Solar batteries

Buy your solar battery at the best price

Discover them on our online store and place your order at the lowest price. With our solar panel storage solution, you can store the energy produced by your solar panels and use it in the evening. Indeed, solar panels produce during the day, when our customers are away from home. These panels can recharge your solar storage batteries. You will find on this page a set of questions and answers on this subject.

What is a solar battery?

This is an electrical accumulator that stores the electrical energy produced by the solar panels at times when the sun's rays are strongest. This stored energy can then be used at night. In short, the solar battery is essential to the smooth operation of a photovoltaic installation.

Batteries for solar panels: Find out more

Are you looking to guarantee your self-consumption with solar panels? The solution is simple! Opt for this storage solution with a hybrid inverter. But which storage solution with your solar panels should you choose to make your home an “independent home”! Don’t be embarrassed, you’re not really the only one asking this question. To avoid making a mistake, take a look, via this category delivered by Alma Solar, at the types and their brands. Let’s start by discussing different types of solution.

How do I buy a solar battery?

#1 - I select

Choose your it from our product list on this page product. You can choose from different brands, such as BYD, TRIPLE POWER by SOLAX, PYLONTECH, HUAWEI, SMA and many others. You can also sort by battery capacity, warranty period and price.

#2 - I confirm my order

Select the quantity you require. Add your solar battery to your basket. Create your account on Alma Solar. Click on ‘my basket’. At step 3 of your basket, you can select your payment method. You can choose Paypal, credit card, Klarna, Fintecture or bank transfer.

#3 - I receive my order

Once your order has been confirmed, our logistics team will prepare your order. You will receive a tracking number for your solar batteries as soon as they are dispatched. Please check your solar batteries on receipt as these products are heavy and difficult for carriers to handle. Start installing your solar batteries with our manuals and videos available on each product page.

What are the different technologies?

There are many different types. But the most widely used and popular types on the market are the GEL and AGM batteries and the open lead-acid battery:

The GEL battery: The Gel battery is a technology based on the electrolyte being immobilised in gel form and is considered to be the top-of-the-range evolution of lead-acid batteries. In general, Gel batteries are watertight, require little maintenance and can withstand heavy loads. In fact, gel batteries are often referred to as ‘maintenance-free batteries’. That's why they have a long lifespan of up to 12 years, which equates on average to between 800 and 900.

The AGM battery (Absorbed Glass Mat): The AGM battery or sealed lead-acid battery is safe and efficient. It supports very high charge and discharge speeds (up to 4C for the Concorde Sun Xtender). It requires little maintenance and has a long service life of up to 10 years (slightly less than the GEL battery).

The open lead battery: The open lead battery is very economical but requires a lot of maintenance. Unlike Gel and AGM batteries, lead-acid batteries are not waterproof. It must be placed outdoors.

Lithium-ion battery: A very recent high-performance technology, the lithium-ion battery is now the most widely used technology for storing solar energy. Thanks to its compactness and durability, the lithium battery has rapidly gained in popularity.

Lithuim Technology

Today, a technology stands out for its performance and longevity. These are lithium batteries. Indeed, this technology is the most widely used technology on the market today and we will explain why. Lithium has the advantage of being able to be charged and discharged from 0 to 100%. In addition, lithium has no charge memory. This means that if you discharge it to 30%, you will have only had 1/3 of charge cycles. Whereas if you do the same thing with your lead battery, this would represent a complete cycle.

Long service life

Their lifespan is high. Their lifespan is guaranteed by all manufacturers at a minimum of 6000 cycles. This translates into an operating life of 20 to 25 years. Indeed, after their usage analyses, customers perform a full charge and recharge approximately 200 to 250 times (i.e. one charge cycle). For comparison, your mobile phones also have lithium batteries. These batteries have a minimum charge cycle guarantee of 500. Knowing that you charge and discharge your cell phones once a day, your phones have a minimum estimated lifespan of 500 days.

Solar recharging

We all know that lithium is a rare and expensive material to extract. If we use fossil fuels to recharge lithium batteries, the ecological advantage is lost. That's why combining a lithium battery with solar panels is the most ecological solution. That's why we call them solar batteries. Because lithium batteries must be combined with solar panels.

No maintenance

The final advantage is that they require no maintenance. You connect your battery to your solar inverter. This inverter is also connected to your solar panels. The inverter communicates with it in order to supply the energy needed to guarantee its condition. Everything is done automatically and intelligently. You don't have to do a thing.

Which battery for a 500W solar panel?

