Better Solar Needs Better Storage

As solar equipment technology continues to expand, more attention is paid to the amount of energy solar panels can provide for a household or business. As the amount of energy produced increases with the technology, so too does the need for better storage of that energy. Fortunately, U.S. manufactures, like SunEdison, are taking a deeper interest in the advancement of solar tech and pioneering the formerly untapped need for solar storage.

A small company called SolarGridStorage was recently absorbed by SunEdison, and it was announced the two would be working symbiotically to integrate battery storage into solar installations. Similarly, San Francisco Bay has nearly seen the completion of a 430 panel-and-storage system by SolarCity, who says they will soon be expanding their efforts.

One pitfall of solar energy on a nationwide scale is intermittency, the fact that solar can only be produced effectively with clear skies and prominent sunlight. As solar grows in popularity, problems with intermittency could also become more common. That is why the U.S. Department of Energy has put forth efforts to stimulate solar storage tech. $15 million in research projects is planned solely for the combination of photovoltaic and storage technologies. The ultimate aim is to cap the cost of hourly solar storage at 14 cents per kilowatt-hour, a drop from the current 20 cents to $1 it costs currently.

Another route for advancing the sustainability of solar equipment is by making converters more efficient. Rather than providing more effective storage for solar energy, advancing converter technology would make transferring sunlight into energy quicker and more efficient, cutting costs and the amount of energy used.

We are making strides in solar power technology every day, and it won’t be long before everyone can afford to sustain their own homes and businesses with little more than an installation and the sun.