Super-capacitors are electricity storage devices that are widely used in a multitude of consumer electronics applications. For example, they are used to power photographic flashes. At present, due to their advantageous characteristics. They are becoming a convincing alternative to the lead or lithium batteries often used in solar systems for self-consumption with compatible Imeon inverters.
Super-capacitors allow energy to be stored in the form of an electrostatic field. This differs from the operation of a conventional battery, where electrical energy must be converted into chemical energy to be stored, and has intriguing implications. Firstly, the speed of charge and discharge of a super-capacitor, since it is no longer limited by the speed of the above-mentioned conversion, is much higher than an ordinary battery. In practice, this means that super-capacitors can withstand higher charge and discharge currents. In addition, conversion losses, which depending on the battery electrolyte can vary from tolerable to substantial, are eliminated from the equation, making this storage more energy efficient. Finally, since super-capacitors are not as prone to deterioration as the electrolyte in use, storage can withstand harsh environmental conditions and many more charge and discharge cycles than a modern lithium battery. According to the manufacturers of solar super capacitor storage devices, their products can withstand up to one million cycles. This means that even assuming several cycles per day, super-capacitor storage will continue to work for centuries.
In addition, super-capacitor storage has several advantages that make it easier to operate and handle. Namely, it is always possible to recharge a completely discharged battery while lithium and lead batteries can be discharged to a “point of no return”. This means that they can be stored for long periods without being recharged, which is not the case with batteries. And that they can be transported safely without special precautions. As is the case with most products, a higher specification at a cost and kWh of super-capacitor storage is naturally more expensive than a battery equivalent.
Imeon Energy has developed a unique specific software application for the storage of super-capacitors manufactured by Kilowatt Labs. The application is accessible via the OS ONE operating system, the world’s first software operating system for solar inverters, available only for Imeon products. Contact us at Imeon Energy for more details.