A 500W solar panel can produce up to 3000Wh in 1 day. In this case, you can recharge a battery of this capacity, i.e. 3000Wk equivalent to 3kWH. You can use twice this battery capacity: 6kWh or 6000Wh. In this case, it will take your solar panel 2 days of production to recharge it. Bear in mind that it's rare to have a battery that's empty or at 0% capacity. You regularly recharge and discharge without emptying it.

What capacity do I need?

To determine how much capacity you need, first figure out how much power it will take to run essentials, like your refrigerator and lights. Then, estimate how many hours you might need to use your storage and run those items before the sun comes back out to recharge the battery. If you think you can afford it or just want more, consider powering your entire home, including heating and cooling. It’s just a matter of scaling up to that higher capacity. If you want to live truly off-grid, you’ll need a bit more power still. Average solar storage systems range from 4 kWh to 13 kWh. Costs have been slowly coming down, but not as quickly as many had hoped. At the same time, you shouldn’t be locked into this decision. An even better question might be whether the system you’re considering has expandable capacity. Can your solar panel installation add storage in a few years?

Install your solar batteries

Order on our site at the best price from Alma Solar and complete your solar installation.

Can I recycle a solar battery?

All batteries eventually reach the end of their life, even when they are constantly recharged. But recycling depends on the type of battery. There are two basic types of solution: lead-acid (which has been around since the 19th century) and lithium-ion (invented in the 1980s). Lead-acid batteries are the most common type of battery in gasoline-powered cars. As a result, they are the most recycled of all consumer products, with a recycling rate of up to 99%. Lithium-ion batteries are now a growing market because they are used in electric cars. But they only have a recycling rate of 5%. They are much more complex installations than lead-acid batteries, which means that the lithium salt and other materials (iron, phosphate, carbon) are more difficult to extract.

Is it a storage safe?

Lithium battery storage is perfectly safe if used correctly and maintained properly. There are potential risks, but these are no different to the many electrical hazards already present in the modern home. However, it is important to be aware of the risks so that you can manage them properly. Safety aspects of lithium battery storage to consider include:

general electrical wiring hazards (as already present in your premises), chemical and fire or explosion hazards (these are similar to the hazards associated with bottled gas or a natural gas service), possible escape of non-flammable gases when charging or discharging lithium batteries (which can lead to hazards of inhaling harmful gases similar to a natural gas leak in the absence of ventilation), chemical leakage (similar to the corrosive fluid in a car battery or household cleaning chemicals).

Let yourself be carried

#1 - use the configurator

Thanks to our configurator, you benefit from a tailor-made solar kit depending on the available surface area. You can install a solar panel on the ground, on a flat roof, tiled roof, but we also have solutions on carports or garages. Our simulator is simple and offers an immediate response.

#2 - add solar batteries

If you have activated the choice of storage, you will be able to select your battery. The configurator only offers batteries compatible with the chosen inverter.

#3 - take advantage of our installers

Thanks to our certified partners, we offer the installation of our solar kit in line with the configuration you have made. The price is automatically calculated based on your specifications. ALMA SOLAR is the trusted third party between you, the installer. No additional amount can be requested following your order.

Why should I switch to solar storage?

The next step in homeowners’ energy independence is to add a solar storage solution. Whether you’re completely off the grid and need backup power for a rainy day or want to ensure you continue to get the energy you need even in the event of an outage, this system is a great choice.

How can solar panel batteries save you money?

Depending on your area and your unique energy needs, there are a number of ways to save money. In areas where electricity prices rise and fall at certain times of the day, you can charge them while electricity is cheap and then power the property when prices are at their peak. These batteries also have the potential to save you even more than solar panels alone. Additionally, electricity bills drop at night. This can impact the amount of electricity sent back to the grid, and therefore reduce the offset somewhat, but the difference is usually minimal.

Finally, if you are interested in installing a home battery, contact Alma Solar, a company with extensive experience in the green energy space that can give you the best advice on the energy storage options available to homeowners today.

What are the different brands?

There are different brands of solar inverters on the market. Let us tell you about a few brands that have been able to make their mark in the solar energy field.Energy storage is a fundamental challenge. To meet this challenge, which is above all a technological one, solar energy suppliers now offer several brands of solar batteries with different storage capacities.

LG Chem battery:

Since it was founded in 1947, LG Chem has grown steadily to become Korea's leading chemical company. Innovation has always been the watchword at this company, which is becoming a major player in the global solar energy market. It has launched a new range of LG Chem RESU batteries. LG's RESU lithium-batteries are a domestic energy storage solution that can be combined with a solar panel system. In addition, the RESU battery can be used to maximise solar energy consumption in the home. However, although the RESU battery has back-up power capabilities, it is not designed for off-grid use.

