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What Size Solar Battery Do I Need in the UK? 2024 Guide
- An average 3 bedroom household will require a 12kWh lithium battery or a 24kWh lead solar battery.
- The solar battery size you’ll need depends primarily on your household’s energy consumption and the power output of your solar system.
- On average, solar battery dimensions range between 600 - 1,500mm in height, 450 - 800mm in width, and 150 - 400mm in depth.
- Solar batteries cost somewhere between £2,500 and £10,000, depending on the storage capacity size you require.
If you’re looking to enjoy your free, green solar energy even in moments when your solar panels aren’t generating enough, then you’ll want to consider investing in solar battery storage. One of the first things you’ll need to ask yourself in this process is: “What size solar battery do I need?”
In this guide, we’ll help you answer this question by walking you through the different solar battery sizes available, the factors that affect the battery size you’ll need, and why choosing the right battery size is important. However, the surest way to determine exactly what size solar battery you need for your home is by consulting a professional who can give you tailored advice.
Finding an expert to talk to can take hours or even days of seemingly endless research. Fortunately, we can help you skip this hassle. Just fill in our 30-second form and we’ll connect you with up to 4 local solar battery installers. Then, all that’s left is to compare them and choose the one you want to work with.
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- Solar battery size vs dimension: What is the difference?
- What size solar battery do you need for UK homes?
- Which factors influence the size of solar battery you need?
- Solar battery dimensions: How big are solar panel battery systems?
- Why is choosing the right battery size important?
- Frequently asked questions
Solar battery size vs dimension: What is the difference?
While it may not seem that evident, when you ask “What size solar battery do I need in the UK?” you’ll get a different answer than you would for a question like “How big are solar panel batteries?”
Solar battery size refers to how much storage capacity a battery has. This is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). So, when you ask yourself “What size solar battery do I need?” you need to consider the amount of solar energy that your battery can store.
Solar battery dimensions, on the other hand, are used to describe the physical size of a solar battery. They’re generally measured in millimetres (mm) and indicate the height, width, and depth of the storage unit.
It’s good to know that solar battery size and dimensions correlate sometimes. However, this is not always the case.
What size solar battery do you need for UK homes?
The solar battery size you’ll need depends primarily on the size of your home and on your energy needs. At the same time, the battery storage capacity you’ll require will be different if you choose a lead solar battery than if you go for a lithium solar battery.
For an idea of the different solar battery sizes, you can consult the overview below:
| Household Size | Average Annual Energy Consumption | Lithium Solar Battery Size | Lead Solar Battery Size | Estimated Average Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - 2 bedrooms | 1,800kWh | 4 - 7kWh | 8 - 14kWh | £3,500 – £8,000 |
| 2 - 3 bedrooms | 2,700kWh | 9 - 12kWh | 18 - 24kWh | £5,000 – £9,500 |
| 4 - 5 bedrooms | 5,100kWh | 13 - 14kWh | 26 - 28kWh | £10,000+ |
When it comes to choosing between lead and lithium solar batteries, it’s worth considering their performance, lifespan, and cost. Lead batteries are cheaper, but also less efficient. Lithium batteries, on the other hand, can perform more efficiently and have a longer lifespan. But they do come at a higher cost.
So, be sure to consider your energy needs and your budget when selecting your solar battery.
What size solar battery do you need if you are off-grid?
Off-grid homes need a larger solar battery size than homes connected to the grid. This is because solar panels and batteries may be their primary or only electricity source, whereas regular homes use them to reduce their independence on the grid and in the eventuality of a power outage.
To determine the storage capacity you need off-grid, you’ll have to figure out your daily energy consumption and multiply it by the number of backup days you need your battery to supply you with energy.
For instance, if you use about 4kWh per day and want to account for about 3 backup days, then the solar battery size you will need is 12kWh. However, the exact size will vary significantly depending on your energy consumption requirements and how much you rely on your solar battery to power your home.
Whatever your living situation, the surest way to find the best solar battery size for your home is to consult a professional who can advise you. Ready to take this step? Then let us connect you with up to 4 solar battery installers from our network. Just fill in our 30-second form and we’ll take it from there.
- Quotes from local installers
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Which factors influence the size of solar battery you need?
When trying to answer the question “What size solar battery do I need?” there are several factors you’ll need to account for. These include:
- Your household’s energy consumption: How much energy you use directly affects the solar battery size you need. The higher your energy needs, the larger the solar battery size you’ll require. For example, an average 2 - 3 bedroom home consumes about 2,700kWh of energy annually and requires a 9 - 12kWh battery.
- Solar panel output: The size of your solar battery is determined by how much power your solar panels produce per year. This varies per solar system size, but as an example, a 4kW solar system can best be paired with a 9kWh solar battery.
- How independent you want to be from the grid: If you want to reduce your reliance on the electricity grid, you will need to opt for a battery with enough storage capacity. This way, you can rely on the solar energy stored by your solar battery in the moments when your solar panels don’t produce enough electricity.
- Depth of Discharge (DoD): DoD refers to how much energy has been discharged in relation to the battery’s storage capacity when fully charged. A higher DoD (above 80%) means that you can use more of your battery’s capacity, while a battery with lower DoD (under 50%) might not provide enough power depending on your needs. However, a higher DoD can have implications for your battery’s lifespan, which is also important to consider.
- Your budget: Solar panels in the UK cost quite a lot, so you’ll need to give some thought to the feasibility of pairing them with a battery storage unit. The higher the storage capacity, the higher the cost of solar batteries. So, how much you're willing or able to spend will also determine the solar battery size you will opt for.
Solar battery dimensions: How big are solar panel battery systems?
Solar battery dimensions vary greatly depending on the manufacturer and model of the appliance. Generally, average dimensions range from 600 - 1,500mm in height, 450 - 800mm in width, and 150 - 400mm in depth.
For an indication of how much space a solar battery will take in your home, you can check the dimensions of some of the most popular solar battery options in the UK below:
| Solar Battery Model | Storage Capacity | Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth) |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Powerwall 2 | 14kWh | 1,150 x 755 x 150mm |
| SunPower SunVault | 13kWh | 1,600 x 660 x 380mm |
| Generac PWRcell | 9 -17kWh | 1,730 x 560 x 250mm |
If you’re interested in any of these options, be sure to consider whether the dimensions, as well as the storage capacities of these batteries, are suitable for your home. You should also research how much a Tesla Powerwall costs and what the prices of the SunPower SunVault and Generac PWRcell are.
Why is choosing the right battery size important?
Choosing the right solar battery size is important if you want to maximise your energy usage, as well as your annual electricity bill savings. Here are some of the main reasons why you’ll want the right size for your solar battery:
- With the right solar battery size, you can ensure all your energy needs are being met.
- Having the right storage capacity ensures that you can enjoy free, clean energy even when your solar panels aren’t producing electricity. This directly helps you avoid overspending on your monthly energy bills.
- Opting for a smaller or larger battery size than necessary for your specific needs can lead to overworking your appliance or wasting energy. This can impact the battery’s lifespan and can ultimately lead to mounting costs on your part.
As you can see, choosing the best solar battery size for your home isn’t something you should take lightly. So, to avoid any issues in your calculations, it’s best to consult a reliable professional who can help you determine the right solar battery size for your home.
Finding an expert to talk to on your own can be a pain. Thankfully, with our service, you can say goodbye to endless hours of googling and get in touch with up to 4 reliable local solar battery installers in no time. Just fill in our 30-second form and we’ll have professionals from our network reach out to you with quotes for their services.
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Frequently asked questions