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Solar energy becomes an increasingly attractive solution to Australia’s rising electricity costs and climate-conscious consumers. More households are investing not only in installing solar panels but also in battery storage systems.  

One of the most popular sizes for residential storage is the 10kWh battery. A battery unit that sits perfectly at the intersection of affordability, performance, and practicality for medium-to-large Aussie homes. 

But still, these questions remain: how long will a 10kWh battery actually last in Australia’s diverse climate? How large a battery should you choose? 

These are all legitimate questions; therefore, we attempted to summarize them for you in this article. Ready to dive in? 

So, let’s understand the performance of a 10kWh battery and explore what it offers, how it fits into the lifestyle of an average Australian home! 

The Role of a 10kWh Battery: What to Expect?

Well, before diving into specifics, it helps to clarify exactly what a 10kWh battery means. 

Contrary to some confusion, the “10kW” often used in conversation actually refers to a 10 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery, which measures energy storage capacity, not output power.  

Therefore, a 10kWh battery can store up to 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity when it is fully charged. To put this into perspective, if you were to use 1 kilowatt of power per hour, that battery would last you 10 hours.  

But real life is more complex. Australian households don’t use electricity at a constant rate!  

There are peaks in the evening when the family is home, the air conditioning is on, dinner is cooking, and TVs are running. During the day, especially in homes with solar panels, energy is often being generated faster than it’s used.  

In such scenarios, these batteries act as a buffer between these two periods, storing excess solar energy in the day and discharging it during the peak evening hours.

Is a 10kW Solar Battery Right for You? |Australian Household Energy Use

10kW Solar Battery

On average, Australian homes consume between 16 and 20 kilowatt-hours per day. However, this figure is not fixed and can vary depending on various majors. 

In some states, with their sweltering heat, air conditioners often run continuously throughout the day, resulting in high energy consumption. Similarly, in southern cities like Melbourne, winters may increase heating needs, although households may also rely on gas.  

Moreover, families with more people, larger homes, or electric vehicles can easily surpass 25kWh daily, while energy-efficient homes or singles might get by on 10kWh or less. 

Given these variances, a 10kWh battery can last different durations depending on usage.  

For a home with low to moderate energy use, such as a couple living in a 3-bedroom house with energy-efficient appliances, a 10kWh battery might provide them with reliable power throughout most of the night.  

In contrast, a larger family running multiple TVs, computers, LED lights, and an air conditioner may find that the same battery is depleted in just a few hours.  

So, ultimately, the choice depends on your preference and needs.

A Day’s Consumption in an Australian House: A Realistic Example!

For instance, you are experiencing a blackout. You have a 10kW battery with 95% DoD, which means the optimum kW of energy for you to use now is 9.5kW. In this case, let us look at an example of how and where you can use this power. 

  • Medium radiator (heating source) uses 1200W and hour meaning 1200*4=4800W 4hrs a day 
  • Three 11W LED lights are 33W an hour, and 33*12= 396W for the night time 
  • A 400L refrigerator uses 68W an hour which is 68*24= 1632W a day 
  • A large flat screen TV uses 100W per hour, which is 100*3=300W for a movie and more 
  • A vacuum cleaner uses 1200W an hour 
  • A warm wash cycle in the washing machine uses about 900W of electricity 
  • Miscellaneous use, let’s say it’s 500W for power points to charge your phone 

In total, that comes to approximately 9.7kW or 9,728W per day, being very generous in terms of electricity use.  

Vacuuming during a power shortage situation may not be your top priority, but we still included that in the calculation to paint a realistic day in most of our lives. 

So, how long will a 10kW battery last? You can see that a 10kW battery is more than enough to run your household smoothly for a day if you fully charge it once.

Charging with Solar Energy: How Your System Does It?

The performance of a battery is closely tied to how it’s charged. In most Australian homes, this is done using rooftop solar panels.  

A popular system size of around 6.6kW of solar panels can generate up to 25 to 30kWh on a sunny day. This is more than enough to meet daytime needs and fill a 10kWh battery. 

