Compare Offers from UK Local Installers for Solar Batteries

Obtain Prices
Media &
Testimonials

What Are the Costs of Solar Battery Storage Systems, and Are They Worth It?

Are Solar Batteries Economically Viable?

The chemical components that make up the battery, its life cycle, its storage capacity, and its useable capacity are some of the main factors that affect the price of solar batteries. The price of a storage system in the UK may be affected by several factors and may normally range between £1,200 to £6,000.

A solar battery’s lifespan is 5 to 15 years, therefore over the course of the life of your solar panels, the battery may need to be replaced more than once (typically 20-30 years). The overall cost of building a whole solar panel system may go up as a result.

However, having a home battery storage system is unquestionably valuable if you are not home during the height of the sun’s rays. In order to consume electricity when you return home after dark, your solar batteries will be able to store it.

To put it simply, solar battery storage system costs are not cheap, but if performed properly, the investment can offset the cost. You can achieve complete energy independence and independence with batteries.

Fill out the form above to receive up to four customized quotes from our recommended solar battery suppliers and installers if you want to take advantage of the convenience offered by solar battery storage systems. This service is provided without payment or commitments.

What Makes a Solar Battery Storage System Necessary?

Solar battery with solar array pairing is a relatively new but efficient technique. Solar battery storage offers four major advantages:

    1. Invest energy for future usage.
    2. considerably reduce your energy costs
    3. Earn money by supplying the grid with stored energy.
    4. Gain autonomy from the grid

First off, a solar battery stores the energy produced while the sun is shining and makes it easily accessible for usage when production is not taking place, like at night or on cloudy days. As long as the amount of electricity required does not exceed the battery’s capacity to deliver it, photovoltaics allow you to effectively run your home continuously on renewable solar energy.

Solar battery backup power can also considerably reduce your energy bills. You can save money on your utility bill by charging the solar battery during off-peak hours and draining it during peak hours. The savings from doing so can be used to lower the cost of your battery system.

Additionally, if your energy supplier permits the export of stored energy, you may be able to make money by returning energy from your solar battery to the power grid when electricity rates are at their greatest.

Finally, you can choose to be independent from the national grid at any time by including a solar panel battery to your solar system, assuring energy security for your home. Naturally, depending on your budget and energy needs, you will need to install a different number of solar panels.

When Should One Be Installed?

The optimum application for a solar battery storage system is in conjunction with a solar PV array. Fortunately, adding a solar battery to an array that already exists is a rather easy process. And if you don’t have either, you may combine the two to run your house totally on renewable energy.

The two technologies work in tandem to significantly increase the efficiency of your solar panel array while lowering the cost of your storage system. There is no better time to start taking advantage of the money you can save on your monthly electricity bill if you have been thinking about going green.

You may pick from a range of battery types in solar battery storage systems, which also come with several benefits including increased eco-friendliness, a longer lifespan, and simpler installation.

You can buy a battery on its own and use grid power to charge it if you don’t have a solar panel installation. Even though this is not a solar battery option, charging your battery at off-peak hours can still help you save money.

What Are the Prices of Solar Batteries?

Currently, prices can vary from £1,200 to £6,000 depending on the battery’s capacity, chemical makeup, and life cycle.

Costs for solar batteries are currently at a level close to when photovoltaic systems were still a relatively new technology. The cost of solar battery storage systems will inevitably decrease as their acceptance spreads, mirroring the pattern of solar panel prices.

The most popular and affordable batteries of all types are lithium-ion solar batteries. A breakdown of lithium-ion prices based on useful capacity can be found in the table below.

Usable Capacity of Lithium-Ion Solar Batteries Price (kWh)

Usable Capacity (kWh) Estimated Price (Lithium-Ion Batteries)
3 – 4 kWh From £3,410
4 – 7 kWh From £4,288
7 – 9 kWh From £5,185
9 – 13.5 kWh From £5,920

Batteries used in solar panel systems are most frequently made of lithium-ion and lead-acid chemicals. Due to their longer lifespan and greater usable capacity, lithium-ion batteries continue to hold a larger market share despite their higher estimated price.

The following table explains in detail why lithium-ion batteries are a better fit if you consider future replacement costs even though lead-acid batteries are comparably less expensive in the short term.

Prices for various battery materials: Characteristics of Lithium-Ion vs. Lead-Acid Lithium-Ion

Characteristics Lead-Acid Battery Lithium-Ion Battery
Preliminary Cost £2,000 £4,000
Storage Capacity (kWh) 4 kWh 4 kWh
Depth of Discharge (DoD) 50% 90%
Life Cycle 1,800 4,000
Cost / kWh / Cycle* £0.556 £0.278

Cost / kWh / Cycle* £0.556 £0.278 *Cost / kWh / cycle equals initial cost / (storage capacity DOD life cycle).

Battery Components

The lifespan of the product and the discharge rate are both impacted differently by different materials. For instance, lead-acid batteries can only discharge about 50% of the total amount of storage while lithium-ion batteries can discharge 70% to 90%. Additionally, the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries is at least twice that of lead-acid batteries. Prices will typically increase as a result of a higher discharge rate and longer lifespan.

Capacity

Usable capacity, which is typically determined by the depth of discharge, is the amount of energy that can be used, while storage capacity refers to the overall amount of energy that your solar battery can store (DoD).

The number of kilowatt hours (kWh) of storage and usable capacity has a direct impact on how much your solar battery storage system will cost. A higher price will be the result of a larger capacity because it can support a larger area and store more energy.

Lifespan

The life cycle is a crucial determinant of how long a solar battery storage system will last. A solar battery can operate normally for a longer period of time the more cycles it can produce. The cost of replacing a new solar battery could increase given that solar panels typically last 25 years.

