Who invests in solar panelsdo so with a clear goal in mind: to live more sustainably and reduce energy bills in the long term. Yet a large portion of that generated electricity goes unused within the home, because production peaks during the day while household demand doesn’t increase until the evening. Home energy storage easily solves this imbalance between supply and demand. By storing your own solar power during the day, you save the energy for the moments when you really need it. This way, your home runs largely on its own, free electricity.
What is home energy storage?
Home energy storage involves temporarily storing electricity—whether generated locally or purchased cheaply from the grid—in a battery system inside or around the home. Instead of the excess energy flowing directly back into the public grid, the electricity remains available for times when the sun isn’t shining, such as in the evening and at night.
A home storage system basically consists of a battery pack and a smart inverter. Whereas traditional solar energy systems focus solely on immediate generation and consumption, a home battery adds a buffer layer. This allows you to take full control of your own energy management.
How does a home battery work?
A home battery operates in three steps:
- Generation and Direct Consumption: During the day, the solar panels generate direct current (DC). The inverter converts this to alternating current (AC) for household appliances. As long as the demand in the home equals the amount of energy generated, the sun directly meets the energy needs.
- Charging the home battery: As soon as the solar panels’ output exceeds the home’s current consumption, a surplus is created. Whereas this surplus used to go directly to the grid, the smart inverter now directs this electricity to the home battery to charge the cells.
- Discharge during a shortfall: When evening falls and the solar panels stop generating power, household consumption often increases (due to cooking, lighting, and electronics). At that specific moment, the home battery kicks in. The stored direct current is converted into usable alternating current via the inverter and powers the appliances in the home. Only when the battery is completely empty does the system automatically and seamlessly switch to the power grid.
Modern systems use lithium iron phosphate (LFP or LiFePO4) technology. This chemical composition is more stable and safer than traditional lithium-ion batteries (such as those in smartphones), has a longer lifespan of up to 6,000 to 10,000 charge cycles, and is completely free of cobalt and nickel.
In addition, smart software ensures that the battery takes into account dynamic energy rates, weather forecasts, and your personal usage patterns to maximize efficiency.
Benefits of energy storage
- Increase in self-consumption: Direct self-consumption of solar energy is rising from approximately 30% to an average of 70% to 85%. This minimizes dependence on fluctuating market prices.
- Avoiding feed-in tariffs: By keeping electricity within your own system and storing it, the amount of energy fed back into the grid is drastically reduced. This immediately lowers the feed-in tariffs charged by energy suppliers.
- Trading on the energy market: With a smart home battery, you can take advantage of dynamic energy rates. The battery automatically charges from the grid when electricity prices are negative or very low (for example, during a stormy night), and feeds this cheap electricity back into the grid when rates peak.
- Relieving Pressure on the Power Grid: Grid congestion is a growing problem in the Netherlands. By absorbing local peaks in both generation (feed-in) and consumption, a home battery helps reduce the strain on the local power grid.
Wondering which configuration is most effective for your specific situation and usage? Request personalized advice from our specialists right away for a customized solution.
Costs and Payback Period for Home Batteries
Investing in home energy storage is a customized solution and is directly tied to your personal energy consumption. An average household consumes about 6 to 8 kWh of energy in the evening and at night. This is therefore the amount of electricity you ideally want to store during the day to cover your nighttime needs.
Capacity | Suitable for | Average price at Off Grid Power Station (excl. installation) |
5 kWh | Smaller households, limited roof area | €1,300 – €4,400 |
10 kWh | Average household (4 people) with solar panels | €2,500 – €6,800 |
15 kWh | High consumption, heat pump, or charging station | €3,700–€10,900 |
20 kWh | Semi-commercial, fully off-grid, or high consumption | €7,000 – €15,000 |
How quickly will you recoup your investment?
These days, the payback period for a home battery depends on several factors. You’ll recoup your investment faster by immediately avoiding the feed-in charges from your energy provider and not having to buy expensive grid power in the evenings.
In addition, you can achieve extra returns with a dynamic energy contract: the system automatically charges with cheap electricity when there’s a high supply on the grid, so you can use it again during expensive peak hours. A smart battery system currently has a payback period of 6 to 9 years. Because the modern LFP cells we supply last well over 15 to 20 years, the system will continue to generate pure profit for many years after the payback period.
Frequently Asked Questions About Home Energy Storage
How much capacity (kWh) does my home battery need?
The ideal capacity is directly linked to your average daily electricity consumption in the evening hours and the size of your solar panel system. As a rule of thumb, experts recommend 1 to 1.5 kWh of battery capacity per 1,000 watts peak (Wp) of installed solar panel capacity. Would you like personalized advice based on your usage profile? Stop by our showroom in Vught for personalized advice and live demonstrations.
Can a home battery supply power during a power outage?
Not every home battery does this automatically. Most standard systems shut down during a power outage for safety reasons (to prevent electricity from being fed back into the grid while technicians are working on it). However, some systems are equipped with a so-called “backup function” or “EPS” (Emergency Power Supply). These batteries can completely disconnect the home from the grid within a few milliseconds and continue to supply power autonomously using the energy stored in the battery.
Do I need a permit for a home battery?
In the Netherlands, no environmental permit is currently required to install a home battery in or around a standard residence. However, it is required by law to register the battery with the grid operator via the website energieleveren.nl, so that the grid operator is aware of the decentralized storage capacity in the grid.
What is the difference between a stationary home battery and a plug-in home battery?
A fixed home battery is connected directly to the meter box by a certified installer and often operates at a higher voltage (high-voltage). A plug-in home battery, , on the other hand, operates at a lower voltage and can exchange energy directly with the home’s electrical system via a standard outlet or a simple connection.
Contact and Professional Assistance
Do you want to ensure that your energy system continues to perform optimally and safely for decades to come? Off Grid Power Station is the specialist in energy storage. As the market leader in plug-in home batteries, we have already successfully helped more than 10,000 customers find the right energy solution. It’s no coincidence that our customers rate our expertise and service a 9.1 (based on over 1,900 reviews).
You’re more than welcome to visit our showroom in Vught for a personalized demonstration and tailored advice from our experts. Contact us today contact us today or request a no-obligation quote right away.