Can Solar Power be Generated at Night?

Many people assume that power generated by a solar system is only available to a home or business when the sun is shining. This concept makes sense; solar panels convert solar energy from sunlight into usable electricity – so they generally can’t work without that sunlight.

Can Solar Power be Generated at Night?

To answer this question, it helps to understand that a typical solar system includes PV, or photovoltaic, panels (commonly known as solar panels), an inverter to convert absorbed energy from the sun into usable electricity, equipment that mounts your solar panels to your roof, and a monitoring system that tracks electricity production.

How your solar panels produce clean energy:

• The cells that make up your solar panels absorb solar energy to convert it into direct current (DC) electricity.
• The inverter converts DC electricity into alternating current (AC), which is usable in most household appliances.
• The electricity is then fed into the home to provide the needed power.

When the sun isn’t shining, your panels aren’t absorbing solar energy or generating electricity. As a result, the rest of the process can’t happen. However, with the addition of an energy storage system (“ESS”), it is possible to store energy from solar panels for use when the sun isn’t shining, such as at night.

The LG Electronics Energy Storage System (“ESS”) enables homeowners to store energy generated by their solar panels in a Lithium-ion battery. Once the sun goes down, the battery can be instructed to discharge stored energy for use in the home. That stored energy can also be used during a grid power outage when solar panels are shut off for safety reasons.

The LG Electronics ESS is available for both new and previously installed solar systems and features:

• Quick and easy two-person professional installation
• A reliable, scalable Lithium-ion battery that can be sized up to 19.6kWh for longer back-up time
• Remote System Monitoring capability through a mobile app
• A limited warranty of 10 years for the entire energy storage system, including the battery, with a “one-stop-shop” (LG!) to respond to any service requirements for all components
• A compact and elegant design
• A high-efficiency Power Conversion System (PCS) that achieves 97.5% CEC efficiency
• An integrated smart energy management system (EMS) that enables customers to control their electricity bill through self-consumption of solar and Time-of-Use (TOU) rate smart scheduling
• A Back-up Mode that enables solar panels to power a home or charge the battery during a power outage

In conclusion, it’s true: there’s no such thing as having -- and using -- solar power 24 hours a day (unless, perhaps, you live in a country that experiences 24 hours of sunlight for a certain number of days a year). However, thanks to ESS technology, you can use energy generated by your solar panels at any time of the day, including at night.