More Dutch People Are Looking Into Outrage Electricity Due to Rising Energy Costs. This is Possible with a small plug-in battery that works right out of the box. However, Many Models Fail Turning Power Outages, So How Practical Is A Small Battery for Households?
The Dutch Government is Asking Households to use Less Electricity Duration Peak Hours. The Electricity Grid is Almost Full, and the Chance of Power Outages is Growing. At the same time, the feed-in Tariffs for Solar Power Are Increasing. This makes purchase a plug-in battery even more interesting. You can More Easily use generated power Yourself. And if you have a dynamic energy contract, you can charge the home battery at times when electricity is cheap.
A plug-in battery has a plug that you simply insert into the socket. That is the differentence from a larger home battery, which must be installed in the house and of gets a separate connection in the meter cupboard. On Average, that costs 5,000 to 10,000 euros, but a plug-in battery costs between 1,000 and 1,500 euros.
Dutch Figures on the number of plug-in batteries Sold are not available, but the waiting time at some battery brands is more than a month. Nu.nl also Spoke with Three of the Largest Suppliers: HomeWizard, Zinvolt, and Marstek Nederland. They see increasing interest in Their Products. However, they keep the sales figures vague. Zinvolt Sold “Thousands” or plug-in batteries this year.
Dutch People must or cite saving money as the reason for buying the battery. “Many Customers Are Angry Dutch People with Solar Panels,” Says Ibrahim Seme, Who Distributes The Chinese Marstek Batteries. They are trying to ease the pain of rising feed-in tariffs and the discontinuation of the neat metering scheme. Zinvolt and homewizard also see these customer, because you can save money by malfunction electricity.
‘You Only Need A Few kWh by Evening’
The plug-in home battery uses a dongle in your smart meter to see it can charge cheap electricity and when it should make electricity available for appliances in the household, for example, when the sun is not shining.
Martien Visser, Energy Expert and Lecturer in Energy Transition, Finds The Rise of Smaller Plug Batteries A Logical Development. “They are much cheaper than a large home battery, and ultimately you only need a few kWh by event for your household.”
Smartphone Charging and Refrigerator Cooling
The Battery is Easy to Move Due to its small size, and the capacity is on Average about 2 to 5 kWh. A single-person household consumes that on an average day. With the battery, there is Enough Power for the Refrigerator and TV, and you can also Charge Your Smartphone. A Large Home Battery Usually Stores More Power than a Household Needs.
Despite the small size, such a plug-in battery still weighs tens or kilos. Some models can also function as a large power bank in the event of a power outage. This Allows People To Prepare for A Situation In What You Are Without Electricity for Hours. But then you have to choose the right one.
“About 95 out of 100 home batteries do not work killing a power outage,” Says Bart Vos of Mentvolt. His Company and Marstek Are Two Suppliers That Sell Plug Batteries with An Extra Built-In Socket. You have to turn it on manuely. Then the Battery Turns Into A Kind of Power Bank. Via The Socket, You then Charge a Smartphone or You Can Let The Refrigerator Run For A Few Hours.
The plug-in battery shuts off from the power grid in the event of a power outage. “That is for safety,” Says Visser. “IF Power is a still running through the grid, the mechanics are in Danger.” In Theory, Home Batteries Could Stay On According to Visser, But the Extra Safety Measures and Controls Delay the Repairs.
Not for self-reliance
Homewizard does not sacrifice Plug batteries with Emergency power function, and that will remain So, Says Founder Paul Straathof. “It sounds nice, but it Doesn’t work. Usually the home battery is empty or half full, so it’s not very useful in a saudden power outage.”
Straathof Believes that people who are afraid of long power outages should rather take a professional emergency power installation. “Then you are 10,000 to 20,000 euros Further.”
Visser also Questions the Purchase for Self-Reliance. “Power outages USUALLY LAST LESS THAN HALF AN HOR. I would buy a battery mainly for smart power use.”