Storage system (battery)

Installing a battery allows for the storage of surplus Photovoltaic (PV) electricity produced on a site. When PV production exceeds instantaneous consumption, the surplus is stored in the battery.

Once the battery is fully charged, any further surplus is fed into the electrical grid.

When consumption exceeds solar production alone, the battery discharges to power the building's consumers. This mechanism significantly increases the self-consumption rate, as solar electricity produced during the day is also available at night.

When the battery is depleted, the remaining electricity deficit is automatically drawn from the grid.

Each battery system is equipped with a Battery Management System (BMS) that continuously supervises inbound and outbound energy flows.

Thanks to a sensor installed at the building's electrical input, the BMS intelligently regulates charging and discharging: in the event of solar surplus ready to be injected into the grid, it triggers the battery charge to store this surplus; conversely, when a demand for electricity from the grid is detected, it prioritizes battery discharge to reduce grid import volume.

There are two main types of battery systems that can be coupled with a photovoltaic installation:

  • Off-grid storage system (AC Battery)
  • Hybrid PV Inverter (DC Battery)

Off-grid storage system (AC Battery)

An AC battery operates with its own inverter-charger, which handles both DC conversion during charging and AC conversion during discharging.

The use of an AC battery requires its connection behind a specific Climkit battery meter, configured in Battery mode on the Platform. This allows the charge and discharge flows to be recorded and visualized directly on the Platform.

One of the main advantages of the AC battery is its independence from the existing photovoltaic installation. It can be easily added to a site already equipped with solar panels, without requiring the replacement or modification of the existing PV inverter.

Hybrid PV Inverter (DC Battery)

A hybrid photovoltaic inverter integrates inverter, management, and battery charging functions. The battery connected to this type of inverter is referred to as a DC battery because it is recharged directly using DC power produced by the PV panels, avoiding double conversion.

The main advantage of a DC/hybrid inverter system is its higher efficiency, as it avoids double conversion (AC→DC→AC) and the associated losses.

However, with this configuration, it is not possible to install a dedicated battery meter because the hybrid inverter and the battery are placed directly behind the PV production meter. Consequently, it is no longer possible to display solar production and battery charge/discharge flows separately.

Generally, hybrid inverters are primarily installed on small-scale photovoltaic installations, typically under 15 kWp, such as those in single-family homes.

Back-up power function

Most photovoltaic inverters do not operate during a grid outage.

However, some hybrid inverters feature a back-up power function, which allows critical building loads (e.g., common area lighting) to remain powered during a grid outage using the energy stored in the battery.

Some models can also automatically trigger a thermal generator to take over during prolonged interruptions.

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