Path-Q Solar
How should battery capacity be sized for my evening electricity use?
Answer
Start with the electricity used during the hours you want the battery to cover, then adjust for the battery's usable capacity, round-trip losses, reserve requirement, and expected operating conditions. The battery's power rating must also be large enough for the appliances that will run at the same time.
Key points
- Use interval consumption data if available rather than dividing a monthly bill evenly across hours.
- Usable capacity, not advertised nameplate capacity, is the relevant measure.
- A battery sized for partial evening coverage may be more economical than one sized for all overnight use.
What it depends on
- Evening and overnight energy consumption
- Desired hours of coverage and backup reserve
- Usable battery capacity and efficiency
- Concurrent load and battery power rating
Risks and trade-offs
- Oversizing increases cost and may leave capacity underused.
- Undersizing may cause the battery to stop discharging before the desired period ends.
- Seasonal solar production may prevent the battery from reaching full charge at some times of year.
Information you may need
- Interval or hourly electricity-use data
- Loads to be covered and desired backup duration
- Battery usable capacity, power rating, and reserve settings
- Solar production assumptions and charging strategy
Your next step
What to do next
Build a load profile from interval data and request a battery quote that states usable capacity, continuous and surge power, reserve, and modeled seasonal coverage.
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