Companies Want to Save the Sun

The photovoltaics industry and battery manufacturers are developing batteries for solar energy.
Using solar energy from your own roof – with the planned increase of bonuses for using your own energy, this is becoming more and more attractive for consumers. The industry is getting wind of a new mass market: The battery for the cellar. However, storage is still too expensive.

Hamburg-based company Conergy recently announced an interesting innovation: It wants to offer a device as of the summer, which helps operators of photovoltaic (PV) systems to use as much solar energy themselves as possible. The screen of the so-called Vision Box shows how much the PV system is producing at that time and what the household is using in comparison. “The system makes it clear when the solar yield is at its highest. If users turn their washing machines on at this point, then they can increase their own consumption by ten percent,” explains Conergy technical boss Tim Meyer.

The timing for its market introduction is perfect. The Federal government wants to award consumers of energy, which they have produced themselves, with a bonus of 8 instead of the previous 3.5 cent per kilowatt hour (kWh) as off 01 July. This could strongly stimulate marketing of the Box. Berlin is requesting relief of the power grids through increased personal consumption. If more solar energy is used immediately, then less must be transported.

The solar industry sees this new regulation as a door to a whole new mass market. Conergy is already developing personal user packages, which are equipped with a lithium ion battery. This is intended to temporarily store excess energy in order to be able to provide households with solar energy during the nights as well. “Today, 30 to 35 percent personal consumption is already possible on a yearly average. With the battery, 60 to 70 percent will be possible,” says Conergy technician Armin Schmiegel. The battery will be about the size of a computer and have an eight kWh capacity. This is enough to save the entire daily requirement of one family when it is completely charged.