Solar Panels With Built-In Batteries

solar panel with built in battery — Image source: solpad.com

Solar panels with built-in batteries are the new all-in-one, scalable, cost-effective, and renewable power solution.

The concept is not entirely new, though it has been leveraged for panels used to light gardens and also in street lights.

But now the smart integration is getting better and finer.

This solar concept is slowly finding its way into the home and commercial scope for efficient and convenient power production. Solar panels with internal batteries provide power anywhere, including remote regions where there’s no grid electricity.

Here’s a closer look at solar panels with integrated batteries. Read on to find out if it’s what you should be going for as a solar power consumer.

What are Solar Panels with Built-in Batteries?

Solar panels with (internal/ integrated/ built-in) batteries are Photovoltaic modules that have a power storage component embedded in them. They harness sunlight and store the energy for later use, all in one device.

This means that solar panels with internal batteries have components such as electrodes shared, wiring reduced, leaving the whole unit compact and very efficient.

Solar panels with built-in batteries do not need to be connected to a separate battery or the grid to give out power. It’s a ‘plug and play’ kind of invention, with tons of benefits for homeowners and business owners.

Very advanced technology goes into building solar panels with built-in batteries to ensure that they:

charge as they collect sunlight
disseminate power as they produce it
store the power when it’s not needed instantly.

Now let’s have a look at the elements that make up a typical solar panel with an integrated battery.

What Components Make the Integrated Power Unit?

Solar panels

These are the solar energy collecting components. They also double as the housing for all the other components discussed below.

MPPT charge controller

The component that stabilizes the DC power to safely and reliably charge the integrated batteries. It's an essential component that must be integrated if a battery of more than 5W is embedded on the panels to prevent overcharging.

Batteries

These are the energy storage units where energy is reserved for later use. Lithium batteries such as LiFePO4 are preferred for these integrated modules due to their long lifespan and lightweight, compact form.

Low voltage batteries (12V-230V) are used to make these power units safe to use.

Plug output

This is where you access the power produced by the unit from. In most cases, it'll be on the side of the solar panel.

Factors to Consider when Selecting Solar Panels with Built-In Batteries

Size

Despite solar panels with built-in batteries being compact and lightweight, they're produced in a wide variety of sizes.

You can choose a small solar panel with, say, a 3000Mah battery to charge your phone or camera or a household-sized module with a 70,000Mah battery to power your home.

The size you go for depends on your specific power needs in addition to the other factors discussed below.

Important note: Currently, small solar panels with built-in batteries dominate the market, but advances in technology are making possible production of large modules.

Cost

The cost of solar panels with built-in batteries will vary depending on size, power capability, and extra features you’re getting from the solar panel kit.

For example, the 3000Mah battery solar panel mentioned above can cost you as low as $80, while the household-size 70,000Mah module may go for $1,000.

Output power

Here, it entirely boils down to the amount you'll pay for the batteries-integrated solar panels. Or simply put, the kind of modules you'll go with.

Again considering our examples, the $80, 3000Mah module should have a voltage output of 12V which translates to around 11.1 W.

Similarly, the $1000, 70,000Mah solar module should have a voltage output of 230V, which is around 250 W.

Portability

Solar panels with built-in batteries are literally built for portability. Even so, you should evaluate your needs and pick one that best suits you.

If you're the outdoorsy type, a more compact model would be a nice pick.

Otherwise, the portability won't matter since most of these power units are lightweight and compactly built.

Operating/running time

How long an integrated solar battery- module serves you is dependent on the capacity of the battery.

The more capacity the integrated battery has, the longer the whole unit will serve you.

For direct power consumption, the unit will only give out power when it's mounted.

Solar Panels with Built-In Batteries Vs. Normal Solar Panels with Standalone Batteries

Factor	Batteries-Integrated Solar Panels	Solar Panels With Standalone Batteries
Portability	Compatible since all components are in one device	Each component is on its own; hence cumbersome
Overall cost-effectiveness	More cost-effective as all the components are integrated	Can be expensive since each component needs to be acquired separately
Production cost	It’s a relatively new technology so production is still expensive	Production has been optimized over the years, so it’s relatively cheaper
Installation complexity	The lightweight and compact nature of batteries-integrated solar panels make installation very straightforward. On many occasions, only a simple mounting is needed. This reduces the installation by almost half of what you’d spend for a conventional module.	Each element of the PV module’s kit needs to be installed independently complicating the process and increasing the costs involved.
Power efficiency	Good efficiency since the power source is placed near the storage element. However, current designs need to be improved to reduce voltage loss.	Acceptable efficiency, although it can be compromised by the high number of single connections, and long-distance traveled by the current.
Space needs	Very space-saving since everything comes in a single compact unit.	Space-intensive as each element has to be installed individually.

