Choosing the right solar battery for your home
If you already have solar panels, or you’re thinking about installing them, a solar battery is the next smart step. Why? Because without a battery, much of the energy your panels generate during the day is sent back to the grid, and at night you’re buying electricity at high prices. A solar battery helps you use more of your own power, saving money and reducing waste.
How solar batteries work with solar panels (and EVs)
The electricity from your solar panels can power your home, charge your car, or be sent back to the grid. But with a solar battery, you can store any unused energy during the day and use it later – in the evening, overnight, or when electricity prices are higher.
That means your dishwasher, washing machine or even your EV can run on your own stored solar power rather than grid electricity, effectively giving you free, renewable energy on demand.
Solar batteries we supply
SolarEdge Energy Bank 10 kWh
The SolarEdge Energy Bank, also known as the Home Battery 400V, offers a usable storage capacity of around 9.7kWh, which means you can store enough electricity to power an average home’s essential appliances for most of the evening. It also allows for 100% depth of discharge, meaning you can use the full amount of stored energy without worrying about damaging the battery – something not all models allow.
It’s built to work seamlessly with SolarEdge’s own Energy Hub inverters, creating a smart, integrated system. If you need more capacity, you can connect up to three batteries per inverter, giving you even greater storage and power flexibility.
In a power cut, the SolarEdge Energy Bank can provide 5kW of continuous power and handle short bursts up to 7.5kW for a few seconds – plenty to keep key appliances such as your fridge, lighting, WiFi, and heating controls running smoothly.
It can be installed indoors or outdoors, mounted on a wall or on the floor, and has an IP55 weather rating, meaning it’s protected from rain and dust.
One of its biggest advantages is that it’s DC-coupled when used with SolarEdge systems. This means it stores excess solar energy directly, without converting it back and forth between AC and DC power. The result is greater efficiency and less energy loss, helping you get more value from every ray of sunshine your panels capture.
Fox ESS EP5 Battery
The Fox ESS EP5 is a 5.12kWh lithium-ion battery that’s designed to work with Fox’s hybrid inverter range. It’s a compact, stackable system, so you can easily add more batteries later if your energy needs grow.
The EP5 is known for its high efficiency and long lifespan, offering up to 6,000 charging cycles, which means it can keep storing and delivering energy reliably for many years. Because it’s a modular system, we can fit multiple units together – giving you the flexibility to start small and expand over time.
It’s also built with advanced battery management and safety controls, making it a reliable choice for everyday use. In practical terms, that means it quietly stores excess solar energy during the day and delivers it when you need it most – whether that’s running evening appliances or keeping your EV charger topped up.
Hanchu ESS LVES Home L Series Battery
The Hanchu ESS LVES Home L Series is another smart choice for home energy storage, offering modular flexibility and reliability. Each unit provides 5kWh of storage, and you can combine several together to create a larger system that matches your home’s energy use.
These batteries use lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) technology, which is known for being stable, safe, and long-lasting. They typically offer over 6,000 cycles, so you can rely on them for many years with minimal maintenance.
The LVES series is designed for seamless integration with a variety of hybrid inverters, making it a good fit for both existing solar systems and new installations. Its smart energy management system ensures efficient charging and discharging, so you get the maximum benefit from every unit of solar power generated.
GivEnergy Giv-Bat 2.6 and 5.2
GivEnergy’s Giv-Bat 2.6 and 5.2 batteries are popular for their flexibility and UK-based support. The smaller 2.6kWh unit is great for small solar systems or smaller homes, while the 5.2kWh version suits households with higher energy use.
Both are designed to integrate smoothly with GivEnergy’s own hybrid inverters and monitoring platform, which allows you to keep track of your energy generation, storage, and usage through a simple app.
They’re built with lithium iron phosphate cells, ensuring long life, safety, and solid performance, with up to 6,000 cycles. Another advantage of the GivEnergy range is its compatibility with time-of-use tariffs – meaning you can charge your battery from the grid when electricity is cheaper and use it when prices rise, saving even more on your bills.
GivEnergy Hybrid Battery
The GivEnergy Hybrid Battery takes things a step further by combining the functions of a battery and an inverter into one system. This simplifies installation and improves efficiency because energy doesn’t need to pass through multiple devices.
It’s designed to work perfectly with solar panel systems and can be expanded with additional batteries as your energy needs change. Like other GivEnergy models, it connects to an easy-to-use monitoring app so you can see your solar generation, battery charge, and household usage in real time.
The hybrid setup also makes it ideal for EV owners, since it can prioritise charging your car with stored solar power rather than grid electricity – reducing your running costs and carbon footprint.
Tesla Powerwall AC and Tesla Powerwall 3
The Tesla Powerwall is one of the most recognisable solar batteries on the market – and for good reason. It offers 13.5kWh of usable capacity, enough to power most homes through the night or during peak energy hours.
It’s an AC-coupled system, meaning it works well with almost any solar inverter. Installation is straightforward, and it can be fitted indoors or outdoors thanks to its sleek, weather-resistant design.
The Powerwall automatically stores excess solar power and switches seamlessly to battery use when needed. In a power cut, it provides reliable backup power, keeping your home running smoothly. It also integrates with the Tesla app, giving you complete control over your energy usage and battery levels.
The Powerwall 3 is Tesla’s latest model, offering even higher power output and improved efficiency. It’s designed for larger households or those with high energy demands, providing greater capacity and faster charging/discharging rates.
The Powerwall 3 is fully integrated with solar, working as a hybrid inverter and battery in one. This means less equipment, greater efficiency, and a cleaner installation overall. Like all Tesla products, it comes with an app, allowing you to monitor performance, control settings, and track your savings in real time.
You also don’t need to own a Tesla to use its solar batteries. Any EV with a standard CCS connector (which is fitted in most modern EVs) can use them.
What’s the right solar battery for your home?
Now that you’ve seen several good options, how do you pick?
When it comes to choosing a battery, think about how much energy you use and the size of your solar system. Capacity, output, efficiency, compatibility and warranty are also important factors to help you find the right fit for your home.
If you choose EE Renewables, we’ll sit down with you, analyse your energy use, your solar generation, and your future plans (EVs? heating upgrades?), then recommend a battery system that fits.
Our experts can also guide you on how to save money and reduce your carbon footprint even further by combining an air source heat pump with solar panels and your battery system.
Get in touch with our team to discuss a complete green energy solution for your home. sales@eerenewables.co.uk or call 0800 802 1116.
