Additional components from Midsummer
Midsummer offers a number of batteries for energy storage as well as electric vehicle chargers. Contact us and we will help you find the best solution for you.
Batteries for energy storage
Midsummer offers batteries for energy storage from several world-leading suppliers in different price ranges and with unique product features. To supplement your purchase of solar panels with a battery, contact us and we will help you find the best solution for you.
By installing batteries at home together with your solar cell roof, you get the opportunity to store the energy your solar cells generate during the day and use it during times when the sun is not shining. In this way, you use your own solar energy for a larger part of the day and cut your electricity costs. There are also solutions that enable the house’s electricity needs to be supplied by only the batteries in the event of a power failure.
The battery is connected to your electrical system and photovoltaic system and measures the surplus current that your system would normally send out and sell on the electricity grid. If there is enough power to charge the battery, the battery connects and takes advantage of the energy that would otherwise be sold to the grid. Later when it is dark, the battery discharges providing you with electricity instead of buying it from the utility provider. When the battery is discharged you go back to the normal functioning and buy the energy from the grid.
The primary function of the battery should be to save the energy your Midsummer solar cells produced during the daylight hours to use them during the later hours of the day. The battery is then charged during the day with the excess current remaining. Therefore, it is optimal to have a battery if your energy consumption is low during the day but increases in the evening. If you instead have high consumption during the day or an even consumption throughout the day, for example if you run a business or similar, batteries are not as suitable.
The batteries need to be mounted on the floor or wall, preferably near your power station. The location also needs to be in a weather protection data space that maintains an even temperature. For example, in a heated garage or storage room or at home.
We are brand independent and can offer battery solutions in most price ranges on the market, but your Midsummer contact will provide a proposal that fits your Midsummer facility and budget. There is also a tax reduction available for homeowners for the installation of energy storage in Sweden.
If you choose to install energy storage, you will receive a reduction of up to 50% of the battery installation cost through the Tax Reduction for Green Technology. More information about Grön Teknik’s tax reduction can be found on the Swedish Tax Agency’s website.
Unfortunately, at present we only offer battery solutions to our new or returning customers who have installed a solar roof from Midsummer.
Yes, if you are sure that you want batteries to store your solar energy within the next 1-3 years but that it does not fit right now, you can make sure to get an inverter that is compatible with batteries from the start, these inverters is generally more expensive but you will not have to replace your inverter in the future if you buy compatible batteries. Check with your personal Midsummer contact and they will include this in your quote.
On average for Lithium-ion batteries that are installed in electric cars or as energy storage for households, they must be able to handle at least 2,000 charge cycles, ie one in and discharge. This corresponds to about 5.5 years of daily in and discharge of the battery and many battery manufacturers provide 10 year warranties on their batteries and even after this many batteries work excellently. The lithium-ion batteries in home electronics are often designed to last only 300-500 charge cycles before they start to degrade and that these batteries are more often exposed to temperature variations, for example if you happen to leave your phone in the sun while admiring your Midsummer facility during the summer or when it is in the trouser pocket during a walk in the winter cold. A battery used for home use is also affected by these types of temperature variations and hence it is important that the battery is placed in a suitable place to maximize the life.
Charge your car at home
Midsummer offers installation of a charging box for your electric car when we install your solar cells. Contact us and we will find the right solution for you.
A charging box is a specially designed hardware that enables charging of electric vehicles, such as electric cars, charging hybrids and electric motorcycles, in a fast and safe way. Most charging boxes on the Swedish market are equipped with temperature sensors and earth fault circuit breakers to increase safety. Often an app for your phone or tablet is also included so you have full control over charging.
The biggest reasons to get a charging box are partly because you can charge faster but also because of the safety. The charging box gets its own power line and fuse, which means that you can charge your electric car with higher current without risking overloading the power line or the fuse that would occur if you use the same power line for several outlets. This also increases safety as your charging box and power cord are made to withstand the heat generated when you charge your electric car, something that a normal wall socket cannot handle.
It’s simple. Once a certified electrician has installed your charging box, connect your type-2 cable to the charging box and then to your electric vehicle. The charging box and the electric vehicle communicate with each other so that a safe charge can be started.
When you buy a rechargeable vehicle, you usually get several chargers, of which one is a charger with a standard plug, this is often called a travel charger / emergency charger and is only for the situation when you do not find a charging station to use. Therefore, it is not recommended to use a standard electrical outlet as a permanent solution for charging your electric vehicle. The risk with this type of charging is that an electric vehicle requires a lot of power and needs to be charged for several hours, this in turn leads to overheating of the wall socket and increases the risk of fire.
From January 2021, there will be a tax reduction for green technology through the Swedish Tax Agency. This reduction gives you a 50% deduction on materials and labor costs. Reduction is up to SEK 50,000 per person in the household. If you are 2 people who own the home, it will be a total of SEK 100,000 as a ceiling for the reduction. It is important to keep in mind that you must not count on materials that you have purchased yourself from other companies in the reduction. Then you only get a deduction for the labor cost. Read more about tax reduction for green technology on the Swedish Tax Agency’s website.
First of all, you should think about the speed at which you want to charge and what your car can handle. The lowest power you usually install is 3.7kW (1-phase (230 V) and 16A fuse) but most new electric cars can handle 11kW (3-phase (400V) and 16A), ie 3 times faster charging than 3 , 7kW. If you want to secure the future of your installation, this is recommended. Some electric cars can also handle a higher fuse of 32A which enables a charge of 7.4kW (1-phase 230V) or 22kW (3-phase 400V), but this requires that you need a larger main fuse for the home which leads to a higher mains charge . In the current situation, the majority manages with 3.7kW if you do not drive far every day and can be connected to the charger for a long time every evening and night.
A charging box is often installed on the wall, but some models can also be installed on a stople if there is no space. You should also choose a location so that the cable reaches from the charging box to your vehicle. Longer cables are available for purchase, but they cost a penny. For longer life of the appearance of the charging box, it is always advantageous if it is sun and weatherproof, but there is no requirement for the function.
If you have several electric vehicles, you can either take turns with a charging box or install 2 charging boxes. There are also charging boxes that have 2 sockets and with the help of a load balancer it distributes the right current so that the fuse is not overloaded.