Can Solar Panels with Inbuilt Batteries Power a House?

According to a study done by ULB researchers and published in Applied Energy, solar panels coupled with batteries can power up to 40% of the power needs of a typical household.

Anything beyond that, solar panels with integrated batteries will be as expensive as using the power grid.

However, this is almost the same scenario with conventional solar panels. So, it's not a major concern if you want to make it an investment for your home or even for commercial purposes.

You just need to invest in the sizable modules with large-capacity batteries.

Lifespan/Maintenance of Solar Panels with Built-in Batteries

The solar panels will perform just like conventional ones, so expect their useful life to be around 15-25 years. Going by the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries, the integrated battery of your module may need to be replaced every 5-10 years.

Whether the batteries in your PV module can be swapped or not depends on the model you got. You can always inquire about this from your seller before making a final purchasing decision.

Since many battery integrated modules are made for outdoor use, they're exceptionally weatherproof and are generally maintenance-free.

However, it would help if you kept the solar panels clean at all times.

Please note: Solar panels with built-in batteries have delicate components, so don't just flood them with water like conventional solar panels. Instead, give them a nice dry wipe with a soft cloth frequently to ensure that dust doesn't build up.

Benefits of Solar Panels with Internal Batteries

Uninterrupted performance

With the battery mounted on a solar panel, energy is collected, stored, and disseminated without interruption.

You don't have to worry about connecting the batteries as they're always there to perform their role.

Scalable to meet huge power needs

If a high amount of power is needed, additional solar panels can always be integrated with the main power generator.

The added solar panels may be integrated with batteries themselves or can be added as standalone units just to increase solar energy collection.

Pretty efficient for their size

Integrating all power production elements in one device, reducing wiring, and sharing elements such as electrodes greatly improves the output efficiency.

Sure, design improvements can bring the efficiency to around 25%, but the 15-20 % they clock is not bad at all-it's the standard for most solar panels, anyway.

Portable solar panels

This is the greatest benefit of solar panels with built-in batteries. They're lightweight, compactly designed, meaning they're exceptionally portable. Even the large ones can be moved from one place to another and mounted anywhere to provide power.

Keep in mind that compactness does not compromise power production. Many of them can still clock the standard efficiency.

Cost-effective

Acquiring solar panels can be expensive, but it's only in the beginning that you'll have to spend to get power. What's more, the cost of installation and maintenance is greatly reduced since all components are assembled on one device.

Very small physical footprint

The integration of solar batteries with solar panels greatly reduces the space needed to produce power from the sun. Contrary, installing these components individually is quite space-intensive.

The best part is, solar panels with built-in batteries don't even need to be installed on the rooftop. You can just set up yours strategically on ground level, and it'll work just fine.

They're self-sustaining

No external power source is required for solar panels with built-in batteries. They can work independently, anytime, anywhere.

This adds to the convenience, benefiting power consumers, and also reduces carbon footprint, saving the environment in the long run.

Automated power management

The consolidation of batteries- integrated solar panels with a phone app allows for automated control.

You can even track your solar consumption habits and tune the system to respond to the behaviors when needed.

Easy to use

Solar panels with built-in batteries come with all components connected, and you only need to mount them to get ready to use power.

Limitations of Solar Panels with Internal Batteries

High production cost

This is a relatively new technology, so nothing much has been done to cost-optimize the production process.

However, with the use of emerging cheaper materials and better designs, this will soon be puzzled out.

Small-sized modules

Many solar panels with integrated batteries in the market are small versions, suitable for charging everyday small devices.

Well, there're a few large ones too, but a good deal of customizations need to be done to reduce their price.

Limited on terms of energy storage

Since batteries need to be integrated into the solar panels, they must be compact and flexible to some extent. With this, the battery usage is limited to low-capacity ones.

Conclusion

Renewable energy, and especially solar is getting better and better- advancements and inventions one after another.

Solar panels with integrated batteries have great potential to make power accessible in remote regions or areas where it’s impractical to tap into the grid.

With batteries integrated with solar panels, you can collect, convert, store and use solar energy all from a single unit.

This is the kind of convenience every solar power consumer needs right now.