Are Solar Batteries Worth It? 2023 Guide

In order to help you decide whether solar battery storage is worthwhile, we’ll examine what solar battery storage adds to your solar investment in this blog.

If you’ve been looking to install a solar panel system recently, you’ve probably come across the topic of solar batteries. Although battery systems are becoming increasingly popular, many homeowners still don’t know much about them.

Worth it to invest in solar batteries? Could they maximize your solar panel setup and lower your energy costs? You can generate, store, and use your energy on your terms by using a solar battery, allowing you to live comfortably and worry-free without having to deal with frequent power outages or high utility costs.

To find out, keep reading.

Are Solar Batteries Worth It?

When you factor in the cost of installing solar panels, the average solar battery will run you about £4,000, making it an expensive investment. Though there are undoubtedly some advantages and cost-saving opportunities for your household if we look at the long-term advantages of solar batteries.

You can store the energy that your solar panels produce thanks to solar batteries, which lessens your reliance on the National Grid. They also allow you to use the electricity you’ve generated on cloudy days or even at night, which can help you save money on your energy bills.

Are Solar Batteries Worth the Extra Cost?

It’s becoming more common to combine solar panels with energy storage, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best option for everyone.

Homeowners who reside in frequently blacked-out areas, where full-retail net metering is not provided, or in areas where battery incentives are offered stand to gain the most from installing a solar battery storage solution.

If environmental concerns are your primary motivation for going solar, solar batteries are also fantastic because they maximize the amount of renewable energy your home uses.

But if your main goal is to cut costs, a solar battery might not be worthwhile for you. In other words, you will save the same amount of money with a battery as you would without one if you reside in a state that offers full-retail net metering. The battery would only cost thousands of dollars to add to your solar installation and give you assurance in the event of a power outage.

What’s the Return on Investment?

Sadly, the energy price cap and your household’s electricity consumption determine the return on investment for solar batteries. Your reliance on the grid is reduced when you have a solar battery, and this will be reflected in your energy bills.

You will need to buy two sets of solar batteries because they will need to be replaced approximately halfway through the life of your solar panels. This will cost anywhere from £5,000 to £12,000 altogether based on the cheapest solar battery costing £2,500. It is estimated that you will save about 186 pounds a year on energy bills for the typical three-bedroom home, which after 25 years (the typical lifespan of your solar panels), equals a total loss of 7,000 pounds.

Despite this, the typical household’s solar panel setup will still generate a profit. Storage of all the electricity you produce is profitable due to rising energy costs.

What Do Solar Batteries Offer?

Solar Batteries Utilize a Widely Available, Free Fuel Source

To survive a power outage, many people rely on gas-powered generators. These may be a worthwhile, affordable choice. They are not error-proof, though.

Because generators depend on a limited fuel source, finding the gas to power your generator in a prolonged power outage can be difficult, if not impossible. Gas pumps need electricity to distribute gas, meaning if their generators stop working, no one can access the fuel for their generators.

Furthermore, infrastructure can be destroyed by natural disasters and other urgent situations, making it impossible for fuel deliveries to reach the affected area in a timely manner. However, unlike gas, which is in high demand, solar batteries are not reliant on it. Solar panels can generate power at nearly any temperature, hot or cold, so long as the sun is shining.

You’ll Be More Comfortable in Emergency Situations

It may appear that electricity is a modern convenience that we could live without if necessary for a few days. After all, less than 50% of homes in America had electricity just 100 years ago. But since times have changed so much, our homes aren’t equipped to withstand protracted outages. What was once viewed as a luxury is now necessary.

A wood-burning stove or other alternative heating sources that can maintain a comfortable temperature is not typically installed in most of our homes. We don’t have enough candles or flashlights to light the way through several nights of darkness. For both cooking and preventing food from spoiling, we rely on electricity.

Dependable Emergency Energy

Many of us saw the headlines and news stories of the historic grid outages that plagued Texas in the winter of 2021 and thought “what can I do to make sure that never happens to my family?”

Depending on where you live, we don’t frequently experience prolonged power outages, so most American homes aren’t equipped to handle them. But as harsh winter storms and extremely hot summers strain electricity grids, and severe hurricanes and massive tornadoes create disastrous scenarios, it seems the chances of experiencing a long-term grid outage are increasing. We must think about how to get ready.

How Much Do Solar Batteries Cost?

Cost unquestionably plays a role in determining whether solar batteries are worthwhile. Currently, solar batteries range in price from £1,800 to over £9,000. The reason for the wide price range is that it all depends on the capacity of your solar batteries, the chemical composition, and the battery’s life cycle.

When solar panels were first introduced they were fairly expensive but as they become more widespread, their price will become more affordable. This is also anticipated for solar batteries, but like any new technology, it takes some time for the costs to decrease.

How Much Solar Battery Storage Will I Need?

This is a crucial question to ask because if you purchase a battery that is too large for your needs and that you cannot fill, the extra money spent is money that will be wasted. You can locate your “average daily usage” and the precise number of kWh you use by doing a little simple research on your most recent electrical bill. This gives you a starting point for estimating the size and capacity of the solar battery you’ll require.

Don’t worry if this process seems complicated. A team of experts from Plico can visit your property to conduct an obligation-free appraisal and determine the ideal size for your solar + battery solution.

You’ll want to make sure your system can handle this increased demand because sooner than we think, more of us will be using solar panels at home to charge an electric vehicle.

Conclusion: Are Solar Batteries Worth It?

If you’re attempting a complete off-grid lifestyle, they’re a wise investment. If your solar battery has enough storage capacity and generates enough power, you should be able to power your household entirely on renewable energy.

At the moment, solar batteries have a high initial cost, so they might not be the best option for you if you’re trying to quickly break even or turn a profit.

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