Do Solar Panels Stop Charging When Batteries Are Full

Understanding Solar Energy

Solar energy is becoming increasingly popular as we move towards a greener future, and households look for cleaner, more sustainable ways to power their homes. Solar panels offer a fantastic opportunity to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on energy bills by converting sunlight into electricity. But how exactly does it work when storing excess energy? 

Solar Panels and Solar Batteries go hand in hand. Whilst solar panels play the main character in generating the electricity from capturing sunlight on your roof, the batteries help store excess to be even more cost-effective, and sustainable. On extremely sunny days, your panels may be over-generating electricity, which isn't actually needed within your household that day. Instead of diverting this back to the grid, by installing solar batteries, you store this electricity for later use, like when the sun isn't shining.

A common question is what happens once your solar batteries are full, what happens to all that extra energy your panels are producing? Does it just go to waste?

The Short Answer is no. Your solar panels won’t stop working just because your batteries are full.

Your solar panel system is clever. It’s always working to capture sunlight and turn it into electricity. When your batteries are topped up with energy, the remaining charge doesn't disappear, the surplus is fed back into the grid. This is often called ‘exporting’ electricity.

By exporting electricity back to your energy supplier you might get paid through the government’s Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), as you are supporting renewable energy. It’s like selling electricity back to the grid.

Maximising Your Solar System’s Output

To make the most of your solar panels, it’s worth considering a few things:

• Battery Size: A larger battery can store more energy, meaning more is stored in your household and less electricity is exported.
• Energy Consumption: Using more electricity during the day can reduce the amount exported, as it will build up your reserves in the batteries for the evening. 
• Solar Panel Efficiency: High-efficiency panels can generate more power, even in low light.

Your solar panels will continue to charge, even once your solar battery is full. Even though your solar panels might be exporting electricity back to the grid, it's still a good thing. You are benefitting yourself by reducing your reliance on the grid but helping to create a greener future. So, there you have it. Your solar panels keep working hard even when your batteries are full. It's all part of making the most of your solar system.