Add Battery Storage to your Solar PV System! Battery storage is becoming more popular and provides the perfect combination with your Solar panels to make the most out of your investment into renewable energy, enabling you to store and save the energy you produce
Benefits of solar battery storage:
- Protection Against Energy Costs: a solar battery system provides you with the ability to store excess energy produced from your Solar PV system; energy that can be used as and when required, protecting you from rising energy prices.
- Energy Security: solar battery systems with back-up functionality can provide further energy security for your home, protecting you from local power outages and providing you with more control over your energy supply and usage.
- Additional Power: excess energy generated through a Solar PV system and stored in a solar battery pack is available on demand; which is particularly helpful during night time, when household energy demands are high.
- Become Greener: by installing a solar battery and powering your home via renewable energy, it enables you to move away from fossil fuels, lower your carbon footprint and therefore help the environment at the same time.
- Reduce Energy Costs: the addition of a battery storage unit to your existing Solar PV system can significantly reduce your energy bills, by up to as much as 50% according to some manufacturers.
Frequently Asked Questions
CAN SOLAR PANELS WORK WITHOUT BATTERY STORAGE?
Solar PV systems can work independently from a battery storage unit, so you will still benefit from producing your own energy. However, all the excess energy you’ve generated is exported back to the National Grid. In order to use this excess energy and to maximise your energy savings, you can install a battery storage unit which will essentially provide you with on-demand energy as and when required.
ARE THERE ANY GRANTS AVAILABLE?
Although there are energy saving grants available for Solar PV, no funding is currently available for Solar battery units. Costs for these units depend on several factors including the brand, model and capacity of battery, plus whether the battery is being installed as part of a new Solar PV system or being retrofitted to an existing system. Although higher specification batteries are more expensive, they should perform better, enabling you to benefit from greater efficiency and savings.
WHO CAN INSTALL A SOLAR BATTERY?
Just as you should use a qualified specialist to install a Solar PV system, you will also need to ensure you use an installer who has the recommended experience and qualifications to carry out a battery installation. Zing Energy are specialists in Renewable Energy installations and are registered with the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (recc.org.uk), which enforces consumer protection standards across the Renewable industry..
HOW DO SOLAR BATTERIES WORK?
Solar Panels generate electricity via photovoltaic (PV) cells which convert sunlight into electrical energy. The electricity generated by solar panels is in the form of direct current (DC). This type of electricity flows in one direction, from the panels to the connected solar battery. The battery is made up of cells that use chemical reactions to store electrical energy. In most residential solar battery systems, lithium-ion batteries are commonly used due to their high energy density and longevity. When you need to call on this stored electricity, the stored energy is retrieved from the battery, and is converted from DC back into alternating current (AC) before sending it to your home’s electrical system.
WHERE SHOULD THE BATTERY BE INSTALLED?
Solar battery systems are designed to be wall or ground mounted; usually installed inside your garage or the loft, both of which are well-insulated from factors such as moisture and dust.
