Battery Backup When There Isn’t Enough Room For Solar Panels
In many homes, installing a full solar panel system can be impractical. Whether due to complex roof designs, poor orientation, shading from nearby trees or structures, or limited space, not all homes are suitable for large solar arrays.
You may have a huge home with lots of total roof space. That does not mean it can accommodate a lot of solar panels. Most roofs in Southwest Florida are hip roofs, but solar panels are rectangular and quite large. Finding enough contiguous space on some roofs can be difficult, or even impossible. There are also fire code offsets to consider, and of course, there are often aesthetic concerns.
However, this doesn’t mean that you have to abandon the idea of energy independence altogether. In fact, even without a full solar panel system, a battery backup can still be a viable solution. In this article, we’ll explore when and why it might make sense to invest in a battery backup system—even with a small solar array or without solar panels at all.
Why Battery Backup Without Solar Panels?
A battery backup system stores energy, which can be used during power outages or in conjunction with solar to reduce reliance on the grid. Here are some reasons why this can be a smart option, even if you can’t install a full solar array:
- Energy Security During Outages
A battery backup system provides crucial power when the grid goes down. Even without solar panels, the battery can be charged using grid electricity, ensuring your home has backup power when needed. This setup is especially useful for homes in hurricane-prone areas where power outages can last for hours or days. The size of the battery compared to the backed up loads will dictate how long the battery will last without a recharging source. - Efficient Generator Use
Pairing a battery backup system with a generator offers an energy-efficient solution. Instead of running a generator continuously during an outage—often idling and wasting fuel during periods of low demand—the generator can operate at its most efficient level, charging the battery. Once the battery is charged, the generator can shut off, and the battery will power the home. This significantly reduces fuel consumption and wear on the generator, compared to a generator-only solution that must run 24/7 to provide power. - Instant Power
When grid power is lost, battery backup systems can instantly switch over from grid to inverter power. With a generator only, your house goes dark with a loss of grid power until the generator starts up. - Tax Credits
Battery backup systems qualify for generous tax credits, making the overall investment more attractive. - Net Metering Advantage
For homes connected to a grid with net metering, any excess energy produced by even a small solar array can be sent back to the grid. This setup ensures that any surplus energy you produce gets credited to your account, reducing your overall electricity bill, even if you can’t install enough solar panels to cover your full energy needs.
When Is a Small Solar Array Still Worth It?
If your roof can only accommodate a small solar array, it can still be a valuable addition to your battery backup system. Even a limited number of solar panels can help extend the life of your battery during an outage or reduce your reliance on grid power.
In fact, solar panels are a relatively small percentage of the system cost, with batteries being the most expensive component. In fact, after the batteries, all of the fixed costs associated with interconnecting the system and providing a means to isolate your home from the grid are already covered in a battery installation, so adding solar panels can be a small adder to the price, especially if you are just adding a small array for supplemental power.
Here’s how a small solar array can make sense:
- Supplementary Energy Source
A small solar array may not cover all of your energy needs, but it can provide supplemental power, particularly during the day. Solar energy can recharge your battery during sunlight hours, extending its backup capacity and reducing the need to rely on the grid or a generator. - Offsetting Generator Use
Even a small number of solar panels can reduce how often your generator needs to run. The solar energy generated during daylight hours can partially or fully charge your battery, minimizing the generator’s use. This combination maximizes efficiency and lowers the overall cost of fuel during prolonged outages. - Indefinite Power
If you can limit your usage to the truly critical needs, you can operate off-grid indefinitely. You will just be limited by the output of your solar array each day, which may be enough to operate refrigeration, lighting, Internet, and basic outlets, even with a small solar array.
When Is This Not a Good Idea?
While battery backup systems and small solar arrays can be great solutions, they aren’t ideal for every situation. Here are some cases where this approach may not make sense:
- Long-Term Outages Without a Generator
If you live in an area where power outages last for several days or longer, relying solely on a battery without a generator or sufficient solar to recharge it might not be practical. In such cases, the battery will eventually run out of power, leaving you without electricity until the grid is restored. In these cases, a generator would be required to recharge batteries when needed. Fortunately, this can be done with automatic controls to start and stop a generator. - High Energy Demands
Homes with high energy demands, such as those with multiple central air conditioners, may find that a small solar array or a battery without solar isn’t enough to meet their needs during an outage. If your energy consumption is high, a more robust solar and battery system—or an additional generator—may be necessary to provide enough backup power. Alternatively, a subset of your electrical system may be able to be carved out for a partial home backup system. - Lack of Space
If you do not have suitable space to locate batteries, it might not be viable. Considerations like fire safety, flood levels, accessibility, and aesthetic concerns may restrict your ability to install batteries.
Why Now?
The option of installing batteries with or without solar panels has been around for a long time. However, it has only recently become a highly viable option. That is because battery manufacturers like Tesla, Enphase, and others have recognized that the instantaneous power output is critical to start up larger loads that most homeowners demand. A single Powerwall 3 can start up a central air conditioner. Enphase also doubled its power output per unit of storage with its IQ Battery 5P. This is a game-changing evolution in battery offerings.
An battery pricing has steadily decreased as economies of scale improved and production ramped up. We are experiencing a low point in battery costs, which is great for consumers.
Conclusion: Is It Right for You?
Even without enough room for a full solar array, a battery backup system can offer significant advantages. Whether combined with a small solar array or paired with a generator, battery backup provides a reliable solution for energy security, reduced generator fuel consumption, and protection against power outages. For homes with space or shading limitations, this setup can still make a lot of sense.
At Florida Solar Design Group, we can help you design a custom energy solution that works for your home. Whether you’re interested in a small solar array, a battery backup system, or integrating a generator into your setup, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today to discuss how we can help make energy independence a reality for you.