During the day, when solar production is high, any excess energy not used by the home is diverted into the battery. Once the battery is fully charged, any excess electricity can either be exported to the grid for a feed-in tariff or wasted, depending on your system’s setup. 

However, the charging speeds vary depending on available sunlight and the inverter’s capacity.  

Under ideal conditions, a 6.6kW solar system can fully charge a 10kWh battery in just a few hours, typically between 3 and 5 hours, with intense midday sun.

How Many Hours of Backup Can I Get During a Power Outage?

An average household uses between 750W and 1000W of electricity during a blackout or power outage, assuming they are only using what is necessary to keep things running.  

In that case, a 10kW AKA 10,000W battery can back you up for 10 to 12 hours at a stretch. If you don’t draw power constantly, then count an hour or two extra in that time crunch. 

However, there is something extremely crucial to understand in this conversation. You will be spending a significant amount of money on a 10kW battery, so I assume you would expect it to last at least the maximum guaranteed years.  

To achieve this, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to keep your battery healthy and functioning properly for an extended period. 

Let’s hover to the next section to know them! Shall we?  

Top 10 Factors Influencing the Efficiency of Solar Battery Backup

10 Factors Influencing the Efficiency of Solar Battery

We already know the power backup duration of a 10 kW solar battery system depends on several factors. Here’s a breakdown of the key ones: 

  1. Battery Capacity (kWh)
    • The battery’s total energy storage capacity (in kilowatt-hours) directly affects how long it can provide power.
    • For example, a 10-kW battery might have a capacity of 20 kWh, meaning it can supply 10 kW for 2 hours or 5 kW for 4 hours.
  1. Load Demand
    • The amount of power your appliances and devices draw impacts backup duration.
    • A higher load drains the battery faster; a lower load extends backup time.
  1. Depth of Discharge (DoD)
    • The DoD refers to the percentage of the solar battery’s capacity that can be used up before recharging it again.
    • The greater the DOD, the more of the battery you can use before needing to recharge.  

    • For example, if your 10kW solar battery has 95% Dod, that means you can use about 9.5kW of the power before plugging it back in. 

    • To prolong battery life, you typically don’t want to discharge it entirely (e.g., maximum Depth of Discharge, DoD, of 80%).
  1. Battery Efficiency
    • Energy losses occur during charge and discharge cycles. 
    • Typical round-trip efficiency ranges from 80% to 95%.
  1. State of Charge (SoC)
    • The current charge level of the battery when the power outage starts.
    • A fully charged battery will provide longer backup than a partially charged one.
  1. Battery Type
    • Different battery chemistries, such as lithium-ion batteries and Lead-acid batteries, have varying efficiencies and degradation rates.  
    • Opt for branded batteries that feature lithium-ion technology.
  1. Age and Condition of Battery
    • Batteries degrade over the years. Therefore, older batteries or those that are poorly maintained hold less charge and have reduced efficiency compared to newer ones.
  1. Environmental Factors
    • Temperature affects battery performance; very high or low temperatures can reduce solar battery capacity and efficiency.
  1. Solar Panel Input
    • During daylight, solar panels can recharge the battery, extending backup.
    • Lack of sunlight means your battery can’t charge. This limits backup to stored energy.  
  1. Solar Inverter Efficiency
    • Inefficiencies in inverter technology can reduce the usable backup power of the battery. 

You can use up the entire battery at once, but to keep it in good shape and increase longevity, you must adhere to the manufacturer’s guidelines. Why? 

Otherwise, this expensive investment will not deliver its full potential. Remember, frequently charging and discharging the solar battery will significantly shorten its lifespan.

Takeaway Thoughts

In the end, choosing the right solar battery system after identifying your household energy consumption pattern can be a complex thing for most residents.  

Therefore, consulting with a professional is highly recommended, as only an expert can accurately assess your energy needs and guide you toward the most efficient and cost-effective solution. 

Get in touch with Cyanergy to speak with one of our solar experts today and receive a free, no-obligation quote for the most suitable solar battery systems for your home or business.

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The post How Long Will a 10kw Battery Last – Household Energy Basics appeared first on Cyanergy.

