Computer Modeling of a Solar System with Batteries
System Balance
Peak Month Energy Storage
Peak Month Energy Storage
The System Balance summarizes in one chart the estimated balance between your off grid solar kilowatt hour production, the kilowatt hours estimated to be required by your appliances each day, and the number of kilowatt hours stored in your battery bank. The balance is equally appropriate for lithium batteries (e.g. BigBattery, Discover AES, Simpliphi) or lead acid batteries.
Peak Month Energy Storage
Peak Month Energy Storage
Peak Month Energy Storage
This chart compares the estimates of how much energy is required by your appliances, and compares that against the estimated battery capacity. The estimates are equally valid for lithium batteries or for lead acid batteries. Similarly, the estimates are appropriate for off grid solar installations that use different panel manufacturers.
Quick Explanation of kWh
Peak Month Energy Storage
Starting Watts Requirement
Note that kilowatt hours ("kWh") are a measure of "energy". You can think of this as how much water is in a bucket.
Off grid solar panels fill the bucket. The bucket could be a lithium battery bank for example using BigBattery, Discover, Simpliphi or another brand of lithium batteries.
Your appliances (i.e. the load) are taking water out of the bucket.
The goal of the kWh balance is to correctly size the solar and the battery bank so they are balanced and meet the requirements of your appliances.
Starting Watts Requirement
Starting Watts Requirement
Starting Watts Requirement
Many appliances can briefly demand 3 or more times the watts required for continuous operation. Fortunately, most off grid solar inverters can briefly generate more than double the watts produced during continuous operation.
This chart compares the starting watts estimated to be required by the appliances to the inverter's starting watts capability.
Running Watts Requirement
Starting Watts Requirement
Running Watts Requirement
The continuous operation rating of an off grid solar inverter (i.e. the "Running Watts" rating) is often 50% less than it is for the few seconds of starting watts capability.
The Running Watts chart compares the running watts requirements of the appliances with the inverter capability.
Quick Explanation of kW
Starting Watts Requirement
Running Watts Requirement
Note that kilowatts ("kW") are a measure of "power". You can think of this as the rate at which the water is taken out of the bucket (i.e. battery bank).
The pump taking water out of the bucket is your inverter. Every running appliance contributes to the rate at which water must be taken out the bucket.
The goal is to correctly size the inverter(s) so that the power required by your appliances does not exceed the inverter capability.