CAN YOU HAVE HOME BATTERY STORAGE WITHOUT SOLAR PANELS?

If you are looking at ways to become more energy independent and save on your energy bill, yet don’t have the finances or suitable roof for solar panels, we might just have the solution for you.

Many homeowners are not aware that even if you don’t have a solar PV system, you can still install a battery storage system.

WHAT IS BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM (BESS)?

Battery storage or battery energy storage systems (BESS), allows you to store electricity. Whether that be directly from the National Grid or from renewable energy sources such as Wind or Solar. By storing energy, it can then be used later during a critical downtime, or more demanding hours.

There is a wide range of BESS solutions available. From containerised units suitable for commercial properties, to stand-alone 5kW batteries more suitable for domestic properties.

Currently, battery storage technology sees lithium-ion batteries capable of powering homes and businesses from renewables even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. However, through home battery storage, you can also charge and discharge energy to and from the Grid, without an energy source such as wind or solar. And it is for this reason that home battery storage without solar is feasible.

3 REASONS WHY INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS WITH A BATTERY IS BETTER

1. YOU'RE NO LONGER RELIANT ON THE GRID

With a stand-alone battery system, you are still reliant on the National Grid as you are charging your battery from their energy supply. This means that you are still tied to wholesale energy prices, and the type of electricity they provide. However, if you were to install solar panels with a battery system, you will only be reliant on the abundance of sunshine available, which luckily doesn’t cost a thing. By cutting your ties from the National Grid, instead of lining the pockets of millionaires with your monthly energy bill rates, you will be cutting down on your carbon emissions for everyone to benefit from.

2. INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS REDUCES YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

Installing Solar panels allows you to generate your own renewable energy. As a low-carbon technology, a typical home with a solar panel system could save the UK around one tonne of carbon per year. What’s more, installing a renewable energy system means that you can help support the energy demand in the UK, by drawing less energy from the Gird and more from the abundance of sunshine.

3. SOLAR PANELS WITH BATTERY STORAGE IS MORE COST-EFFECTIVE

When installing battery storage with solar panels EPVS will validate savings of up to 90% on your annual consumption. Whereas a battery-only system will only provide savings of up to 15%. Making solar PV with storage the ideal combination for saving more on your energy bill.

One of the many financial advantages you get when installing solar panels is selling your surplus energy back to the Grid. Through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), you can earn up to 15p/kWh of energy sold to your energy provider, it may not add up to a lot but it’s just one of the many ways you can save on your energy bill with a solar panel system.

Considering you can save £521.95 a year by installing 6.5kWh of storage at £5995, your payback time for a battery system without solar would be around 11.5 years. This has been calculated using the current Octopus Go rate of 12p/kWh and the current price cap set by Ofgem of 34.0p/kWh. We expect this payback period to decrease as the cost per unit of electricity continues to rise. Nevertheless, if your average UK home were to install our 5.4kW Growatt package with 6.5kWh of storage, the payback time would be around 10 years. Installing solar panels with a battery will reduce your need to charge your battery overnight.

Taking into consideration that a solar panel system is warrantied for 25 years and a battery-only system just 10, if you were a homeowner who used the majority of your energy during the day, then it would make greater financial sense to invest in a solar panel system without storage, given the current 0% VAT. As there is no VAT on solar panels at the moment, a 5.4kWh solar panel system without storage would also provide you with a quicker return on investment with a payback time of 6 years and EPVS validating savings of up to 75%.