Can energy captured from solar panels be stored like batteries?

Question

Can energy captured from solar panels be stored like batteries?

Answer 1

It can be stored *in* batteries, but there are other ways.

Some municipal solar systems store energy by pumping water up into a reservoir, then later they can control how much water goes back through a dam to get that energy back.

There is some study going into using the energy to pump compressed air into underground caverns, in a similar way.

Lastly, it is possible to use the energy to dissociate water into H and O, and then later use the H in a fuel cell.  Similar in result to a battery.

Answer 2

In some places there is "net-metering".  The most beautiful site in the world is watching your meter run backwards.  With this you can make 100% of all you electrical needs.

Answer 3

Yes it's called a reachable battery

Answer 4

yes but you could make money off of it to. if you make more energy from your soal panels then you are using you can sell that extra energy to how ever supply power for you town so insted of you paying a power bill every month they will be paying you and you can heat your how with the solar panels

Answer 5

yes, I do it every minute the sun is shining. I have some 85 watt solar panels that pump out 19 volts, the wires come out of the solar panels, through a "charge controller" (its the size of a pack of smokes) and turns from 19 volts to about 13 volts and then into my batteries. the batteries are huge "truck" type battreies. (like a car battery but about 3 times as big) then the entire boat has 12 volt lights, stereo, fans, etc.....the only thing that I really need power for is the laptop...

Answer 6

yes, energy captured from any natural resource (water,wind, etc.) can be stored like batteries. And bravo on going green.

Answer 7

No, batteries are grossly inefficient means of storing electrical energy.  And pumping water uphill is opposed by converstaionists, such as those that want hydroelectric dams taken down and replaced by natural streams.

Some day solar energy may be used to create hydrogen gas from water, but not until solar collectors become several times more efficient.

Answer 8

You mean "in" batteries. Yes, of course! Or you could transform it into work and store it in a spring, or pump water up a tower or such.