Is it worth installing a battery?

Hands down you will have a better solar experience by having a battery as part of your setup. You will be more self-sufficient, feel secure in a power outage and also be able to ‘game the system’ by buying power when it’s cheap and using the battery when it’s expensive.

In the past, we were cautious about recommending batteries, unless protection from outages was front of mind. This is because batteries never used to be the best way to save money.

But times are changing.

Now, roughly 70% of our clients opt for a battery as part of their setup. 

Battery prices have come down over the last few years, while power prices have continued to increase. According to Solar Quotes home batteries are taking off with a 50% growth in residential batteries last year. 

Here are the primary reasons to have a solar and battery storage setup:

Grid outage protection

Batteries provide backup in a power cut. As we have seen recently, more of us are being affected by extreme weather events knocking out the grid for extended periods of time.

With a battery, you can keep your solar, lights and other essential circuits going when the grid gives up.

Your system will switch you from grid power to battery power in a split second, you won’t even notice the grid is out.

Increased self-sufficiency

The more solar you can use yourself, the more self-sufficient you’ll be. Increased self-sufficiency puts less pressure on the environment and your wallet.

By using your battery to store excess energy from the day, and then using it at night, you will significantly increase your self-sufficiency.

Never pay for peak power

The sun is a great way to charge your battery. But sometimes grid power is free or very cheap. Why not take advantage of that too and get twice the bang for your battery?

Tesla’s ‘Time-based control’ feature allows you to put in your power plan details and it will automatically charge from the grid when it’s cheap or free.

Your Tesla will then provide power during peak expensive periods. This way your savings will rack up even faster.

So is it worth adding a battery? 

Most people would answer yes. Why wouldn’t you want to be protected from outages, maximising your self-consumption, relying less on the grid, and taking advantage of cheaper tariffs?

Ahh yes, but you have to pay for it! 

Luckily batteries have been plummeting in price and the banks have come to the table with the green loans. It’s now much easier to add or incorporate a battery into your system.

If you are interested in installing solar panels or batteries then fill out the form below and one of our team will get in touch with you to see how we can help.