Everything Solar Forum

In the first three quarters of 2023, the installation of residential solar power saw another surge, with growth of 24% year-over-year, according to Wood Mackenzie. Total expected growth for the year was 13%.

This is on top of 2022 results in which 700,000 United States homeowners embraced the technology. Growth is expected to slow in 2024 to 12%, with recovery expected in 2025.

The residential storage market is now experiencing significant expansion, driven by a confluence of factors making battery storage increasingly appealing to homeowners incorporating PV systems.

Read this article by George Kuo, senior director of product & solutions, product management at Canadian Solar Inc...

I was a bit disappointed in the article that under battery chemistry and safety, Lead acid were excluded, even though lead acid is still the most economical, especially where only backup power is desired and the batteries spend most of the time floating.

My Rolls special lead-acid gel batteries should last 20+ years in mostly a float state and minimal DOD. They were way less than half of any Lithium solution, and no memory effect at all.

I have nothing against Li batteries, just could not afford them.

In the first three quarters of 2023, the installation of residential solar power saw another surge, with growth of 24% year-over-year, according to Wood Mackenzie. Total expected growth for the year was 13%.

This is on top of 2022 results in which 700,000 United States homeowners embraced the technology. Growth is expected to slow in 2024 to 12%, with recovery expected in 2025.

The residential storage market is now experiencing significant expansion, driven by a confluence of factors making battery storage increasingly appealing to homeowners incorporating PV systems.

Read this article by George Kuo, senior director of product & solutions, product management at Canadian Solar Inc...

I agree that lead acid is still a viable option for home energy storage. Why?

• Mature technology. We know what to expect.
• Less expensive than other technologies
• Long service life. My first set of Rolls flooded lead acid batteries lasted 17 years. Second set likely will last even longer.
• Near 100% recycleable.
• Save the lithium for mobile applications where mass and energy density matter greatly.

I was a bit disappointed in the article that under battery chemistry and safety, Lead acid were excluded, even though lead acid is still the most economical, especially where only backup power is desired and the batteries spend most of the time floating.

My Rolls special lead-acid gel batteries should last 20+ years in mostly a float state and minimal DOD. They were way less than half of any Lithium solution, and no memory effect at all.

I have nothing against Li batteries, just could not afford them.

In the first three quarters of 2023, the installation of residential solar power saw another surge, with growth of 24% year-over-year, according to Wood Mackenzie. Total expected growth for the year was 13%.

This is on top of 2022 results in which 700,000 United States homeowners embraced the technology. Growth is expected to slow in 2024 to 12%, with recovery expected in 2025.

The residential storage market is now experiencing significant expansion, driven by a confluence of factors making battery storage increasingly appealing to homeowners incorporating PV systems.

Read this article by George Kuo, senior director of product & solutions, product management at Canadian Solar Inc...

I agree that lead acid is still a viable option for home energy storage. Why?

• Mature technology. We know what to expect.
• Less expensive than other technologies
• Long service life. My first set of Rolls flooded lead acid batteries lasted 17 years. Second set likely will last even longer.
• Near 100% recycleable.
• Save the lithium for mobile applications where mass and energy density matter greatly.

I was a bit disappointed in the article that under battery chemistry and safety, Lead acid were excluded, even though lead acid is still the most economical, especially where only backup power is desired and the batteries spend most of the time floating.

My Rolls special lead-acid gel batteries should last 20+ years in mostly a float state and minimal DOD. They were way less than half of any Lithium solution, and no memory effect at all.

I have nothing against Li batteries, just could not afford them.

In the first three quarters of 2023, the installation of residential solar power saw another surge, with growth of 24% year-over-year, according to Wood Mackenzie. Total expected growth for the year was 13%.

This is on top of 2022 results in which 700,000 United States homeowners embraced the technology. Growth is expected to slow in 2024 to 12%, with recovery expected in 2025.

The residential storage market is now experiencing significant expansion, driven by a confluence of factors making battery storage increasingly appealing to homeowners incorporating PV systems.

Read this article by George Kuo, senior director of product & solutions, product management at Canadian Solar Inc...

Adobe is prettier than batteries, too! Even concrete, the black sheep of the thermal storage family, has lower environmental impacts per unit of stored energy than batteries.

I agree that lead acid is still a viable option for home energy storage. Why?

• Mature technology. We know what to expect.
• Less expensive than other technologies
• Long service life. My first set of Rolls flooded lead acid batteries lasted 17 years. Second set likely will last even longer.
• Near 100% recycleable.
• Save the lithium for mobile applications where mass and energy density matter greatly.

