Storage (battery) system

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 additional surplus is fed into the electricity grid.

When consumption exceeds solar production, the Battery discharges to supply 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 empty, the electricity top-up is automatically drawn from the grid.

Each Battery system is equipped with a Battery Management System (BMS) which continuously monitors incoming and outgoing power flows.

Using a Sensor installed at the building's electrical input, the BMS intelligently regulates charging and discharging: in case of surplus solar power ready to be fed into the grid, it triggers the Battery charging to store this surplus; conversely, when a power demand from the grid is detected, it prioritizes the Battery discharge to reduce grid import.

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

  • AC Battery system (Standalone Storage System)
  • Hybrid PV Inverter (DC Battery)

AC Battery system (Standalone Storage System)

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

Using an AC Battery requires connecting it behind a dedicated Climkit Battery Meter, configured in Battery mode on the Platform. This allows 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 needing to replace or modify 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 with Direct Current (DC) produced by the photovoltaic panels, without double conversion.

The main advantage of a DC/Hybrid Inverter system is its better efficiency, as it avoids double conversion (AC→DC→AC) and 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 separately distinguish solar production and Battery charge/discharge flows on the display.

Generally, hybrid inverters are mainly installed on small-scale photovoltaic systems, typically below 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 are equipped with a back-up power function, making it possible to maintain power supply to certain critical loads in the building (e.g., common area lighting) in case of 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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