Battery Storage With or Without Solar
A home battery lets you store electricity and use it later, whether that energy comes from solar panels, off-peak grid electricity, or a mix of both.
Every installation is individually planned and assessed. We’ll inspect your electrical supply and usage patterns to understand what you’re looking to achieve, be that solar storage, bill reduction, grid independence, or a combination of them all. We’ll then recommend what best suits your requirements
How most homes use battery storage today
Battery storage is an excellent addition to a solar PV system, allowing more of the electricity you generate to be used in the home rather than exported. But batteries aren’t only for homes with solar panels. They can also be used on their own, or planned alongside future solar, depending on how you use electricity and what you’re looking to achieve. Some of the most common uses include:
Use more of your solar generation
Buy cheaper off-peak electricity for use when prices are higher (sometimes referred to as load shifting)
Add backup capability where feasible
The right setup depends on how and when you use electricity, the tariff you’re on, and the limits of your existing electrical supply. We’ll work closely with you to design a system that works for your property and lifestyle.
What’s included in a battery storage installation
We don’t design or install battery systems without first understanding the property and the people living in it. A survey allows us to check compatibility, confirm safe installation locations, and make sure the system is designed with your requirements in mind. Here’s what you can expect if you go with us:
Free site survey to assess your electrical supply and installation location
Battery system design based on how you use electricity and what you want to achieve
Advice on battery capacity, power output, and how the system should operate
Professional installation with correct isolation, protection, and labelling
Commissioning and handover so you understand how the system works day to day
If you already have solar panels, we’ll ensure we design a battery system which integrates with your existing inverter and system layout. If you don’t have solar, we can design a battery-only system around your tariff and typical usage, and we can keep it future-ready for solar, if that’s part of your plan.
Is battery storage right for your home?
Battery storage isn’t the right solution for every property. In some cases, usage patterns, available space, or the existing electrical supply can limit what a battery system can realistically achieve.
Where it does make sense, storage is tailored around how you use electricity day to day — for example evening demand, EV charging, or heating loads — as well as the tariffs available to you. As part of the process, we’ll advise on tariff options that work well with battery storage, solar, and EV charging, rather than simply leaving you on whatever you’re currently using.
If battery storage isn’t a good fit for your home, we’ll tell you upfront and explain why, so you can make an informed decision before going any further.
Battery storage: when it makes sense
Battery storage works best when it’s designed around a specific aim, rather than added as a generic upgrade. What that aim looks like depends entirely on your home and how you use electricity day to day. How the system could benefit you varies from home to home, but most households install battery storage to achieve a few simple, practical things.
Make better use of the electricity your solar panels generate
Buy cheaper off-peak electricity and use it later in the day
Add backup capability where the system design allows
Battery storage can be installed with or without solar panels. Where solar isn’t present, systems are often designed around tariff-led charging, with the option to integrate solar later, if and when it makes sense.
Backup power during a grid outage is not always installed automatically. It depends on the battery system, additional equipment, and how circuits are safely configured. If backup is important to you, we’ll talk through what’s realistically achievable and how it would work in practice as part of the design process.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. Battery storage can be installed with or without solar panels.
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Yes in most cases, subject to inverter compatibility and how the existing system was installed.
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Not automatically. Backup requires specific equipment and safe circuit separation, and isn’t included in every system.
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It depends on how you use electricity, the tariff you’re on, and what you want the system to achieve. There’s no single “right” size.
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It can be, particularly with time-of-use tariffs or where solar panels are installed, and in many cases it can shorten the time it takes to see a return.
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Yes — by storing cheaper electricity or surplus solar for use later in the day.
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Yes in most cases. Configuration matters, and we confirm this at the design stage.
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Usually not. Internal installations are normally permitted without planning.
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Typically in utility rooms, garages, or other suitable internal locations.
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Yes. Modern systems are safe when correctly designed and installed.
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Sometimes, it depends on what we are installing. We’ll handle any DNO notifications if they’re required.
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VAT treatment depends on the work type and circumstances, and we’ll confirm this when quoting. In most domestic situations, battery installations remain a zero-VAT product.
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Yes. Battery-only installations are common and we install them regularly.
Finance available for battery storage installations. Use our calculator to estimate monthly payments.
Your next step
If you’re considering battery storage — with solar, without solar, or as a retrofit — the simplest way forward is a survey. We’ll confirm what’s possible, talk through your aims, and recommend a system that genuinely fits your home.