Month: January 2023

This week a new scheme for reducing energy will operate for the first time. Some energy customers will receive a payment to reduce their private electricity use, on necessary days. Monday was the first live implementation of the system, and this was just for a single hour from 5-6pm. An inconvenient time, it is when most households who work, will return home. Those that can afford to do so will heat their home and cook their dinner around this time. Therefore, it is a time when there is strain on the Grid, hence these plans to reduce the burden. The plans come directly from National Grid.

This kind of approach helps National Grid manage the system at a time when there is a cold snap. With temperatures around -2°C, it is no wonder there is concern about high electricity use. Indeed, there are other contingency plans as three coal-fired power stations are on alert in case of need. This is an undesirable way to get fuel these days as it is the most polluting type of power. The plan is for these three power stations in go into retirement, but later than the original plan, to cover this winter. Preparations will be made but hopefully they will not need to be in use.

With various issues affecting the country, there are concerns at times that the Grid cannot cope anymore. One of these issues is the war in Ukraine and Russia turning off Europe’s supply of gas. This was always the default standby before, but now it cannot be. No wonder that there have to be alternative arrangements in place for reducing energy. However, the National Grid also say that these are contingencies and that supply is not at risk. The expectation is that domestic homes and business will have the power they need. Perhaps though a million households waiting until later to charge their electric car or put on the washing machine or dishwasher, will have a positive impact.

This certainly is all a cause for concern. What if the situation gets more difficult? What if we repeatedly do not have enough power? Some commercial businesses already have steps in place to mitigate against this. Now homeowners are doing the same. ESS batteries are large-capacity cells that can be powered when energy is cheap and be used anytime. Eco Power Direct are a reliable and trustworthy supplier of EVE ESS batteries made from lithium-ion. They are fully rechargeable and can be used in parallel up to 15 batteries per string. This ensures you can get the amount of power you need for your space.

It might seem strange to think about powering your home with batteries, but they simply replace your regular power supply. Once they are set-up, our EVE ESS batteries need no venting or particular maintenance. Get the reassurance and peace of mind that comes from having the basics sorted. Find out more about our batteries and our case study. Always seek professional advice before buying our batteries to make sure they are right for you.

If you are considering large volume ESS batteries for home or business use, then you are aiming to bring stable energy at a reduced cost to your home. Thousands upon thousands of people have already set-up this system. Some of them have a great structure in place, ticking all their boxes whereas others are struggling with poor-performance, battery capacity loss and round-trip inefficiency. In short, they are regretting the day they switched to ESS batteries. Here are some of the potential reasons for this and how you can avoid it.

The Wrong Batteries

Some people invest heavily in a battery set-up. Yet they do not take the time to ensure these are the correct batteries for them. In some situations, people simply have the wrong batteries. This is one of the reasons why set-ups can be poor. There are lots of batteries on the market of different types. It is important to get the right ones for the set-up you have. We always suggest using a professional like HOWETEC to check your needs before you purchase. This way you know you are investing in the right kind of batteries.

Too Little Power

There are a huge range of large volume ESS batteries on the market yet there are many different types. Quite often buyers are looking to cut costs where possible. Perhaps, they decide not to get a professional to help them work out what their set-up needs. Therefore, they end up hoping that they can manage with one or two batteries when they actually need more. They simply do not have the power they need to cover the day. This set-up ends up being extremely inefficient and unworkable.

Poor Performing Batteries

There are a lot of poor performing ESS batteries out there. They look great on the surface of things, even big brands, but buyers do not realise they have issues. A large number of these batteries are lead-based and typically they can only discharge down to 50%. Due to this, people think they are getting a certain amount of potential power, but it is maybe half of what they expect. For other batteries they quickly degrade and also after two years give poor performance, which is not as expected. With Eco Power Direct’s EVE LiFePO4 ESS batteries, there is another way. Whether you need to replace poor performing batteries or you are thinking about large volume batteries for the first time, the advice is the same. Our lithium-ion batteries can discharge down to 20%, so they can go longer without charging. They offer long-lasting high performance. Do not forget to ask a professional to check your requirements before you buy. You must have the right number of batteries for your needs – you can link up to 15 of our batteries together in parallel. Additionally, we have an example of a real three-bedroom house you can check out too. Our batteries are effective, efficient and great quality. We encourage you to do your research to find the right option for you. If our batteries are right, we can assure you it is an excellent product.    

Going off-grid can be a liberating but also potentially stressful experience. Off-grid power is one of those bigger issues. Whether you live solo or you have a family or friends you live with, power is important. Here are some thoughts about powering your off-grid life to ensure you have enough power.

Look to the Sky

An obvious option for off-grid power is to use solar. This is of course a great free way to power your home once the kit is paid for and set-up. However, there are issues with this. Solar works well when the sun is shining and even when there is partial sun. Yet there is an issue with this as when it is dark it will not work or run anything. One solution is to have one or more large-capacity batteries like ours. When you fill up the battery during the day, the power that has been stored can then be used overnight. Yet this still leaves problems in the winter months when light is much reduced. This will not be enough to fulfil power needs during the day let alone have any saved capacity for the evening and overnight.

Generating Capacity

You can use a generator to power off-grid. These typically use petrol, diesel, propane or natural gas so are not as clean as solar. However, some do use solar or allow you to switch from one type of fuel to another. If you are off-grid and using a generator, then it must be running at the time you want to use energy. So basically, it needs to be running all the time even if you only require a small amount of energy. This can be quite inefficient as running a generator all the time can use up excess energy. This is because the generator does not just generate the exact amount of energy you need. Also, for some, this lack of efficiency goes against some of the principles of off-grid life. It makes you extremely dependent on external energy such as diesel where the prices can fluctuate greatly.

Hybrid Life

There is another way that generates enough power as well as being less reliant on external energy sources. This is being hybrid and getting the best of two systems. If you have one or more of our large-capacity storage batteries, this can take the strain. You use the generator when you need large amounts of power, but at the same time you charge the batteries. Then the batteries can cover small loads or amounts of power when you need them. The batteries will get low at some point and then the generator starts automatically to charge them up. This means the generator is on only as and when it is needed. This saves fuel, makes the system efficient and powers your off-grid system the way you want to.

A hybrid system is a great way to get your off-grid power working for you. With new technology comes positive change to make off-grid power stress-free. They also keep your home and space running when you need them most. Our batteries provide off-grid power without compromise. While personal research is important in choosing a product such as storage batteries, this should not replace professional advice. We always recommend getting some expert help to be sure our batteries are the correct product for your needs.