Do solar batteries work at night?
Although photovoltaic panels and solar batteries are becoming more and more popular, there are still many people who do not know exactly how they work. In fact, we use our blog precisely to provide a solution to this situation and give you all the keys you need to know about solar energy. For example, a few weeks ago we told you how long do solar batteries last.
Regarding durability, it is important to take into account aspects such as the panel warranty. However, we are not going to focus on this today. On the contrary, what we will do is solve one of the great unknowns related to the batteries of solar panels: do they work at night? And when it's very cloudy?Keep reading because we answer all these questions.
Solar panels and batteries at night
In order to give a clear answer to this question, certain things must be taken into account about the operation of photovoltaic panels. These are responsible for converting solar radiation into electricity. What does this mean? Well, if the panels do not receive sunlight, they will have nothing to transform. In other words,if there is no sun because it is night it is not possible to generate electricity.
However, this does not mean that at night you cannot take advantage of the energy that comes from the sun, far from it. There is a very interesting solution for this: use batteries to store energy and not depend solely on the sun for electricity. In this way, the solar panels generate electricity and this, if we do not need it at that moment, is stored in the batteries. And we can use this whenever we want, even if it is at night.
How do they work?
But… How exactly do solar panels work? These have cells inside and when photons from sunlight hit them, electrons are released that move inside. This generates an electric field that forces the particles to move towards the metal plates, creating an electric current.
In this way, the panels generate DC. But household appliances usually work with alternating current, so it is essential to transform it to be able to use it on demand. For this to happen, it is necessary to have an inverter, which is the mechanism that ensures that the direct current becomes alternating current. And, now yes, this can be used to feed the property.
Solar panel batteries
As we have said before, there are certain moments in which the solar installation does not produce enough energy to cover our demand. Even in those that are not directly producing energy. Here the solar panel batteries come into play, which allow the energy generated that is not being used to be stored for later use. This gives us the opportunity to use the energy from our solar panels even when it is completely dark.
In this way it is possible to completely disconnect from the electrical network, making the home energy independent. And it is that the operation of the panels when a battery is installed is a little different: instead of sending the electricity generated to the electrical appliances, they first send it to the batteries to ensure a reservation for possible cloudy days or for nights.
