When is a battery worth it?
When your panels export a lot during the day and the property buys a lot of electricity after dark. Year-round homes with evening cooking, lighting and air conditioning are the best fit. A holiday villa that sits empty for months often does better with solar alone and good monitoring, unless you need backup.
Sizing from your evening use
We look at how much the panels export on ordinary days in each season and how much the property imports after sunset. The useful battery size is the smaller of the two. Seasonal occupation matters: a battery sized for August can sit half-used for the rest of the year.
Backup in a power cut
A standard grid-connected system switches off when the grid fails, battery or not. If you want power during outages, we add backup switching and a protected circuit for the essentials: refrigeration, lighting, internet, alarm and gates, water pumps. See power-cut backup.
Batteries we install
- Tesla Powerwall: large usable capacity and integrated backup
- Enphase IQ Battery: modular, pairs with Enphase microinverter systems
- SolaX Power: hybrid inverter and battery combinations, good for upgrades
Where the battery goes
Batteries work best in a shaded, ventilated position: a garage, plant room or covered utility area. On island properties we avoid sun-baked walls and salty, exposed spots.
Adding a battery to existing solar
We check the existing inverter, wiring and monitoring first. An AC-coupled battery can often sit alongside what you have; sometimes replacing the inverter with a hybrid is the better route.
Questions owners ask
How big a battery do I need?
Enough for your typical evening use and daily surplus. For many year-round homes that is 5 to 15 kWh.
Will a battery keep the house running in a blackout?
Only with backup switching installed. We design the backed-up circuits with you.
Is a battery worth it for a holiday villa?
Often not for savings alone. It can make sense for backup, security systems or frequent stays.
Can you add a battery to panels someone else installed?
Usually, yes, after checking the inverter and wiring.