Solar + Battery = Exceptional Energy Savings
Updated August 02, 2024
By Morgan Pierce
The thought of adding a solar battery to your solar installation is, for some of us, a bit of a head scratcher. “Don’t you just put the panels on the roof and sit back while they get to work?”
Green sources – like solar – have the capacity to produce enormous amounts of sustainable energy. They don’t, however, always produce that energy when we need it. At other times, meanwhile, most homes powered with solar won’t use all the electricity they generate.
That’s where a solar battery becomes a smart “add-on” to a solar system. It can be used to store any surplus energy generated for use at times of low production. Solar batteries used in solar energy installations aren’t high tech or dangerous, they are like the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used by many small electronic devices.
The ability to use your own stored solar energy will further reduce your home’s carbon footprint and decrease your electricity costs.
One of the confusing elements here is that in the last few years energy suppliers in Ireland have agreed to what is called a “feed-in tariff”. A feed-in tariff is a payment to solar panel owners who agree to redirect excess electricity back to the National Grid.
That can seem like a better way of getting rid of the excess your solar produces than investing in a battery so that you can save it to use it yourself. But it needs careful checking.
It’s almost always better to use the electricity generated from your solar system yourself, than to sell it to the grid. We noted instances on-line of customers buying electricity from their supplier at 38c/kWh, but being paid only 22c/kWh when they sold their own solar-generated electricity back. That represents a 16c loss on every kWh you could have used yourself.
In other words, given the high cost of electricity, using energy from your solar battery is not only kinder to the planet, it also usually means greater savings in the long run.
Solar Battery – Costs and Benefits
While adding a solar battery allows you to use more of the energy your system generates, batteries do come at a cost. A battery adds about €3,500 to the initial purchase price of your installation. That said, adding a battery will save the average homeowner some €700 a year in electricity costs – double the amount of savings from a system without a battery.
This is something to discuss with your SolarSmart adviser. Depending on your family’s energy consumption a solar battery’s high initial cost might mean that your savings on energy bills will take longer recoup the cost of installation. (What is called “the payback period”).
In addition to providing a way to store the electricity your solar panels generate during peak hours, solar batteries can also help lower the cost of any electricity you do have to buy from your supplier. Instead of paying for electricity from the grid at peak time because you’ve happened to run low, you can charge the battery from the grid at night – when energy is cheaper – to use when it’s needed.
Finally, adding a battery to your solar system has the benefit of allowing your home to be the only one on the block with the lights on during a power outage. The right kind of battery installation – one designed to provide a secure backup supply – can provide your home with stored battery power while “off-grid”.
For many consumers, the choice to team a solar battery to their solar installation should seem a lot clearer. A battery can reduce your carbon footprint and maximise cost savings.
If you’re still unsure about the right choice for you and your energy needs, give us a call.
Why Choose Solar In Ireland?
Investing in Irish solar panel systems can bring many benefits, including reduced energy bills, increased energy independence, and a reduced carbon footprint. If you are interested in installing a solar panel system in Ireland, it is also worth exploring the different grant options and green business loans available and seeking professional advice from one of our solar energy advisors.
Feel free to contact us for more information, we’re here to help.
