Whether it’s for backup power or to manage your energy consumption, a solar battery solution offers myriad benefits and applications that can help you put the power and control back into your business. Let’s look at four signs that your business probably needs one.
1) You don’t have backup power (and it’s not just about loadshedding)
Although 2024 has seen record lows of loadshedding so far, South Africans can’t help but wonder if more power cuts lie in wait as we head into the rest of the year. The financial impact of these power interruptions on businesses has simply been too devastating for them to be caught off guard without a backup power supply should loadshedding ever return. Many can’t shake the feeling that it’s still important to have some form of power backup.
Even if loadshedding continues to lay low, businesses still face other grid interruption issues such as cable theft, ageing substations that either break down or completely burn down, and poor local grid infrastructure in remote areas.
A solar solutions system paired with a battery energy storage system (BESS) offers one of the best forms of protection against outages and grid interruptions. The energy you harness from your solar energy system can be used to power the battery so that it’s always ready to discharge should the grid go down. The quality of power that the battery backup discharges is also improved which means it keeps your machinery, equipment and other operations safe against volatile power spikes.
Did you know?
A solar system without battery backup won’t offer protection against outages. This is known as a grid-tied system, which means it works only when the grid is active. Businesses usually opt for this kind of solution if they’re purely looking for solar cost savings and not power backup.
2) You have backup power, but it’s expensive
Many businesses have invested in other forms of backup power to keep the lights on and the machines running. Diesel generators and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are more popular options that do offer backup power but also come with hidden future costs that can grow over time.
Generators require regular maintenance to keep them running optimally while the price of diesel continuously fluctuates and often spikes when your budget needs it the least. When adding the noise and pollution that come with generators, it’s easy to understand why it might not be the preferred option as many businesses try to meet their sustainability goals.
Gas on the other hand can provide a somewhat cleaner alternative, but considering that South Africa is heading towards a gas cliff soon, the price of LNG in particular is set to rise exponentially, making this an unsustainable option.
So, is a solar backup battery power solution cheaper than a generator or gas when considering affordable power solutions?
We don’t want to use the phrase ‘it depends’, but when it comes to BESS versus other forms of backup there are a lot of factors to take into consideration.
Buying a robust battery system in cash is an expensive endeavour. This is why, much like our solar financing options, we offer a lease option (including maintenance and monitoring) so that more businesses can bring the power of BESS to their operations. A solar power solution system can also be added to the mix, either through a Power Purchase Agreement or as part of your battery lease for a single easy-billing fee.
Looking at getting a solar battery system? Here are 7 questions you should ask when sizing yours:
3) Your energy-intensive processes cause expensive spikes
You’ve probably been there before. A sudden outage has caused all of your machinery to go down at once, and then devastatingly all start up at the same time. Maybe you’ve experienced random surges in power that push your consumption beyond the usual peak, or the nature of your operations requires that certain energy-intensive processes start at certain times.
Whatever the situation, these events can cause havoc depending on your tariff structure. If you’re on a flat tariff, hitting an expensive spike could spell doom for the rest of the month. On time-of-use, you sometimes simply can’t avoid using the most power in those expensive peak slots.
This is where a battery energy storage system comes in:
- You can use it for renewable smoothing to ensure there are no dips between the solar power you consume and the power you get from the grid.
- Time of Use Arbitrage is an excellent way to make the most of your tariff structure and you can use a battery to strategically discharge power during peak times (more on this in our last point).
- Peak shaving is another tactic you can employ to avoid costly spikes by flattening your demand curve during peak times.
No loadshedding? Other ways you still benefit from solar and battery storage.
4) Your business can benefit from maximising cheaper off-peak power
As mentioned, a Time of Use tariff is an excellent opportunity to make the most of cheaper power.
With battery backup, you can use Time of Use Arbitrage to charge the battery when power is cheapest (either during off-peak times in the evening or using solar energy during the daytime) and then discharge the battery during peak times – in other words using the battery to power your operations when electricity is at its most expensive:
Businesses often (and understandably) think that a solar battery system is only worth it when there are power outages. Time of Use Arbitrage and the other tactics mentioned in this blog are only some ways you still benefit from a system even when the grid is on 24/7.
Whether you need a system for backup power, more sustainable backup power, or a better way to optimise your power consumption, our Energy Experts can help determine which kind of solution will benefit your business the most.
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