Battery storage allows you to store electricity generated by solar panels during the day for use when the sun has stopped shining, instead of sending it back to the grid.
While batteries were first produced in the 1800s, the types of batteries that can store solar power and provide electricity to households are fairly new.
A battery storage system connects to a house in two main ways – DC (direct current) coupled or AC (alternating current) coupled.
A DC-coupled battery storage system is integrated into your solar system. These systems generally have a single inverter that converts the DC electricity to AC to supply your house, or feed back into the grid.
An AC-coupled system is separate to your solar system. It connects directly to your house wiring via its own dedicated bi-directional battery inverter, using local AC electricity to charge the battery and then discharge it directly to your house.