Solar electric provides intermittent power production — meaning, it produces electricity when the sun shines, but not at night. Solar energy systems must work in conjunction with some other power source (or incorporate energy storage, like batteries) to provide a round-the-clock energy solution.
That’s why most of the systems we design and install are grid-connected. The utility grid becomes your energy storage device — when the sun isn’t shining, the grid powers you. When the sunshine is strong, you add power to the grid.
People often ask, “Why not just add batteries?” And off course we can do that, and have built many solar energy systems with battery backup. But many solar users who started off-grid with batteries have migrated to grid-connected systems, for reasons of economy, ease of use, convenience, and long-term energy planning. Grid-connected solar currently offers the shortest and best return on investment (ROI), in most cases.
We are happy to provide strong reliable battery-backup solutions for our customers who need them. But adding battery storage to a solar system adds substantial a cost and maintenance burden to an otherwise low cost, maintenance free system.