Installation

Solar battery storage system installation costs vary slightly based on size and may be covered by some brands. In general, it is more cost-effective to set up your solar battery system along with solar panel installation.

Do Solar Batteries Qualify for Grants?

Even though the cost of a solar battery storage system might not be low, there are still some ways to cut costs. In the UK, there are currently funding options for solar panels.

You can get paid to export stored electricity back to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). Each energy provider has a different export tariff, but a good one is between 4-6p/kWh.

Make sure to ask your energy provider if they permit exporting of stored energy.

The Feed-in Tariff (FIT) was in place before the SEG. With the FIT, homeowners were rewarded for using clean energy sources like solar energy and for exporting electricity to the grid. 2019 saw the FIT’s end, and no new applications are now being processed. Payments will continue to be made to those who are currently registered under the FIT until their contracts expire.

Utilizing the reduced VAT is another way to lower the investment’s cost. Only people over 60 or those receiving income or disability benefits are eligible for this reduction.

Normally, VAT is 20%, but those who qualify only have to pay 5% VAT on items like solar batteries.

The Home Energy Scotland Loan is available to residents of Scotland. This loan has no interest and is intended to help pay for various renewable energy sources and energy-efficient upgrades, such as solar batteries and solar panels.

For a solar PV system and a solar battery storage system, loans of up to £6,000 and £5,000, respectively, are available. Depending on the installation, the repayment period ranges from 5 to 10 years.

Visit the Home Energy Scotland website to learn more about the specific eligibility requirements.

The included options for solar battery funding 

What Different Kinds of Solar Batteries Exist?

  • RV/Marine Solar Batteries – Marine solar batteries are used by people who own RVs as well as boats and are suitable for smaller systems. Due to their lower capacity for continuous use, these solar battery types function best when no other source of electricity is available.
  • Lead-acid batteries- that can hold water are known as “flooded type” batteries. When compared to Marine solar batteries, these batteries are reasonably priced and have a long lifespan. Because flooded type batteries release gas when charged, it is advised that they be used outside. However, it is strongly advised that a venting system be used to release gases, some of which may be explosive and toxic, if these are installed indoors.
  • Gel – Unlike flooded batteries, sealed gel batteries don’t have vents and don’t emit gases. Because of this, venting is not necessary, and using these batteries indoors is risk-free. The benefit of this is that the battery will operate more effectively than flooded batteries because its interior temperature will be more stable.
  • Batteries with absorbed glass mats (AGM) -hold the electrolyte between the plates using a glass mat. These battery types do not release gas when charging because they are leakproof. In addition, Glass Mat batteries perform better than other battery types, making them the best. They are of higher quality and have all the benefits of sealed gel types. They maintain voltage better, self-discharge more slowly, and last longer, which are additional benefits. They are, of course, the most expensive of the four types due to their superiority.

Which Benefits and Drawbacks Do Solar Batteries Offer?

There are benefits and drawbacks to be aware of with this investment, just like with any other. Even though buying solar batteries has many wonderful advantages, you should be aware of some disadvantages before making the purchase.

The main advantages and disadvantages of solar batteries are briefly summarized below:

Pros

  • Rather than exporting excess electricity, consider storing it to lower your utility costs.
  • Use electricity only when and as necessary.
  • Gain some extra money by selling stored energy to the grid.

Cons

  • high initial expenses
  • After 5–15 years, the battery needs to be replaced.
  • not every energy provider permits you to export stored energy.

What Is the Lifespan of a Solar Battery?

Lead-acid batteries have an average life of 5 to 7.5 years, while lithium-ion batteries have an average life of 11 to 15 years. However, if they are overcharged or exposed to harsh weather, all batteries are susceptible.

Dimensions of Discharge (DoD)

How much a battery can be used before needing to be recharged is measured by its depth of discharge (DoD). Similar to how having only 2% of your phone’s battery life left could be harmful, the same is true for solar battery storage systems.

Its lifespan will be significantly reduced if you exhaust all of its charge or go over its DoD limit before recharging it. For instance, if you purchase a solar battery storage system with a 5 kW energy storage capacity and an 80 percent DoD, keep in mind to charge it before using the full 4 kW in order to prolong the battery’s life.

Lithium-ion batteries have a higher tolerance level for improper discharge than lead-acid batteries and can withstand a wider range of temperature changes. Due to these benefits, lithium-ion batteries are increasing their market share.

What Solar Battery Is the Best?

A reliable solar battery storage system can improve your life and prevent additional wasteful expenses. A list of the most well-known solar panel battery manufacturers is provided in the table below.

Costs of Various Battery Materials: Lithium-Ion Brand Usable Capacity vs. Lead-Acid Brand Usable Capacity (kWh)

Brand Usable Capacity (kWh) Cost Battery Material Warranty Life Cycles Depth of Discharge (DoD)
Tesla Powerwall 13.5 kWh From £5,500 Lithium-ion 10 years Unlimited* 100%
SolaX 3.3 3.5 kWh From £4,010 Lithium-ion 10 years 6,000 95%
LG Chem RESU 6.5 6.5 kWh From £3,043 Lithium-ion 10 years 6,000 90%
Powervault 3 4 kWh From £4,470 Lithium-polymer 10 years >6,000 100%
8 kWh From £7,020 Lithium-polymer 10 years >6,000 100%

By putting in a solar battery storage system, you can live more comfortably all year long without being concerned about the weather. As it is increasingly used for personal purposes, it is crucial to make wise investments and pick the most affordable option.

It can take a lot of time to make such a large purchase and requires extensive research and offer comparison. We would be happy to assist you in locating the solar battery storage system that best suits your residence and financial situation. You can save time and money by requesting up to four free, no-obligation quotes from our dependable suppliers by completing the form above.

Follow Our Guide