Solar battery storage

What is solar battery storage, a question many of you are asking to be answered. McNally Renewables are here to help educate you in all the renewable energy sources and guide you through whether Solar battery storage is right for you and the benefits they can provide.

This article aims to give you an understanding of everything you need to know about solar battery storage, from the cost to brands and which households can benefit from the use of the battery storage systems.

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Table of Contents

So, what is solar battery storage?

A solar battery storage system is where the energy generated in solar panels can then be stored in a battery for later use. The most common scenario when you would store the energy generated from the solar panels would be built up through the day, stored and then used to power your home on an evening/overnight.

 

Here at McNally Renewables, we supply and install solar battery storage systems that can help homeowners like you to become less dependent on the energy supply from the National Grid. This can also support the balance of peak grid demand and lower carbon emissions by reducing the energy production for customer demand.

A further benefit of the battery storage is that you can also charge your electric vehicle with the extra electricity that you generate by diverting it into your EV charge point. Another option could be to sell the unused energy back to the national grid.

You don’t need solar panels to benefit from a battery storage system, an alternative solution would be to charge your battery storage when you receive a cheaper tariff on your electricity supply. Cheaper tariffs usually apply overnight and charging your battery storage this way will also help to reduce your carbon footprint.

Battery technology is continuously being developed and has already made significant improvements and savings to homeowners. If you are already generating your own solar power, then battery storage could be right for you.

Continue reading to find out more about solar battery storage systems and how McNally Renewables can help you install solar panels, battery storage systems or other renewable energy systems.

Is solar battery storage right for me and my home?

If you are thinking about installing solar panels or have them already, then installing a solar battery storage system to complement your existing set up would maximise the amount of renewable energy you use.

Increasing the amount of renewable energy by storing it you use will in turn reduce the amount of electricity you require from the National Grid, meaning an increase in savings due to a reduction in your cost for electricity bills.

To maximise your savings changing to a off-peak tariff can help reduce energy bills even more, this off-peak tariff allows you to receive energy at a reduced cost during off peak hours. You can use the cheaper energy to charge the battery storage system and then power your home using the battery during the peak hours.

Did you know McNally Renewables can install solar panels, battery storage systems and electric vehicle chargers.

McNally Renewables, a sister company of McNally EV install renewable solutions to homeowners across the UK. The primary aim to reduce energy costs and lower our national carbon footprint. If you would like more information how you could reduce your energy bills call us today!

Is your home already energy efficient?

One of the main ways you can reduce your energy consumption is to make your home as energy efficient as possible, this could be anything from using energy saving lightbulbs to installing draft excluders along with cavity wall and loft insulation. If your home isn’t energy efficient then battery storage will not benefit you.

Can I save money with a solar battery?

Installing a solar battery storage system will cost anything from £6,000 to £15,000 depending on the type of installation you require. Critical load can also be added for power outage protection along with solar panel installation. An average 5kW battery storage installation comprising of 14 solar panels and 5kW battery at a cost of £10,000 can save you 60/70% per year on your energy bills. The cost of the entire system is expected to be recoupled after 6 years, the system is expected to be functional for 25 years meaning you could save up to £35,000.

McNally Renewables install batteries with a 10-year warranty, ensuring that you get as much out of your battery storage system as possible. As batteries become more reliable the chances are your battery will last the entire 25 year term but it is expected that the cells will degrade gradually over this period. 

While the cost of a battery is high, it’ll take a long time for the battery to pay for itself. But as electricity prices are increasing these payback times have been significantly reduced.

If you haven’t done so already check out which energy tariff you are on and whether your price changes depending on the time of day. You could also check if you generate your own electricity how much of this you are using already. 

Renewable Energy Tariffs

EDF energy offer three GoElectric tariff’s with flexible options, the GoElectric 35 tariff offers five hours overnight at a reduced rate of 4.5p per kWh between 12am and 5am everyday. Octopus Energy offers the Intelligent Octopus tariff that gives you six hours energy from 11.30 pm to 5.30 am every night at a rate of 10p per kWh. If you are looking to install solar panels and a solar battery then Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariffs allow customers to get paid for any electricity they export to the grid via home solar generation, smart batteries, wind turbines, biogas, biomass, CCGT, CHP, crop, hydro and more.

Capitalise your energy storage

Whichever way you look at a solar battery storage system the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Yes the cost of the initial installation is high, however, it’s still a significant investment, but over the lifetime of system installed you can make considerable savings.


McNally Renewables supply battery storage systems from 5 kWh up to 25 kWh; a 10 kWh battery would store enough energy to boil your kettle 92 times.


Home battery storage systems are like mobile phone batteries in the respect that gradually over time they decrease in efficiency because of the amount they are charged and discharged, the only difference being is that home battery storage systems don’t like to be fully discharged on a regular basis.


Before you install a solar battery storage system

Consider whether you’re generating enough extra electricity that you don’t use to then charge the solar battery system. Also, if you are wanting to protect yourself against power cuts with a battery storage system we can help you decide which products suit you.
If you would like to request a free quote covering the cost of installation and a in depth report of the design and all the estimated savings, please get in touch.


McNally Electrical (Yorkshire) Ltd are accredited by the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC), which now covers storage. This means we are signed up to a high standard of conduct, including providing good information about your installation.

Do I need solar panels to install a battery?

You don’t need solar panels to use a battery storage system, you can charge the battery during off peak times and then power your home using the cheap energy during peak times when energy prices are higher. If you own an electric vehicle, you can also charge your electric vehicle using off peak energy to store in the vehicle’s battery.

DC BATTERY SYSTEMS

A DC system is connected directly to the generation source eg: solar panels, before the electricity generation meter. This isn’t usually recommended if you’re retrofitting a battery to an existing PV system. Most DC systems can’t be charged from the grid

AC BATTERY SYSTEMS

These are connected after the electricity generation meter so, you’ll need an AC-to-DC power unit to convert the electricity you generate into AC so you can use in your home and then converted back again to store it in your battery.

Battery installation tips

McNally Renewables will work with you and make sure the local Distribution Network Operator is notified of any changes made to your supply along with any necessary fuse upgrades you may require. If you would like any more information regarding renewable energy and how to utilise it in your home, please get in touch.

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