient.

Functions of a solar battery

Solar batteries are made up of electro chemical cells. Its function is to transform stored chemical energy into electricity. It consists of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and electrolytes. All this makes the current flow, carrying out the function for which it was created.

This process is summarized in the following steps:

During the day, the photovoltaic solar panel receives the sun’s radiation and transforms it into electricity, supplying it to the installation.

As we have previously highlighted, the surplus energy is stored in the battery or batteries that the installation has to be used on days when there is no sun or during the night.

Types of batteries that we can install

In this section, we talk about the different types of batteries that can be installed: monoblock, stationary, and lithium.

We evaluate each of them below:

• Monoblock batteries: Monoblock batteries are used for low and medium-power self-consumption installations (lighting and low-power appliances). They have a shorter duration in terms of deep discharge cycles, and following the manufacturer’s instructions, they could last between 4 and 10 years of life. They are the cheapest batteries that can be found.
• Stationary batteries: the use of stationary batteries is indicated in medium or high-consumption installations, for example, household appliances with greater power, machinery, etc. They have a longer duration than previous batteries (also in terms of deep discharge cycles) and a life that can reach up to 20 years; therefore, their economic cost is also higher than that of monoblock batteries.
• Lithium batteries: there is currently a great demand for this type of battery due to its low maintenance and high durability. Lithium batteries are one of the best industrial solar energy storage options and the future of batteries. Lithium batteries have a higher cost/capacity. 
• These batteries we have mentioned before making a difference from the rest of conventional batteries (for example, with car batteries). These batteries are called deep-cycle batteries. They charge and discharge frequently, and their duration is very high compared to the conventional batteries we mentioned.

Photovoltaic electric batteries store energy through photovoltaic solar panels. This means that we can use this power system stability. When we need it or consider it appropriate without being aware of whether. The photovoltaic panels do not obtain solar energy.

Types of photovoltaic solar energy installations

There are different types of photovoltaic installations:

• ON-GRID (Photovoltaic installations connected to the grid): an installation connected to the grid directly connects with our local electricity grid. This is when the user only needs photovoltaic energy a few hours a day or when they have a hybrid system. During the day, you connect an appliance to one or two panels that you may have, and at night you use your electrical system to pay your bill to the company you have contracted.

• OFF-GRID (isolated photovoltaic installation): Its use is more in rural areas, where no connection to the national electricity grid exists. That is, in the cases of isolated or non-urbanized areas. There are special isolated solar kits for this type of installation.

We can conclude that the storage of electrical energy is a significant contribution to encouraging solar self-consumption in industries, in addition to offering the possibility for any building to have energy self-sufficiency with the consequent economic and energy savings.

Apart from these advantages, note that it is very beneficial for the environment to discard other energies that are more polluting.

We know that a responsible future encourages the self-consumption of electricity. And renewable energy, aiming to curb global warming and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The change starts with us! Do you want to join?