Solar Battery Storage

⚠️ Before you read on: Replacing a modern, condensing gas boiler with a biomass boiler is likely to increase your running costs. The systems are expensive, require space, and can impact local air quality — so you’ll need to check with your local authority before you consider installing biomass in your home.

Note that the RHI is now closed, so homeowners installing biomass boilers now cannot benefit from cash payments from this scheme. Due to the high cost and the specific criteria for installation, these systems are rarely funded through government grant schemes.

Please note that currently, solar battery storage is not covered by government grants, however the Solar PV panels are likely to be. Visit the Financial Support Page for more info on current grants.

If you have Solar Photovoltaic Panels on your roof, they will generate electricity during the day to use in your home. However, at night you will still have to buy electricity from your supplier.

Normally, any electricity generated in the day that you don’t use leaves your property and is used by the local electricity grid. You may get paid for this through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). However, with a battery storage unit, you can store surplus solar electricity and use it to power your house at night, reducing your energy bills and protecting you from future energy price increases.

Storage battery at a glance:

During the day:

The solar PV system generates electricity.
If you are not using all the electricity the solar PV system is generating, then the system will ensure that any surplus energy is used to charge the battery.
Once the battery is fully charged, if there is still more solar electricity being generated, this will be exported to the grid to qualify for SEG payments (or in some systems, this will be diverted to heat your water instead).

In the evening:

The solar PV panels reduce to a zero output.
The battery system recognises this and switches to discharge mode, providing you with renewable-generated electricity at no additional cost.
Once the battery has discharged all the energy it has stored and you still need to use more electricity, you can buy it from your electricity supplier as normal.

Cost:

The following graphs show a typical PV system with and without battery storage. Please note that actual patterns will vary according to personal routine, season and position of the solar PV system.

Stand-alone PV system:

_{Source: Domestic Batteries, National Energy Action (2019).}

PV with integrated battery storage:

Source: Domestic Batteries, National Energy Action (2019).

A battery can last between 5 to 15 years so will likely need replacing more than once over the lifespan of your Solar PV panels (approx 25 years).

For a more detailed guide on solar battery storage, you can refer to BRE’s Batteries and Solar Power guide:

For more information contact Action Surrey on 0800 783 2503 or email info@actionsurrey.org.

Alternatively, fill out our enquiry form online and one of the team will be in touch.

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*Figures are taken from GreenMatch and the Energy Saving Trust April 2022 figures