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Q:
Why is it important to store your own generated energy?
 
A:
When your solar panels generate energy, your home only uses the electricity required at that moment and the surplus of solar energy is injected into the electricity network. However, when you need more electricity than you produce, you have to take so-called 'grey power' from the grid again.
 
By using a home battery, you can store your surplus of generated renewable energy and use it during periods when the sun is not providing enough energy. This allows for optimized energy consumption, reduces dependence on external factors such as electricity price hikes, and transforms your home into an environmentally friendly living space.
 
Q:
How long can a UFO Power home battery keep your devices running?
 
A:
A practical example:
A 1,000 Watt microwave oven running at maximum power for one hour will consume 1 kWh of energy. Similarly, a 10 Watt LED bulb, when lit for 100 hours, also consumes 1 kWh. Therefore, a fully charged UFO Power energy storage system of 10 kWh will be able to run the above mentioned microwave oven for 10 hours and keep the LED bulb illuminated for 1000 hours.
 
Q:
In the event of a power failure, can I still supply my property?
 
A:
During a power outage, the UFO Power energy storage system will serve as an emergency power supply thanks to its built-in UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply). When a power outage occurs, the home battery can take over in less than 20 milliseconds and you might not even notice the light flickering.
 
You can choose to connect a number of critical devices in your home to the backup output of the home battery. This ensures that these appliances remain operational and prevents potential issues. In some cases, it is even possible to power your entire house with surplus solar energy previously stored in the battery.
 
Q:
Do I need any other components besides my home battery?
 
A:
You can choose your own product mix according to your needs. UFO Power offers All in One – battery plus inverter and battery for use with inverter.
 
Q:
How quickly does my UFO Power home battery age?
 
A:
We'd like to explain this in terms of battery cycles. One cycle refers to the complete charging and discharging of a battery. In the UFO Powermonitoring platform, you can see graphically how much your battery has been charged or discharged on a given day. You'll notice that achieving a full cycle per day is rare.
 
Studies have shown that, considering our climate and a battery system that is properly adapted to your situation, approximately 280 cycles per year are required. Therefore, over a span of 20 years, you would need about 5,600 cycles. UFO Power assures that the storage capacity of home batteries will only drop by a maximum of 20% after 10,000 cycles.
 
If in the future you decide to use your home battery for other applications besides optimizing your own consumption (e.g. virtual power plants), the number of cycles you consume per year will increase slightly.
 
Q:
Does my UFO Power home battery need maintenance?
 
A:
UFO Power home batteries are maintenance-free. The internet connection allows the system's software to receive regular updates.
 
Q:
Is a home battery safe?
 
A:
The safety of a home battery depends on its chemical composition and design. Different batteries are designed for specific applications, and the chemistry used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, for example, may differ from that of home batteries.
 
Different functions are expected from these cells. The EV batteries have to charge, discharge and be light. The battery of a mobile phone has to have high specific energy (light) and usually does not have to last long. A home battery must be safe and have a long life.
 
Safety is of paramount importance for UFO Power. That's why they have chosen the highly safe Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) chemistry for their home batteries. This chemical composition ensures the cells safe and non-flammable even in extreme conditions. This means that you can pierce the battery or cause a short circuit without risking a fire. The UFO Power home battery is therefore extremely safe.
 
Q:
Which PV inverters are compatible with UFO Power home batteries?
 
A:
For all UFO Power hybrid energy storage system, you can connect solar panels directly to it (= DC coupling).
 
All UFO Power home batteries can be connected to an existing PV system. We call this an AC coupling. An UFO Power system is completely independent of your existing solar panel system and can therefore be installed at any time.
 
Q:
Can I connect a single-phase battery system to a three-phase PV inverter?
 
A:
 
Yes, you can easily connect them to a house where there is a three-phase PV inverter.
 

Commercial & Industrial

 
Q:
Why is energy storage system useful on a grid scale?
 
