How much do solar batteries cost?

✔ A solar battery costs start from £2,500, and they average around £4,500

✔ You should expect to pay around £900 per kWh of storage capacity

✔ The typical home will save approximately £582 each year from a solar-plus-storage system

If you’re always home during the day, when your solar panels produce the most electricity, using a solar storage battery to store electricity to use later is an excellent way to get more out of your solar panels.

Plus, it’ll help you cut your energy bills while helping to save the planet.

Another way to save money with storage batteries is by using them to store cheap off-peak electricity, and using that electricity during peak times.

In this guide, you’ll find out how much you’d pay for a solar battery, how it would impact your solar panel costs, and what else to consider before making your decision.

To find out how much a new solar-plus-storage system will cost you, just fill in this free form, and our expert installers will be in touch.

Want to get a better idea of how much a solar battery could save you if paired with solar panels? Head to our solar panel costs page to get a breakdown of figures.

How much does a solar battery storage system cost?

Currently, solar battery prices in the UK cost anywhere between £2,500 and £10,000 depending on the battery capacity, type of battery and lifespan.

A typical 5 kilowatt hour (kWh) solar battery, suitable for a three-bedroom house, costs £4,500, on average.

The amount you pay will depend on the amount of electricity the battery can store, also known as its capacity.

Prices start at around £2,500 for the smallest storage systems, those under 4 kWh.

These will generally be able to hold the excess electricity created by a six-solar panel system – the one used by the average one or two-bedroom house.

As a rough guide, you should expect to pay £900 per kWh of storage capacity. The larger the solar PV system, the larger the battery you’ll need – and the lower the price you’ll pay per kWh.

Want to learn more about the price of solar panel systems? Head to our solar panel cost page.

How many solar batteries do I need?

The number of solar batteries you need will depend on the size of your house.

This table gives a rough idea of the potential costs, but be sure to get at least three quotes from potential installers.

Remember, don’t buy more batteries than you need, otherwise you’ll pay for solar power you don’t use.

Factors that can influence solar battery price

Factors that can influence solar battery price include the type of battery it is, the capacity, the lifespan, installation, and the battery’s depth of discharge.

Type of battery

There are two main types of batteries – lithium-ion and lead-acid.

Lithium-ion solar batteries are the most mainstream and cost-effective type, and have the biggest market share.

They cost slightly more upfront than lead-acid batteries, but they’re more durable and have a longer lifespan.

Lead-acid batteries have cheaper upfront costs than lithium-ion ones, but they don’t perform as well over time, so they might end up costing you more in the long term since you might have to replace them sooner.

Capacity

Storage capacity refers to the total amount of energy your solar panel battery can store, while usable capacity refers to the amount a battery can discharge for use.

The amount of storage capacity and usable capacity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), and in general, the greater the capacity, the higher the cost of the solar battery storage system.

In addition, the greater your energy use, the bigger capacity your solar panel battery should have.

Lifespan

Batteries with a larger number of cycles have a longer lifespan, but they can sometimes cost more upfront because of this.

A cycle refers to a battery fulling charging and discharging energy. The more times it can do this, the longer it will last.

Lithium-ion batteries tend to have twice as many cycles, and so twice the lifespan, of lead-acid batteries.

Installation cost

The installation cost of solar battery storage systems varies based on the size of battery you need, your location (some areas such as London are more pricey), and the layout of your property.

In general, it’s more economical to set up your solar battery system at the same time as you install your solar panels, rather than retrofitting one.

Depth of discharge

Depth of Discharge (DoD) means how much you can use the battery before recharging it.

Solar batteries should not be run to 0% before recharging or the lifespan will be shortened significantly. The same principal applies to the batteries in our phones and laptops.

For example, if you buy a solar battery storage system that has a capacity of 5 kW energy storage and 80% DoD, it should be charged when it reaches 4 kW used. This will extend the life of the battery.

Solar battery cost calculator

The bigger your house and the higher your energy usage, the higher capacity your solar battery will need. This may increase the cost of the system.

Check out our cost calculator for an estimate.

Advantages and disadvantages of solar batteries

Here are the main pros and cons of solar batteries.

Advantages

You’ll be much better protected from energy price rises, as nearly all of your electricity will come from solar power.

When you consider the average household is currently paying 71% more for electricity than it was a year ago, that sounds like an excellent idea.

A three-bedroom property with a solar panel system and a 5 kwh battery will save £582 per year on average, plus you’ll become less dependent on the grid for your energy.

A solar battery can also help you stop 28 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere – one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

Some battery systems can also be configured to provide power during a power-cut, though this will add to the cost.

With a solar-plus-battery system, you also don’t have to worry about reselling your property.

69% of respondents told our latest National Home Energy Survey they’d buy a house with solar panels, up from 65% last year.

Disadvantages

The typical initial cost of £4,500 is steep when you’ve already spent around £7,026 on solar panels, as the average three-bedroom house would.

It’ll also push back your break-even point a further 10 years (27.5 years), and take up roughly the same amount of space as a washing machine or combi gas boiler.

And it’s almost certainly pointless to get a battery if you already have an electric vehicle or are planning to get one that will be plugged in at home during the day, as you can just use your excess solar energy to recharge your car.

Additional solar battery costs

If you already have solar panels, you may have to purchase an additional inverter so you can get an AC (alternating current) battery, which is easier to fit into an existing system.

An inverter typically costs £800, and lasts for around 10 years. With any luck, you won’t have to replace it before you buy a new battery.

And don’t worry about maintenance costs.

Lithium-ion batteries, the most popular type of solar battery among homeowners, require barely any upkeep – just a bit of light dusting, and the occasional check-up to make sure they’re still holding charge properly.

If you want to get all return on investment that your money deserves, check out our guide to the best solar batteries.

Are solar batteries worth it in the UK?

Solar batteries are worth it in the UK, as they can significantly reduce your dependence on the grid – especially in the summer – meaning you won’t have to rely as much on an increasingly expensive, volatile supply.

You’ll also save 28 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over your solar array’s lifespan – the same amount as four people’s annual emissions.

It’ll take you longer to break even on your solar panel and battery system, since it costs a pretty-penny to install – 27+ years compared to 14.5 years without a battery.

This is mainly because you’ll likely need to buy two batteries over the course of your solar panels’ 25-year lifespan, since batteries only last 10-15 years.

On the upside, you’ll save around  £582 a year for 25 years with a solar panel and battery system.

However, if your main concerns are affording the upfront cost and breaking even as soon as possible on your solar setup, stick with solar panels alone.

And if you have an electric vehicle, don’t get a solar battery, as you already own a big battery to send all that extra solar power: your car (as long as your car is plugged in at home during the day).

You can learn more about this on our helpful guide Are Solar Batteries Worth it in the UK?

Next steps

By now, you’ve made up your mind on solar batteries.

The next step is to compare quotes on a solar PV system, whether it includes a battery or not.

Just complete this free form, and you can get free quotes from qualified installers. You’ll be taking advantage of solar power in no time.

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