Can you store energy from solar panels?

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This is a question that many people have enquired with over the years, so with this handy guide, we aim to supply you with all the information you need to make a decision on how to store energy from solar panels and whether to install solar energy storage.


If you are thinking of storing electricity from your solar panels, we have good news and bad news. The bad news is that solar panels, while they can generate solar energy, do not store energy; it is either used towards powering your home at that precise moment, or it is sent back to the Grid. If you want to store energy for future use, you do so by combining the solar panels with a solar battery storage unit.

Many solar suppliers now offer solar panels alongside battery storage as our standard option, so you can maximise the potential of solar energy, taking back control of your energy generation and consumption, lowering your energy bills and reducing your carbon footprint.

How do solar panels work in the UK?


In the UK, more people over the last decade or so have started to install solar panels as they realised the potential for taking control of generating their own electricity. Solar panels have PV (Photovoltaic) cells within them to turn sunlight into electricity.

Solar panels generate energy that can be used across your household through their PV (photovoltaic) cells which turn sunlight into electricity. The energy generated powers your home in a similar way to your usual energy supply but as you use less energy from the grid, they will reduce your energy bills considerably.

One previous attraction for many was the additional income that could be generated through the Feed-in Tariff. While this has ended, there has been a new initiative, the Smart Export Guarantee, which came into effect in January 2020.

This can see homeowners who send solar energy to the Grid receive a level of financial reward. Exact amounts will vary depending on how much you generate and send, although you are best using your solar battery to store your excess energy.

How do you store solar energy?


You can store your self-generated solar energy by installing a solar battery in your home. The solar battery will store the energy that your home isn't using during the day, so it can power your home when it needs it.

When darkness falls and your solar panels stop generating electricity, you access the energy stored within your solar battery so you can power your home from the sun, during the night.

Another option with many solar batteries is that you can charge them up overnight using a time-of-use tariff, offering cheaper energy to use during the day before your solar energy starts to cover your home’s energy needs. This is particularly helpful during winter, when the daylight hours are shorter, to ensure that you are still able to power your home from cheaper energy, keeping your energy bills lower.

How much does a solar battery cost?

Each solar battery option can differ in price depending on brand, battery capacity and the solar supplier you use. An example of a mid-level solar battery on flexible payment terms would be:

  • You’re quoted £6,000 for a solar battery (inc. VAT & installation)

  • You pay a 50% deposit of £3,000 followed by 12 monthly payments of £250 to settle.

The fact that several solar suppliers offer flexible payment options for battery units and solar panel systems allows you to spread the cost onto more manageable terms, while gaining access to savings right away.

How much can you save with solar battery storage?


As you look at the available savings, we’re confident that you can start to see the benefits of installing solar panels and a solar battery at your home. In many cases, you’ll experience annual energy bill savings of up to 50% with a solar panel and storage system.

This can equate to anywhere between £400 and £800 per year depending on the size of your solar panel system and the capacity of your solar battery.

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