- Why Winter Puts a Strain on Your Energy System
- Maintenance Checklist for Your Current Energy Storage System
- Optimizing Your Home's Energy Use for Winter
- Is It Time to Upgrade? Signs Your System Is Underpowered
- Essential Upgrades for a Strong Heating Season
- Choosing the Right Solar Panels for Your Winter Upgrade
- Conclusion
Pre-Winter Energy Storage Maintenance: Essential Upgrades for Heating Season
- Why Winter Puts a Strain on Your Energy System
- Maintenance Checklist for Your Current Energy Storage System
- Optimizing Your Home's Energy Use for Winter
- Is It Time to Upgrade? Signs Your System Is Underpowered
- Essential Upgrades for a Strong Heating Season
- Choosing the Right Solar Panels for Your Winter Upgrade
- Conclusion
When fall arrives, we begin to get ready for the cold winter months. It brings warm nights, but it also comes with more energy usage and a greater chance of storms causing a loss of electricity. Prepping your energy storage unit is highly recommended for a warm and secure winter. Performing maintenance on your system early and considering smart upgrades can safeguard your house, get the family warm, and have control of your energy bills when it is cold outside.
Why Winter Puts a Strain on Your Energy System
Winter is hard on the public electrical grid and home energy infrastructure. As the days get shorter and darker, and the cold is more extreme, more electricity is used. We use more lights, and the heating systems use the largest amount of energy within the bulk of residential buildings. Using that amount of energy can be detrimental to the grid. It is a very large issue during negative winter storms of snow and ice, and it will result in electricity blackouts. If you do have solar electricity, winter also brings fewer hours of daylight. That translates into producing less solar electricity. All of these demonstrate the reason that it is so important to have a quality energy storage unit that is of a size to accommodate your needs.
Maintenance Checklist for Your Current Energy Storage System
A few weeks prior to the onset of winter, it is recommended that the backup power system be checked. This will ensure it functions efficiently when used. You can begin with a basic check that you conduct yourself.
Physical and Battery Inspection
First, check the battery and inverter. Ensure that all the connections are snug and not rusty. The surrounding of your system must be dry and clean. Keep it free of items that can ignite or choke air, which can cause it to get overheated. Next, check the health of your battery. Switch on the system and check the level of power and health on the display or the app of the system. As a precaution just before winter, it will be great if the battery is completely charged and then the battery used once. This will reboot the battery monitor, so the percentage indicates the actual remaining power that you have. This is done so that you don't have a surprise when the power goes out.
Solar Panel Preparation
They are very valuable to your system, and they might not work as well come winter. You should start by washing them down thoroughly. This removes the dust, leaves, and soil that built up during the summer and autumn months. It is highly necessary to wash the area so that the system can absorb the most energy available coming from the weak winter sunlight. Inspect each one individually to make sure that it does not have any damage, like cracks. Make sure the pieces that hold them down are secure and can endure high winds and heavy snows. Finally, take a good glance around and prune away tree branches that can cause shadows on the panels when the sun has a lower position in the sky, come the winter months
Optimizing Your Home's Energy Use for Winter
Besides checking your system, it's also very important to use less energy at home. Using less power means your battery will last much longer during a power outage. The first thing to check is your thermostat. Many people want to know the best temperature to set thermostat in winter to save money. To be comfortable and also save energy, the U.S. The Department of Energy says you should set it to 68°F (20°C) when you are home. You can save up to 10% a year on heating costs. Just turn your thermostat down 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day, like when you are sleeping or not at home.
Also, use a smart winter setting plan for your appliances. Do tasks that use a lot of power, like washing dishes or clothes, in the middle of the day. This is when your solar panels make the most power. You should also get your home ready for winter by stopping drafts around windows and doors, using heavy curtains, and making sure your attic is well insulated. All the heat you save is energy you don't need to use from your battery.
Is It Time to Upgrade? Signs Your System Is Underpowered
Doing regular checks can keep your system working, but it can't make it more powerful. When winter is coming, it's a good time to see if your system is good enough for what you need. There are a few clear signs that you might need an upgrade.
- Doesn't Last Long Enough: If your battery had trouble lasting through a short outage before, it will not be enough for a long winter power outage. You need enough power for your main appliances for at least one or two days.
- Can't Power Heaters: Your main need in winter is to stay warm. Your system needs to run a space heater or your furnace's fan. If it can't, it can't do its most important job in winter.
- High Electricity Bills: If you have a solar and battery system but still have high power bills in winter, it means your battery or solar panels are not big enough to lower your power use enough.
- Growing Household Needs: Did you get new appliances or have more people living at home? If you use more power every day, you also need to increase your power storage and the power you make.
Essential Upgrades for a Strong Heating Season
If you see that your system is not good enough, some important upgrades can make your home strong and safe for the winter. These upgrades are about getting more storage, more power input, and better connection. This helps so you don't have to rely on the grid.
Increasing Battery Capacity
The easiest upgrade is to get more energy storage. Adding more batteries to your system lets you store more power. This makes your power last longer during an outage. This is very important if you want to run heaters, a fridge, and other main things at the same time for a long time. More storage gives you more safety and makes you worry less.
The Power of a Connected Solution
To be fully prepared, upgrading to a whole-home backup system is the strongest choice. Smaller systems power a few things with extension cords, but a connected system hooks right into your home's power box. It gives you smooth, automatic power to everything, like your lights and heat. For ultimate peace of mind, consider a whole-home backup solution like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra Solar Generator to power everything through the winter.
Choosing the Right Solar Panels for Your Winter Upgrade
Getting a bigger battery is only part of the answer. You also need to make sure you can charge it well, even with less daylight. Upgrading your solar panels is very important to be ready for winter.
High Conversion Efficiency: In winter, every bit of sunlight is important. New solar panels with high conversion rates (23% or more) are needed. They make more power from the small amount of sunlight, so you can charge your battery better.
Strong and Weatherproof: Winter has bad weather. Look for panels with a high IP68 waterproof rating. This means they are made to handle snow, ice, and heavy rain. A strong frame is also needed to hold the weight of snow.
Works Well in Low Light: Cloudy days are normal in winter. Some new solar cells, like TOPCon, are made to work better in low light and at high temperatures. This makes them great for getting power all year.
Rigid vs. Portable: For a long-term, whole-home system, rigid solar panels on your roof are the best choice. But, strong portable solar panels are very flexible. They let you add more power or put them in the best spot to catch the low winter sun.
Conclusion
Getting your home ready for winter is more than just doing checks. You need to think carefully about how much power you need and be ready to make smart upgrades. By keeping your system in good shape, using less power at home, and getting enough battery storage and solar power, you can be ready for winter without worry. You will stay warm, safe, and in control, whatever the weather is. Ready to upgrade? Pair an EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra with our durable solar panels for complete energy independence and security this winter.