Residential energy management systems combine solar power with Li-ion battery storage

Kyocera Corp. and Nichicon Corp. are scheduled to release a new energy management system (EMS) which combines Kyocera’s solar power generating platform with Nichicon’s high-capacity lithium-ion battery storage units. Designed for the Japan market, the new system responds to the growing demand for residential energy storage equipment following the series of environmental disasters in the region. The new system also offers various operating modes to meet the energy use patterns and needs of various customers.

Kyocera’s EMS effectively uses energy from electricity grids. Regulating a solar power generating system with battery storage requires a power inverter and sophisticated energy-management technology. When used together with Nichicon’s energy storage system, the EMS is able to more efficiently control energy consumption.

Nichicon’s storage system utilizes a lithium-ion battery from Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. The battery is claimed to last roughly 5 times longer than conventional lead-acid batteries. It has a high capacity of 7.1kWh, weighs roughly 200kg, and measures 120×90×35cm. In the event of a prolonged black-out, the battery can be charged directly by the solar modules during the day, allowing users to draw from the battery at night or during inclement weather.

“This new system combines the two vital themes of power generation and power storage using Kyocera’s solar power generating system and Nichicon’s energy storage unit,” explained Kyocera President Tetsuo Kuba. “Kyocera will use its energy-management technology to launch this new comprehensive system for optimizing residential energy use, and thus make a real contribution to preventing climate change.”


Figure 1. Residential energy use flow using Kyocera’s solar power generating system and energy management system with Nichicon’s power storage unit.


Nichicon Corp.