The best way to improve your system

Battery Storage

  • Save £££'s on your energy usage
  • Help protect the planet
  • Long-term energy solutions
Battery storage system for Camberley homeowner

What is battery storage?

If you are already benefiting from the savings that a solar panel system provides, you might be looking for ways to increase your savings and improve your system. If that is the case, adding battery storage is one of the best ways you can do this.

Adding a battery to your solar panel system enables you to store the excess power being produced (when production is greater than your household demands) so that it can be used later. This is the basic function of battery storage, but with the various smart tariffs available; adding a battery to your system provides additional options for saving.

How it works

Check out the infographics below and find out more about how battery storage works and can improve your solar PV system.

Solar Generation

The power generated by your solar panels is first used to meet the demands in your home. Ideally, you are producing enough solar power to cover your demand, but this is often not the case.

Any energy produced by your panels that isn't being used instantly by your home is stored in your battery for use later when your home's demand is higher than the solar production.

If your battery is full, the excess solar production can be sold to the grid thanks to the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). Some homeowners might have energy tariffs that mean its better export excess solar directly rather than store it.

The energy stored in your battery is then used when the demand in your home is higher than the solar production (i.e. at night when your lights are on, but the sun has set).

When your solar panels or battery can't meet the demand in your home, you will have to buy electricity from the grid to cover the difference. This could be due to there being low solar production, high peak loads or a flat battery.

If you have a smart meter installed (you can get one for free from your energy provider), you will have access to a range of smart tariffs.

Some homeowners choose to take advantage of this by doing what we call "load-shifting". This is when you charge your battery from the grid when its cheapest to buy (typically at night) for use later in the day.

Why Everyone is Installing Batteries

Battery storage is a fast-developing technology but one that provides home and business owners with solar panels, a great way to increase their savings. The majority of customers choose to install a battery with their solar panels for the following reasons.

Increased Bill Savings

By storing and using more of what your solar panels are producing you can increase your savings

Whether designing a system from scratch or adding a battery retrospectively, our team is here to help walk you through the decision so that you end up with the perfect system for you.

0% VAT Extended to Batteries

In February 2024, battery installations became VAT-exempt!

This has meant that the cost associated with retrospectively adding battery storage to your system has been significantly reduced. Now is the time to improve your system with an AC-coupled battery that doesn't affect your feed-in tariff (FiT).

Take Advantage of Smart Tariffs

Charging your battery at night, when energy is cheaper, for use during the day can reduce your bills even further. This is often called 'load shifting'. Since your solar panels are unlikely to produce excess power during the winter months, this can be a great way to utilise your battery and save on your bills.

Will Battery Storage Work For Me?

Battery storage is one of the best ways to increase your energy security, reduce your energy bills and increase your self-consumption from your solar PV system. However, the battery storage is not just for homeowners with solar! The wide variety of smart energy tariffs have opened the door to more avenue's of bill saving. If you want to find out more about the 4 ways in which battery storage can save you on your energy bills then check out our post where we explain them in detail.

Whether battery storage will work for you is largely down to how well it is designed around your unique energy usage and profile. This is why it is important to work with an installer who understands and can talk you through the options available to you. If you are considering spending £1000s on a energy storage solution, make sure you make the right decision so that you get a system that is optimised for you!

Lets get in touch

For your free no-obligation, quote or to chat to one of our experts

A quality first mindset

We have made quality our habit. We are passionate about helping homeowners in Surrey!

Here is some of our recent solar PV work around Surrey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here at Zion Energy, we want to help you make the best decisions when it comes to your solar PV and battery solution. This industry requires a high level of technical knowledge that often makes it difficult to determine which of the many options is best for you and your unique needs.

We want to help you overcome this barrier so have put together a series of videos and posts explaining everything you need to know about solar PV, battery storage and how systems are designed.

Solar battery storage allows you to store excess electricity generated by your solar panels for later use. Instead of exporting unused energy to the grid, a solar battery saves it so you can power your home or business at night or during peak energy times.

A solar battery works by storing surplus solar energy produced during the day. When your solar panels are not generating enough power, the battery automatically supplies stored electricity, reducing reliance on the grid and improving energy efficiency.

Solar battery storage is worth it for homeowners and businesses looking to maximise solar energy usage and reduce electricity bills. Batteries increase self-consumption, offer protection against rising energy prices, and provide backup power during outages.

Yes, most solar battery systems can be added to existing solar panel installations. A battery retrofit allows you to upgrade your system and start storing solar energy without replacing your current panels.

Most solar batteries last between 10 and 15 years, depending on usage, battery type, and manufacturer. Many come with performance warranties guaranteeing capacity retention over time.

Solar batteries can provide power during a blackout if your system includes backup or islanding functionality. This allows your home to safely operate independently from the grid and keep essential appliances running.

The Benefits of Battery Storage

There are many benefits of battery storage, which is what has made it a popular addition to any solar PV system. However, the benefits of battery storage are not just for business and homeowners with solar! Thanks to the number and variety of smart tariffs available everyone can save £100s with a battery storage system.

Here we will look in a bit more detail at why homeowners are installing home batteries.

Solar Battery Installation

Increased Solar Self-Consumption

A home battery's main benefit is that it increases your energy independence by allowing you to use more of the solar power your system is generating. This is known as your rate of self-consumption and is normally shown as a %. A typical UK home can expect to use around 15-20% of the solar energy they produce. This will vary depending on your usage patterns; for example, if you work from home, you will likely have a higher self-consumption rate than someone who is out all day.

A properly sized battery storage system can increase your self-consumption up to 60-80%. This is great because This is great as each kWh of free solar energy you use will save you around 28p on imported electricity compared to the 12p you can earn on the best SEG tariffs when exporting to the grid.

Self Consumption
Energy Independence

Access to cheap Off-Peak Electricity 

For most UK homes, it is impossible to go off-grid, as solar production is significantly lower during the winter months. Therefore, if we are going to have to buy from the grid, we want to make sure it's at the lowest possible rate. Battery storage allows home and business owners to load-shift by charging their batteries during off-peak hours when electricity is cheaper and then using that power when prices are higher. This is commonly known as Load-Shifting!

This is most effective for homeowners with electric vehicles (EVs) as they can get access to EV-specific smart tariffs that offer very cheap electricity for a short window overnight. Therefore, if you are a homeowner with an EV, battery storage might be a great investment for you, even if you don't want solar panels!

This is just one way smart tariffs can be used to maximise the savings you see from a solar battery system. If you want to find out more about maximising your savings, check out our blog on What's The Point In Battery Storage?

Increased Energy Independence

Recently, whole-home and partial-home backup systems have become more popular. With growing concerns around energy security, many homeowners are turning to battery storage systems to keep their home's powered when the grid lets them down. Although power cuts aren't a common occurrence in the UK, we aren't set up as well for when they do happen. 

Additionally, the volatility of energy prices has meant that home and business owners have seen energy bills double seemingly overnight. The energy independence provided by a solar and battery system can protect you from any future increases in energy prices.

With the growing number of people working from home and as we rely more and more on electricity, it makes a lot of sense for homeowners to want to increase their energy security and independence. A well-sized solar, battery and back-up system can do just that. If you want to find out how much you can save on your energy bills with a solar and battery system, get in contact with one of our experts now!