Today, electricity is involved in almost every aspect of our lives — there is almost no domestic task that doesn’t involve it. We likely don’t even spend a lot of time contemplating necessary actions, such as cooking and storing food, washing clothes, operating medical equipment, turning on lights, heating and cooling our homes, heating our water, running water pumps and sump pumps, charging digital devices, powering the internet, and charging electric cars.
So the idea of losing access to the power that allows our homes and our lives to function as we are accustomed — whether for a short time or a protracted duration — is untenable. The best way to avoid such situations and increase your energy security is with a solar array coupled with a battery backup.
So how can such a system empower your prosperity? Read on to find out!
1. Help your family through a grid outage
A solar array alone is not enough to power your home through a grid outage. Without a battery backup, if there is a local power outage, your system will cease to function during the outage. But with a battery backup, if the network power system goes down, your home will draw from the power stored in your battery. So you can keep your lights on, your refrigerator running, your sump pump running, your computer running, your phones charged, and all of those other crucial aspects of your family’s life running smoothly.
2. Power your home independently from the grid
Most people who have solar arrays are still reliant on the grid for their system to function. Using a battery backup doesn’t mean you are “off-grid” — you will still maintain a connection to the grid. With a solar array alone, you can offset your energy costs because you’ll receive a credit from the utility company. But with a solar array and a battery backup system, you can store the power you create at your property. That way, you’ll have peace of mind that you aren’t completely reliant on the electric company’s infrastructure, program, accounting department, or Mother Nature.
3. Help increase your financial and environmental sustainability
Sustainable practices are not harmful to the environment, won’t be depleted with repeated use, and seek to protect the earth for future generations. Sunlight is the single most sustainable resource on the planet. With a solar array and a backup battery, you can store energy while the sun is shining to run your home when it’s cloudy, dark, or when there is a grid outage.
In addition, a 6 KWh solar panel system can save you about $1,500 per year on electricity bills. Coupled together, a solar array and a battery backup system are sustainable for both your wallet and for the planet!
Choosing a battery backup system
Battery backup system options include both partial battery backups and whole-home backups. Partial battery backups are the most affordable type of system and are designed to keep a part of your home running through a short power outage, such as a sump pump or emergency medical equipment. Whole-home backups can power your entire home. They are less expensive than off-grid systems but allow you to maintain your access to the grid. Both types of battery backups are quieter and safer than generators.
Michigan Solar Solutions is one of the most experienced renewable energy firms in Michigan. Since 2007, we have been working with homeowners and businesses to find them the best solar system to suit their needs. We have a range of battery backup options that can help increase your energy security, save you money, and enable you to power your home from a single day to weeks on end in the event of a grid outage. Watch our webinar, “Three Ways Battery Backup and Solar Empower Your Prosperity.”