I was a bit disappointed in the article that under battery chemistry and safety, Lead acid were excluded, even though lead acid is still the most economical, especially where only backup power is desired and the batteries spend most of the time floating.

My Rolls special lead-acid gel batteries should last 20+ years in mostly a float state and minimal DOD. They were way less than half of any Lithium solution, and no memory effect at all.

I have nothing against Li batteries, just could not afford them.

In the first three quarters of 2023, the installation of residential solar power saw another surge, with growth of 24% year-over-year, according to Wood Mackenzie. Total expected growth for the year was 13%.

This is on top of 2022 results in which 700,000 United States homeowners embraced the technology. Growth is expected to slow in 2024 to 12%, with recovery expected in 2025.

The residential storage market is now experiencing significant expansion, driven by a confluence of factors making battery storage increasingly appealing to homeowners incorporating PV systems.

Read this article by George Kuo, senior director of product & solutions, product management at Canadian Solar Inc...

Yes it is, and heat is great! But you can not charge you cell phone with it, run a well pump or charge your EV. Electricity has a way higher energy use function than low level heat. AS a person who attempted to start a Solar thermal distribution business with evacuated tubes right out of China, I appreciate Solar Thermal Engineering. 

But it is the use case of electricity and the non invasiveness (PV install Not Effecting living, work space) of PV installation that wins the day, along with low loss of energy over distribution distance. 

New construction is the ideal "time" for "Super Insulation" to use a broad term.  And those who can afford to build new I highly recommend it. It generates a so much more comfortable living space and really low heating and cooling costs. You just have to talk the contractor out of using the worthless base energy codes.

But again as is usually the case with RE, there is no singular Golden Chalice. It's a need all of the above solution.

Adobe is prettier than batteries, too! Even concrete, the black sheep of the thermal storage family, has lower environmental impacts per unit of stored energy than batteries.

I agree that lead acid is still a viable option for home energy storage. Why?

• Mature technology. We know what to expect.
• Less expensive than other technologies
• Long service life. My first set of Rolls flooded lead acid batteries lasted 17 years. Second set likely will last even longer.
• Near 100% recycleable.
• Save the lithium for mobile applications where mass and energy density matter greatly.

I was a bit disappointed in the article that under battery chemistry and safety, Lead acid were excluded, even though lead acid is still the most economical, especially where only backup power is desired and the batteries spend most of the time floating.

My Rolls special lead-acid gel batteries should last 20+ years in mostly a float state and minimal DOD. They were way less than half of any Lithium solution, and no memory effect at all.

I have nothing against Li batteries, just could not afford them.

In the first three quarters of 2023, the installation of residential solar power saw another surge, with growth of 24% year-over-year, according to Wood Mackenzie. Total expected growth for the year was 13%.

This is on top of 2022 results in which 700,000 United States homeowners embraced the technology. Growth is expected to slow in 2024 to 12%, with recovery expected in 2025.

The residential storage market is now experiencing significant expansion, driven by a confluence of factors making battery storage increasingly appealing to homeowners incorporating PV systems.

Read this article by George Kuo, senior director of product & solutions, product management at Canadian Solar Inc...

I agree that lead acid is still a viable option for home energy storage. Why?

• Mature technology. We know what to expect.
• Less expensive than other technologies
• Long service life. My first set of Rolls flooded lead acid batteries lasted 17 years. Second set likely will last even longer.
• Near 100% recycleable.
• Save the lithium for mobile applications where mass and energy density matter greatly.

I was a bit disappointed in the article that under battery chemistry and safety, Lead acid were excluded, even though lead acid is still the most economical, especially where only backup power is desired and the batteries spend most of the time floating.

My Rolls special lead-acid gel batteries should last 20+ years in mostly a float state and minimal DOD. They were way less than half of any Lithium solution, and no memory effect at all.

I have nothing against Li batteries, just could not afford them.

In the first three quarters of 2023, the installation of residential solar power saw another surge, with growth of 24% year-over-year, according to Wood Mackenzie. Total expected growth for the year was 13%.

This is on top of 2022 results in which 700,000 United States homeowners embraced the technology. Growth is expected to slow in 2024 to 12%, with recovery expected in 2025.

The residential storage market is now experiencing significant expansion, driven by a confluence of factors making battery storage increasingly appealing to homeowners incorporating PV systems.

Read this article by George Kuo, senior director of product & solutions, product management at Canadian Solar Inc...