Three Types of Solar Batteries
There are three types of solar batteries – lead acid, lithium-ion and flow batteries (Zipp, 2015). Lead acid batteries are widely used around the world. They have relatively low cost compared to lithium-ion batteries (Zipp, 2015). However, they are toxic, so proper disposal is critical, as noted by Zipp (2015). Lithium-ion batteries are the most common technology, as suggested by Zipp (2015). They account for about 70% of the market share (Zipp, 2015). This technology is available in the UAE. The cost ranges from $750 to $950 per kWh (Zipp, 2016). Another energy storage option is flow batteries. As mentioned by Zipp (2015), the technology costs above $500 per kW (Zipp, 2015). The producers expect the cost to decline to $300 by 2024, as suggested by Zipp (2015). Therefore, the most popular and efficient battery option is a lithium-ion battery, so it is reasonable to focus on this type.
Types of Inverters
According to Zipp (2016), there are different types of solar inverters – string inverters, central inverters, microinverters and battery-based inverters. String inverters are installed on a strong basis (Zipp, 2016). Central inverters are larger and more suitable for large installations (Zipp, 2016). Microinverters are growing type suitable for residential power generation (Zipp 2016). Battery-based inverters are linked to the solar-storage systems that are expected to grow in popularity.
Cost
As mentioned by Graves (2016), high energy storage costs hurt the industry’s growth. The average price for a battery is up to $1,000 per kW (Graves, 2016). However, the used batteries can cost about $450 per kW, as noted by Graves (2016). As mentioned by Zipp (2015), the cost of lithium-ion batteries is about $750-$950. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that an energy storage cost averages at $850 per kW. Cost of inverters is 120 AED or $27.23 per 1000 Watt (Souq, 2016). Therefore, the total cost is estimated to be about $877.
Works Cited
Gravews LeAnne. Electric cars to give a solar industry a lift. The National. 2016. Available from http://www.thenational.ae/business/energy/electric-cars-to-give-solar-industry-a-lift#full.
Souq. Power Inverter. 2016. Available from http://uae.souq.com/ae-en/power-inverter/s/.
Zipp Kathie. What are different types of solar inverters? Solar Power World. 2016. Available from http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2016/05/different-types-solar-inverters/.
Zipp Kathie. What is the best type of battery for solar storage?. Solar Power World. 2015. Available from …
