24-hour solar power using a virtual or physical battery – Surinenglish.com

Before deciding to install a photovoltaic system, many people ask themselves what actually happens to the electricity produced by a PV system when the sun is not shining. After all, there are around 320 days of sunshine a year in southern Spain. Nevertheless, the sun doesn’t shine at night, therefore, no electricity can be generated by a PV system.

One solution to the problem is to install a battery to store surplus electricity generated so that it can be released when the solar system is unable to produce. When installing a physical battery, the purchase price should be taken into account as the expense must be included in the PV system cost-benefit calculation. Nevertheless, the prices for solar modules, inverters and physical batteries have fallen in recent months. And with a physical storage unit, you are always safe, even in the event of a power cut.

In addition to the physical battery, there is now another solution: the virtual battery. The surplus electricity generated is decentralised as credit in a cloud. One advantage of the cloud solution is that the surplus electricity generated is no longer fed into the electricity grid for a fee, which is still low, but is converted into a credit balance that can be used when your own system is not producing electricity.

Additionally, with the virtual battery, the credit for the surplus electricity can be used from one month to the next or from one year to the next. The surplus from a powerful PV system can also be used for a second home. This also makes a PV system interesting for clients who are only in Spain for three to six months of the year.

When the property is empty, the electricity generated is converted into credit, which can be accessed and consumed when the property is actually being used. Another advantage of the virtual battery is that, unlike the physical battery, it does not require any investment. One disadvantage, however, is that with a virtual battery there is no power in the event of a night-time power cut.

The company Smart Photovoltaic Systems S.L, from Alhaurín de la Torre, has been synonymous for many years with high-quality German-made photovoltaic systems and can advise you on all matters relating to the installation of a PV system. Company owner Frank Weiss will be happy to discuss the storage options and will provide you with a non-binding quote for a suitable solar-energy system for your home or commercial premises.

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