No one likes to deal with power outage: colliding around in the dark in search of a flashlight or candles, spoiling food in the fridge, and there is no way to charge your phone during emergency. Whether you are preparing for future crises, or you live in an area that loses electricity during regular storms, a house battery can provide peace of mind. While the battery of a house will not last forever, and gradually loses its ability to charge over time, it is a great way to prepare for the future.
Home batteries are huge lithium-ion batteries that serve as backup power sources for your home. They also have a limited lifetime and they are not immune for unavoidable demise of their small counterparts.
“This is not different from your iPhone battery,” Cameron McDonaldVice President of Merchandising, Planning and Inventory Battery plusTold Cnet.
You will get a lot more life from home battery than your iPhone battery, but it is still not going on forever. So how long will the battery of your house last? What can you do to expand its lifetime? Here some experts are advised how to get the most benefits of your home battery.
How long does the battery of the house last?
The most common types of home batteries are usually made of any type of lithium-ion chemistry, which is degraded over time like any other battery. Every time you charge and discharge your battery, it loses its ability to keep the charge. It is so inconsistent that you will not notice it first. After a few years, you can start paying attention that your battery cannot have a charge as it is used.
Your house battery is not forever, but it can last longer than you think. McDonald’s said, “Make this guess for about 15 years,” McDonald’s said.
Look closely on warranty
Almost all domestic batteries in the market come with a 10 -year warranty. This does not mean that your battery will be completely dead in 10 years. The thing you really want to focus on the warranty of your battery is its cycle life or expected energy throw. These two give you a good indicator that according to the manufacturer, how long your battery will actually last.
Every time you drain and recharge your battery, it completes a “cycle”. On your warranty, the manufacturer guarantees that your battery will be able to reach a certain amount of cycle under warranty. Life expected for home batteries is usually between 6,000 and 8,000 cycles.
Similarly, you can see an expected energy “throwput” listed somewhere on your warranty. This is another way that the manufacturer estimates the lifetime of your battery. Your battery throughput, which is usually measured in megawatt-hours, is the total energy that should reach your battery to your home during your lifetime under warranty.
Since the maximum energy storage capacity of your battery decreases over time, most manufacturers will also include some forms of the end-off-wareti capacity guarantee, promising that your battery will still be able to maintain its original maximum quantity by the time of its warranty. Most manufacturers will guarantee at least 70% capacity retention rate. Even after your warranty period you can use your battery – possibly for one and five years, even. The performance of the battery would be as good as it was when you first installed it.
Factors that can affect the lifetime of your home battery
Not all batteries are made the same – and even the batteries that are the same, will not last until the same time. This is because many external factors can affect the lifespan of your battery. There are some things here.
Extremely exposure to temperature
Sometimes things that can affect the lifetime of your battery are things that are completely out of your control like weather. If you live in a very hot or cold climate, it can shorten the lifetime of your battery, said McDonald’s. When you are wondering where your battery is kept, try to keep it somewhere that reduces its exposure to the temperature.
If you live in a warm climate, you can help your battery run for a long time, while keeping it indoors, or at least somewhere. If you live in a cold climate, keeping it untouched by elements will also help. If you have a garage in your house, consider installing it there.
Depth of discharge
The way you use your battery can also affect its lifetime. The depth of a battery of discharge refers to the amount of energy that you can dry safely relative to your maximum capacity. If you dry your battery to zero your battery before recharging, it can actually hurt your battery, McDonald’s said. Many battery systems will not allow you to discharge even for that exact reason for this accurate reason, as a way of safety of battery health.
Number of charging cycles
10 or 15 years of battery lifetime assume that you will run a certain number of charging cycles. Every time you drain and recharge your battery, according to McDonald’s, it reduces the lifetime.
So if you ride your battery more bicycle than recommended by the manufacturer, you can end up with a least battery lifetime. “It gives wear and tears,” said McDonald’s. Check your battery warranty to see its expected cycle life.
physical damage
It probably goes without saying, but you will be surprised how easy it can be to harm your battery. McDonald’s said that he had hit many people into his battery while pulling it into the garage. If you harm your battery in this way, it is probably going to reduce your lifetime. When taking out a location to install your battery, work to find a place to work with your installer that is easy to reach both and the battery has a low risk of casual damage.
Is the house battery installing?
Is the battery worth the house worth, depending on what kind of return you are looking for.
McDonald said, “What is your goal? If your goal is to save money on your energy cost, a house battery may be right for you,” said McDonald’s.
If you combine them with solar, or if you can benefit them against the use rates of time from your utility company, the home battery can help you save money. You still have to cross the initial upfront cost of the battery to save money. It is said that the cost of the battery of the house is falling. A recent report of Fierceness It was found that battery prices have fallen 16% in 2024 compared to last year.
Many household owners install the battery of the house for a different reason: they are a backup power source to supply electricity to their home during an outage. In this case, the return number on investment may be less about and more about comfort. McDonald’s said, “Cash is (return to investment), and Mind is the peace of ROI.”
Either way, a qualified installer should be able to help you reduce the number of specific conditions and see if mathematics works. Ensure factors in 30% tax credit of the federal government introduced through inflation reduction act. This tax credit allows you to claim up to 30% of the cost of installation of home battery on your taxes.
Home battery cannot be the right decision for all. If you cannot stomach high upfront costs, you are not worried about potential electrical outage or cannot avail the use rates of time, then a house battery may not be worth it.
questions to ask
What should I use during a power outage: Home battery or portable generator?
If the cost of installing a battery-based power backup system is not possible, a portable generator is a solid quick fix. However, in the long run, obtaining a home battery system that is powered by solar, may be ideal fixing for protection against power outage.
Read more: Battery or generator: What is the best home backup power source?