How Long Will a 10kw Battery Last – Household Energy Basics

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CDC Investigates Offshore Wind in the US

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Weather Guard Lightning Tech

CDC Investigates Offshore Wind in the US

The CDC is investigating offshore wind farms and Virginia Wind has paused blade installations, while the rest of the world installs and benefits from offshore wind.

Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes’ YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us!

There’s trouble brewing off America’s Atlantic coast. But it’s not coming from beneath the waves.

A few weeks ago, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY ROBERT F. KENNEDY JUNIOR issued unusual marching orders. He directed the CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL to investigate offshore wind farms. The reason? Alleged threats to whales and fishing businesses.

The investigation would focus on electromagnetic frequencies from undersea cables. Wind proponents say these frequencies are harmless. But KENNEDY had his concerns.

KENNEDY met personally with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health director JOHN HOWARD. He provided a list of specific experts to contact. The mission: complete the investigation within two months.

Now, you might wonder why a health secretary would suddenly become concerned about wind turbines.

KENNEDY, once a prominent environmental lawyer, fought for years against a wind project off the coast of MASSACHUSETTS. That project just happened to be near the Kenendy family’s compound. During the twenty twenty-four presidential campaign, he called offshore wind quote “a catastrophe.”

If you haven’t heard, the US administration has halted billions of dollars worth of offshore wind projects.

But here’s what the administration didn’t mention.

Wildlife veterinarian JENNIFER BLOODGOOD performs whale necropsies for NEW YORK STATE and CORNELL WILDLIFE HEALTH LAB. In her experience, about half the humpback whales in good enough condition to examine show signs of vessel strikes or human interaction. The minke whales? They’re dying from a common infection called brucella [brew-SELL-uh].

“There is currently no evidence that wind energy is influencing whale strandings,” BLOODGOOD reports.

Three active mortality events are happening for whales in the Atlantic. But these events involve clusters of deaths that experts consider unusual for reasons that have nothing to do with turbines. The scientific consensus is clear: no evidence links wind farms to whale deaths.

BLOODGOOD has even examined dolphin ear bones under microscopes and CT scans, looking for trauma from surveying sound waves. She found nothing.

“When a whale strands, there’s a huge effort that goes into responding and figuring out why it died,” she explains. “Many people’s job is to go out and figure out what’s happening.”

While AMERICA retreats from offshore wind, CHINA is doubling down. The nation aims to add at least one hundred twenty gigawatts of new wind power capacity annually from twenty twenty-six to twenty thirty. That’s more than twice AMERICA’s goal from twenty twenty.

CHINA’s total installed wind power capacity targets one point three terawatts by twenty thirty and at least two terawatts by twenty thirty-five.

At DOMINION ENERGY’s Virginia wind project, there’s a different kind of delay. The CHARYBDIS [kuh-RIB-dis], a massive twenty-three-thousand-ton ship that took five years and seven hundred million dollars to build, sits at the PORTSMOUTH MARINE TERMINAL. It can’t begin installing turbine blades yet. Quality assurance items need addressing.

The one hundred seventy-six turbine project off the coast of VIRGINIA BEACH would power six hundred sixty thousand homes. Its cost has risen to eleven point two billion dollars, up from nine point eight billion, partly due to tariffs.

So while AMERICA investigates phantom threats, the CHARYBDIS waits at the dock. CHINA races ahead with ambitious targets. And whales continue dying from boat strikes and fishing gear entanglement, just as they have for decades.

The US administration canceled funding for two programs that used aerial surveys and underwater listening devices to track whale populations. The very programs that could definitively show what’s really happening to these magnificent creatures.

https://weatherguardwind.com/cdc-investigates-offshore/

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Within Christianity, the Battle Rages On

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As we all know, there has been a battle being fought for hundreds of years between the Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus and the hateful warmonger hypocrites.  Yet seldom has this been expressed any more beautifully than what Rev. Benjamin Cremer wrote at the left.

Within Christianity, the Battle Rages On

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Sad Day

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It’s an even sadder day when the President of the United States defies the court order, like he’s done so many times in the past, re: deportations, the deployment of the military against U.S. citizens, etc.

Sad Day

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