What exactly does a home battery do?
A home battery stores electricity that you can use later. If you have solar panels, the battery stores the electricity you generate during the day but don’t use right away. In the evening, when the sun has set and your electricity usage actually increases, you use that stored electricity instead of expensive electricity from the grid.
There are two main types. A plug-in home battery simply plugs into an outlet and is quick to install, though it has a more limited capacity. A hardwired system is connected to your meter box by an installer and offers more power and expansion options, often including emergency power in the event of a power outage. Which type offers the most benefits depends on your energy consumption and what you want to achieve with the system.
The Main Benefits of a Home Battery
Use More of Your Own Solar Power
Without a battery, you sell excess solar power back to the grid, often at a low rate. With a battery, you can use that electricity yourself whenever you need it. For example, a household with ten solar panels and a 5-kWh battery can meet a large portion of its evening electricity needs from its own generation rather than from the grid.
Save on Your Energy Bills
Because you use more of your own electricity, you purchase less electricity at the standard rate. With a dynamic energy contract, this benefit goes even further: you charge the battery when electricity is cheap or even priced negatively, and use that electricity when prices are high. That difference can add up significantly, especially given the price fluctuations currently seen in the energy market.
Less dependent on your energy provider
With stored electricity in your home, you’re less vulnerable to price spikes and supply uncertainty. You decide when to draw power from the grid and when to run on your own supply.
Emergency Power During a Power Outage
Some stationary systems automatically switch to emergency power as soon as the grid goes down. This keeps your lights, refrigerator, and other essential appliances running. Please note: this does not apply to every system. Many plug-in batteries do not offer full emergency power functionality, so always check this before assuming this feature is included.
Contributing to a more stable energy grid
In areas with grid congestion, a home battery can help balance out peaks in supply and demand. This effect is usually greatest when batteries are used collectively, for example within a neighborhood or energy community. As an individual household, you’ll notice this benefit less directly than the savings on your own bill.
More Sustainable Electricity Consumption
The more self-generated electricity you use, the less electricity you need from the grid, which often still comes from fossil fuels. A home battery thus increases the effective utility of your solar panels.
Disadvantages to consider
- Initial purchase costs that you’ll recoup over time
- Less cost-effective as long as net metering is still in effect
- Plug-in systems usually do not provide full emergency power
- The benefit depends heavily on your usage pattern and energy contract
When does a home battery offer the greatest benefit?
Not every household gets the same benefit from a home battery. These factors determine how much you’ll benefit:
- Solar panels and power generation. Without solar panels, a battery primarily offers benefits through a dynamic contract, not through self-generation.
- Consumption pattern. If you’re home during the day and use electricity at the same time you’re generating it, the benefit of a battery is smaller than for a household that mainly uses electricity in the evening.
- Type of energy contract. With a dynamic contract, you benefit from price fluctuations throughout the day. With a fixed-rate contract, that benefit does not exist.
- The net metering program. As long as net metering is still (partially) in effect, you’ll be able to offset the electricity you feed back into the grid at a favorable rate. A battery is therefore less cost-effective now than it will be in the future, when net metering is further phased out and feeding electricity back into the grid yields less revenue.
- Grid congestion in your region. In areas with limited grid capacity, a battery can help limit the amount of electricity you feed back into the grid, which is necessary in some situations to prevent disruptions.
In short: Is a home battery worth it? That depends largely on your situation. For some people, the difference is noticeable on their annual statement; for others, the investment doesn’t yet outweigh the savings—especially as long as net metering is still in effect.
Plug-in or built-in system: Which option is right for you?
A plug-in home battery is an accessible first step. You can install it yourself, the investment is lower, and you’ll quickly see the benefits with an average usage pattern. A fixed system requires a larger investment and installation by a professional, but offers more capacity, expansion options, and often emergency power functionality. For larger households or homes with many solar panels, a fixed system generally offers more benefits, simply because there’s more electricity to store and use.
Not sure which type will work best for your situation? Stop by our showroom in Vught to see the systems in person, or request a no-obligation quote right away. Our specialists will be happy to help you.