Solar batteries can be an excellent long-term investment for any homeowner or small to medium business owner. It is, however, vital to consider a number of factors when deciding whether a battery will save you money or not. The main cost for a solar battery comes with its initial purchase and installation. A number of batteries will have a 10-year warranty included, providing piece of mind, and supporting the fact that solar storage systems will provide a return on investment and not require frequent replacements.

Solar Batteries can greatly improve the money-saving potential created when a solar PV system has been installed on a house. Having a solar battery system in place will increase the self-consumption of your existing solar PV system. As well as reducing your daily electricity costs, having this unit in place will also reduce your environmental impact, lowering your carbon footprint. In addition to this, it is also possible to operate independently from the UK power grid for a period. With energy companies frequently increasing their energy prices, having a solar battery in place will go a long way to lowering the impact of these price hikes.

It is not necessary to have a Solar Battery present in order to have a functioning Solar PV System as Solar Panels and Solar Batteries are independent components. A Solar Battery will require an installation of panels in order to store energy, however, Solar Panels can supply energy in real-time and feed any excess energy produced back into the grid. Doing so can allow for a secondary power source to be available, independent of the National Grid, allowing for continued power usage during any potential power outages.

The lifespan of a solar battery is determined by the number of cycles it can use. A battery cycle is defined as the number of times a battery can be fully charged and discharged before they reach the end of their functional life. Cycle life specifications can vary substantially depending on their internal chemistry. Fortunately, lithium-ion batteries, which solar storage units primarily use, have the greatest number, typically having 4000-8000 cycles within their lifetime.

The majority of solar batteries used in recent years have lithium-ion compositions, with this battery type being found in many everyday electrical appliances such as mobile phones, laptops, calculators and laser point printers. Whilst lead-acid batteries are still commonly used, the associated technology is far older than that of lithium-ion batteries. Accordingly, lithium-ion batteries operate more efficiently, with longer life spans, and provide greater depth of discharge.

DC Coupled: These batteries are installed on the same side of the solar inverter as the solar PV panels. They charge from the panels and their DC is only converted to AC when it’s used. If installed at the same time as a Solar PV system, the battery and panels would usual share the same inverter, commonly known as a ‘Hybrid’ inverter. DC-coupled systems can be retrofitted without changing your current inverter; however, you will need a charge controller for your battery. Pro – More efficient power transfer than AC by up to 3%. AC Coupled: These batteries are installed on the grid-side, where the solar PV’s DC has already been converted to AC. A separate inverter converts the AC back to DC for storing in the battery. When the battery discharges, the same separate inverter converts the DC back to AC. Pro – Higher energy capacity as you get the combined power from battery and solar PV system.

Some home battery systems can power your home in the event of a power cut, but not all products of this type are designed with this capability.