SolaX Power battery known as TRIPLE POWER:

Solax was founded in China in 2003 and is based in Hangzhou. SolaX Power is one of the key players in the global technology market. SOLAX entered the European market in 2016 through a partnership with ALMA SOLAR. SOLAX launched a range of batteries called TRIPLE POWER. They have released an initial range with a capacity of 5.8kWh, which, when connected together, can go up to 46kWh. This range of TRIPLE POWER batteries caters for the residential and industrial storage markets. Subsequently, SOLAX launched smaller capacity batteries starting at 3kWH. These are the TRIPLE POWER batteries named T30. This solution is ideal for homes with low storage needs. Their capacity starts at 3kWh and goes up to 12kWH. These are 3kWh modules that fit into each other. Finally, SOLAX has just launched its latest IES range of ‘one-stand’ batteries. This means that the SOLAX inverter and its batteries fit together to form a single column. This has the advantage of extremely rapid assembly and a smaller footprint. The IES range offers storage capacities from 5kWh to 30kWh. SOLAX therefore offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of solutions on the solar panel storage market..

BYD Home Battery:

BYD is known for manufacturing electric cars. They have started manufacturing HVS and HVM domestic batteries. These battery packs are made of lithium and operate at high voltage, i.e. up to 500V. The high voltage provides high discharge power. The HVS range of batteries has a storage capacity of 5kWh or more. BYD's HVM range starts at 8kWh and can achieve a high storage capacity of 21kWH. This solution is easy to install because the modules fit together. It's also scalable because you can increase your storage capacity later on in your installation.

Pylontech battery:

This company is known for making lithium batteries to power network servers. They have evolved into high voltage domestic batteries with the H2 FORCE range. This Pylontech domestic battery solution operates from 5kWh to 20kW. It is just as easy to install as the BYD batteries, as they can also be rack-mounted on top of each other. The strength of Pylontech batteries is their price. This company offers the cheapest solar batteries on the market.

Huawei battery :

HUAWEI is renowned and known to the general public thanks to their HUAWEI mobile phone. They have developed in the solar battery and solar inverter sector. In fact, they have expertise in energy management thanks to the HUAWEI batteries included in their phones. Today, HUAWEI is making its mark on the home battery market with competitive solutions. They offer a range of S1 version LUNA2000 solar batteries from 7kWh to 21kWh, with a storage capacity of 14kWH. This is a complete solution for residential home needs. HUAWEI batteries can only be combined with their HUAWEI single-phase or three-phase inverter. The HUAWEI inverter range is called L1 for single-phase or M1 for three-phase.

And there you have it, there are several brands of solar batteries for domestic use with different capacities. But are batteries the ideal solution for storing renewable energy? Is energy storage the right challenge? Or is the dilemma of how to store energy still a problem?

Connect

You need to connect them to your solar inverter. The solar inverter will manage the power from the solar panels and convert it into alternating current (AC).

Managing

You'll need to install the Alma Solar application on your smartphone. It will allow you to see the output of your solar panels every minute and control the energy in your home.

Recovering energy from your solar panels

Your solar panels will produce electricity every day, just like a satellite dish. This means that during the night, you will not produce any energy. You can recharge during the day. You therefore need to order solar panels.

What are the advantages of photovoltaic batteries?

These solutions represent a significant initial financial investment, but can ultimately help you save money on energy costs after the sun goes down or in an emergency. If you live off-grid, they can be essential components of your energy system, providing your home with clean, relatively green, renewable energy that would otherwise have to come from an outside source. Some areas also offer incentives or rebates to help mitigate the costs of adding a solar PV battery to your system, and you can receive up to 30% off your battery installation. Ultimately, only you can decide whether investing in a storage solution for your solar panels and its benefits is worth the cost and maintenance requirements.

Which solar battery should I buy?

To make the right choice of storage for your solar panels, follow these recommendations:

- If you want to run your home with a solar panel and storage solution for longer, look for a storage solution with a higher capacity.

- If you want to get the most out of every kilowatt-hour of electricity you put into your battery, look for batteries with a higher round-trip efficiency.

- If you are limited by space and want to get the most storage in the least amount of space, look for lithium-ion nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries.

- If you want a longer life that you can use more often, look for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.

If you want a battery with the highest possible safety rating (don't worry, they are all safe!), look for LFP batteries.