Wondering about batteries

[ElecGeekMom]

I am wondering about the wisdom of trying to depend on batteries to store energy generated by alternative methods.

I understand the electrical utilities are expecting their customers to "defect" from using the grid by setting up their own PV (or other alternative) electricity-generating devices, and then storing unused electricity in batteries, for use when solar or wind or whatever isn't able to generate it. I'm seeing the term "load defection" in the articles.

At the same time, we just had a significant solar flare and ensuing geomagnetic storm. One of the official emails I saw said that satellites' batteries were likely to have charging problems that could cause damage.

Now, the question I want to raise is this: If we build a storage-battery solution that works fine for current EMF ambient conditions, but then have, say, a Carrington Event, would that cause dysfunction or destruction of our battery-based system? How likely would that sort of problem cause destruction of not only the battery, but also surrounding structures?

I'm thinking about the things I've seen in the news about how certain types of batteries used in popular cell phone can no longer be shipped on airplanes because they might catch fire. Or how university campuses have banned so-called "hover boards" because their batteries have a high likelihood of catching fire.

Could it be that when the devices were developed and built, the ambient EMF conditions didn't pose a threat, but once you get them into an environment where either there is a greater amount of cosmic energy (in the case of airplanes) or a greater amount of ambient EMF energy because now it's being used where there are tens of thousands of people gathered together within, say 9 square miles, with one or two (or more) WIFI-capable devices on them at all times...well, then, the batteries don't operate as designed?

I understand that electricity doesn't reside simply within conductive wires of the electricity-distribution system, or power cords of appliances, etc. There is measurable electrical energy in close proximity to those lines.

I will stop short of explaining why I have come up with these questions. Sometimes I know I make questions too complicated!

[GaryN]

Lightning would be the biggest threat to PV panels.
How to protect your solar power system from lightning
http://www.solarinsure.com/protect-your ... -lightning
For the batteries I think Nickel Iron is the way to go for reliability.
http://www.nickel-iron-battery.com/open ... wable.html
Lightning can also affect wind turbines though:
Lightning CHAOS in Germany as wind turbine catches fire following wicked storm

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/704 ... ng-on-fire
Given a large enough solar storm, who knows what might happen!