Storage system (battery)

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

Once the battery is fully charged, any additional surplus is injected into the electrical grid.

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

When the battery is empty, any additional electricity is automatically drawn from the grid.

Each battery system is equipped with a Battery Management System (BMS) that continuously supervises the incoming and outgoing flows.

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

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

  • Independent storage system (AC Battery)
  • Hybrid PV inverter (DC Battery)

Independent Storage System (AC Battery)

An AC battery operates with its own charger-inverter, which ensures both direct current conversion during charging and alternating current conversion during discharging.

The use of an AC battery requires connecting it behind a specific Climkit battery meter, configured with the Battery mode on the platform. Thus, the charge and discharge flows can 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 photovoltaic inverter.

Hybrid PV Inverter (DC Battery)

A hybrid photovoltaic inverter integrates the functions of inverter, management, and battery charging. The battery connected to this type of inverter is referred to as a DC battery because it is charged directly with direct current (DC) produced by the photovoltaic panels, without double conversion.

The primary advantage of a DC/hybrid inverter system is its superior 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, as the hybrid inverter and the battery are placed directly behind the photovoltaic production meter. Therefore, it is no longer possible to separately distinguish the solar production from the charge/discharge flows of the battery on the display.

In general, hybrid inverters are mainly installed on small photovoltaic installations, typically under 15 kWp, such as those in individual homes.

Backup Power Function

Most photovoltaic inverters do not operate in the event of a grid outage.

However, some hybrid inverters are equipped with a backup power function, allowing them to maintain power to certain critical loads in the building, such as common area lighting, in the event of a grid outage, using energy stored in the battery.

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

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