BATTERY ONLY OPTIONS

Why Install a Battery on Its Own?

The main reason homeowners choose a battery-only system is to make better use of cheaper electricity tariffs. Many smart tariffs offer lower electricity rates at certain times, usually overnight. A home battery can charge during these cheaper periods, then power your home during the day and evening when electricity is normally more expensive. This can help reduce how much electricity you buy at peak times, especially if your household uses more energy in the morning, afternoon or evening. A battery-only system can also be a good option if your roof is not suitable for solar panels, if you are not ready for solar yet, or if you want to install a battery now and add solar panels later. In simple terms, it gives you more control over when you buy electricity and when you use it.

Why Does a Battery Need an Inverter?

If you want battery storage, you will also need an inverter. This is because your home and the electricity grid use AC electricity, while most home batteries store electricity as DC electricity. The inverter converts electricity between AC and DC, allowing the battery to charge from the grid and then supply usable electricity back into your home.
For a battery-only installation, the inverter is an essential part of the system. It controls when the battery charges, when it discharges, and how the stored energy is used around your home. Without an inverter, the battery would not be able to properly connect to your home’s electrical system.
Put simply, the battery stores the electricity, and the inverter makes that electricity usable.

How Does a Battery-Only System Work?

A battery-only system charges from the grid, usually overnight when electricity is cheaper. Once the battery is charged, it can then supply electricity to your home during the day and evening, helping reduce the amount of electricity you buy at higher peak rates. The system is managed automatically through the battery and inverter. Depending on the setup and tariff, the battery can be programmed to charge during cheaper periods and discharge when it makes the most sense for your home. This means you do not need to manually switch it on and off each day. You can also monitor the system through an app, allowing you to see when the battery is charging, when it is powering your home, and how much electricity you are using from the grid.

Battery Storage and Smart Tariffs

A battery-only system works best when it is paired with the right electricity tariff. Many energy suppliers now offer smart tariffs with cheaper electricity rates at certain times of the day, often overnight. By charging your battery during these cheaper periods, you can store low-cost electricity and use it later when standard grid electricity is more expensive. This is what allows a battery-only system to help reduce peak-rate electricity usage, even without solar panels. The amount you can save will depend on your electricity usage, your battery size, your tariff, and how your home uses energy throughout the day. During your quote, we can look at your electricity bill and help recommend a battery setup that suits your usage.

Add Battery Storage to Existing Solar Panels

If you already have solar panels, adding battery storage can make your system much more effective.
Without a battery, any solar energy you do not use during the day is usually exported back to the grid. Later on, when the sun has gone down, you may still need to buy electricity back from your supplier.
A battery helps you store more of your own solar energy, so you can use it later in the day when your home needs it most.
This can reduce evening grid usage, increase the amount of solar energy you use yourself, and help you get more value from your existing solar panel system.

Even if you’re on the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme, you can still add battery storage without affecting your generation payments, as your FIT payments are based on how much your system generates, not how much you use. This means you can keep your FIT benefits while making better use of the electricity your panels produce.

Battery Retrofit Case Study

This customer already had solar panels installed, but did not have battery storage. This meant that any solar energy they did not use during the day was being exported back to the grid. Later in the evening and overnight, they were then buying electricity back from their supplier. To help them make better use of their existing solar panel system, we installed a Sigenergy SigenStor battery storage system.

The system included:

✔️ 6kW Sigenergy inverter
✔️ 1x 10kWh Sigenergy battery
✔️ Sigenergy Gateway for backup power during a power cut

With the battery now in place, the customer can store more of the electricity their solar panels produce and use it later in the day, rather than relying as much on the grid during the evening. This type of retrofit installation is a great option for homeowners who already have solar panels but do not currently have battery storage. Even if you are on the Feed-in Tariff scheme, also known as FIT, you can still add battery storage without affecting your generation payments. FIT generation payments are based on how much your system generates, not how much electricity you use yourself. This means you can keep your FIT benefits while making better use of the electricity your panels produce.