A:
Energy storage is important on an industrial or grid scale for three main reasons. The first is to "balance load" — to shift energy consumption into the future, often by several hours, so that more existing generating capacity can be used efficiently. The second reason is to "bridge" power — in other words, to ensure uninterrupted service during the seconds-to-minutes required to switch between different power generation sources. Finally, power quality management — the control of voltage and frequency to avoid damaging sensitive equipment — is an increasing concern that storage can alleviate whenever needed, for a few seconds or less, multiple times throughout the day.
 
Q:
What is the difference between residential and commercial energy storage?
 
A:
Residential energy storage refers to energy storage systems installed in homes or small residential properties. These systems typically store excess energy generated from renewable sources like solar panels and provide backup power during outages or when the demand exceeds the supply.
 
On the other hand, commercial energy storage involves larger-scale energy storage solutions designed for commercial or industrial settings. These systems can store a significant amount of energy and are often used by businesses to manage peak demand, reduce energy costs, and enhance electricity stability.
 
Q:
Why invest in battery storage?
 
A:
Battery storage enables greater self-consumption of renewable energy from variable sources like solar power. Businesses that face difficulties in the reliability or capacity of their electricity supply can reap benefits from battery storage. Battery storage can also save on power costs by reducing the need to purchase electricity during expensive periods.
 
Q:
Can battery storage help keep power on during blackouts?
 
A:
Yes, storage can contribute to local energy security and energy resilience, especially when the batteries are paired with local power source on a community microgrid. A microgrid is a small network of customers with a local source of electricity that can be disconnected from the grid and operated independently.
 
During and after natural disasters and extreme weather events, all of which are becoming more frequent due to climate change, battery storage can help keep essential services running and protect the most vulnerable populations as part of a community-driven climate resilience plan. When thinking about community resilience, it can be advantageous for critical infrastructure — such as police and fire stations, hospitals, cooling centers, and emergency shelters — to have rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems on site to keep the power on during an emergency.
Q:
Why is energy storage system useful on a grid scale?
 
A:
Energy storage is important on an industrial or grid scale for three main reasons. The first is to "balance load" — to shift energy consumption into the future, often by several hours, so that more existing generating capacity can be used efficiently. The second reason is to "bridge" power — in other words, to ensure uninterrupted service during the seconds-to-minutes required to switch between different power generation sources. Finally, power quality management — the control of voltage and frequency to avoid damaging sensitive equipment — is an increasing concern that storage can alleviate whenever needed, for a few seconds or less, multiple times throughout the day.
 
Q:
What is the difference between residential and commercial energy storage?
 
A:
Residential energy storage refers to energy storage systems installed in homes or small residential properties. These systems typically store excess energy generated from renewable sources like solar panels and provide backup power during outages or when the demand exceeds the supply.
 
On the other hand, commercial energy storage involves larger-scale energy storage solutions designed for commercial or industrial settings. These systems can store a significant amount of energy and are often used by businesses to manage peak demand, reduce energy costs, and enhance electricity stability.
 
Q:
Why invest in battery storage?
 
A:
Battery storage enables greater self-consumption of renewable energy from variable sources like solar power. Businesses that face difficulties in the reliability or capacity of their electricity supply can reap benefits from battery storage. Battery storage can also save on power costs by reducing the need to purchase electricity during expensive periods.
 
Q:
Can battery storage help keep power on during blackouts?
 
A:
Yes, storage can contribute to local energy security and energy resilience, especially when the batteries are paired with local power source on a community microgrid. A microgrid is a small network of customers with a local source of electricity that can be disconnected from the grid and operated independently.
 
During and after natural disasters and extreme weather events, all of which are becoming more frequent due to climate change, battery storage can help keep essential services running and protect the most vulnerable populations as part of a community-driven climate resilience plan. When thinking about community resilience, it can be advantageous for critical infrastructure — such as police and fire stations, hospitals, cooling centers, and emergency shelters — to have rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems on site to keep the power on during an emergency.