Is a solar battery worth it?
A battery pays its way when your panels export a lot of electricity during the day and the property buys a lot back after sunset. Permanently occupied homes with evening cooking, lighting and air conditioning are the best fit. A holiday home that sits empty for months, or a business that uses everything in daylight, may be better off spending the money on panels.
How we size a battery
The biggest battery is rarely the right one. We look at how much your panels export on an ordinary day and how much you import after production drops off. A battery that fills most days and then covers a useful share of the evening is doing its job. One that never fills, or sits half empty, is money tied up on the wall.
For many Costa del Sol homes that means 5 to 13.5 kWh of usable capacity. Large villas with evening cooling can justify more; small apartments often need less.
Backup during a power cut
A standard grid-connected system switches off when the grid fails, even with a battery, unless it is designed for backup. If you want power during outages, we fit the backup switching and a protected circuit for the essentials you choose: fridge and freezer, lighting, internet, alarm and gates, perhaps one air-conditioning unit. Running every air conditioner and the pool from a battery is a different and much bigger system. More in our guide to solar and power cuts.
Batteries we install
- Tesla Powerwall: large usable capacity, strong backup option and a simple app
- Enphase IQ Battery: modular, pairs with Enphase microinverter systems
- SolaX: hybrid inverter and battery combinations that suit new systems and upgrades
We choose the battery to match your inverter, the capacity you need and how you want backup to work, not the other way round.
Adding a battery to existing solar
Many owners add storage a few years after the panels went in. We check the existing inverter, the monitoring, the space for the battery and the consumer unit. Sometimes an AC-coupled battery fits alongside what you have; sometimes a hybrid inverter replacement is the better route. The quote explains which and why.
Physical or virtual battery?
Some electricity companies offer a "virtual battery" that banks the value of your surplus as credit. It can reduce bills but does nothing at night in a power cut. We explain the difference in physical vs virtual batteries.
Questions we are often asked
How big a battery do I need?
Enough to store your typical daily surplus and cover your usual evening use. We work it out from your bills and the expected solar production. See our battery sizing guide.
Will a battery keep my house running in a blackout?
Only if it is installed with backup switching. We design the backup circuit around the loads that matter to you.
Can I add a battery to panels another company installed?
Usually yes, once we have checked the inverter and wiring. An AC-coupled battery or a hybrid inverter swap are the usual options.
How long do home batteries last?
Lithium batteries from the brands we fit carry long manufacturer warranties, typically ten years. Real life depends on how hard the battery is cycled.
Is a battery worth it for a holiday home?
Often not on savings alone, because the property is empty for long periods. It can still make sense for backup, security systems or if you visit often.