Are solar batteries worth it?
Solar batteries are growing in popularity, and are now included in the majority of the solar panel installations we complete for UK homeowners.
In this article, we explain four benefits of getting a solar battery at your home, and answer the question: are solar batteries worth it?
What are the benefits of getting a solar battery?
1. Solar batteries help you to use more of your solar power
Solar panels can generate a lot of electricity, but they will only power your home’s appliances while the sun is shining. With the unit rate of electricity currently around 27p, and standard export tariffs paying anything from 1p to 20p – it pays to store your free solar power to use after the sun goes down.
As well as saving you money, storing your own solar power can help you to further cut your carbon emissions, by reducing how much power you draw from the grid.
2. Solar batteries unlock higher rate export tariffs
While we are on the subject of export tariffs, several energy suppliers offer exclusive higher rate export tariffs if you have a solar battery.
Good Energy’s Solar Savings Exclusive is open to households that choose Good Energy to install their solar panels and solar battery. It’s a 12 month variable rate tariff currently paying 40p / kWh – helping you to make big savings from your solar panels in the first year. After that, you will automatically roll onto our standard export tariff, currently paying 15p / kWh.
3. Solar batteries open up the benefits of smart tariffs
Many suppliers, Good Energy included, offer smart tariffs that offer cheaper rates during off-peak periods. They are specifically designed to bring down the cost of electricity for homes that use energy-intensive, low carbon technologies like heat pumps and electric cars.
Homes with a solar battery can also hugely benefit from joining a smart tariff. You can schedule your battery to charge during off-peak lower rate periods, and use that power during peak times, helping you to benefit from lower cost electricity all year round.
Our expert team will be able to advise you which of our two smart tariffs would work best for your home’s needs.
4. Some solar batteries protect you from power outages
The UK’s electricity grid is generally very reliable, with 77% of households experiencing power cuts less than once a year. However, 4% of residents get power cuts every few weeks, sometimes lasting hours at a time.
There are several solar batteries on the market that offer backup protection, seamlessly keeping your home running on stored power during an outage.
In our product range, the Sig Energy SigenStor, Tesla Powerwall 3 and SolarEdge battery can all provide backup protection; and come in multiple sizes to help homeowners get the best solution for their homes.
5. Solar batteries last the test of time
Solar batteries have an expected lifespan of around 15 years, and all of the batteries installed by Good Energy come at least a 10 year warranty, guaranteeing high levels of output.
While solar batteries are a substantial upfront investment, they can help you to truly maximise the benefits of solar panels and smart tariffs. During a no-obligation quote we can look at your budget and your home’s energy usage to help you decide whether a solar battery is worth it for you.
