Battery Storage
26 June 2019
Battery storage allows you to make the most of electricity that you generate by storing it, so that you can use the energy when you actually need it. Battery storage can work alongside a solar PV system, whether retro-fitted to an existing installation or fitted as part of a new installation. Storage ties in very well to the idea of the ‘smart home’.
For example, you could store more of the solar power that you generate so you can use it when the sun has gone down instead of drawing on grid electricity from your electricity supplier. Storage is particularly useful and most valuable economically if you have solar but are out most of the day and can’t use all of your solar power.
Storage can also be used to draw power from the grid when it is especially cheap.
The two types of batteries most commonly offered for solar PV storage in the home are lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries. Batteries and battery systems can vary considerably in shape, size and weight. The greater the battery capacity, the greater the battery size and weight. Typical domestic systems vary from being the size of a small computer to the size of a washing machine.
The benefits of Battery Storage:
- Batteries can help you use more of the electricity generated by your PV system
- Store excess electricity in readiness for when you need it.
- Reduce your electricity bills.
- Cut your carbon footprint.
- Invest in the future and reduce your reliance on the National Grid
- Once your battery is fully charged, you could earn money on the electricity that you produce by selling excess energy back to the grid using the Smart Export Guarantee.