Installing a home battery

Monday 19 December 2022

It's all not higher maths. Ultimately, everyone wants to save on their energy bills. Parallel to that, of course, is using your energy like electricity as efficiently as possible. You can do that by using as little power as possible but also by having a so-called home battery installed. However, this is only interesting if your home is already equipped with solar panels or you are considering buying solar panels. That is worth considering anyway (see also solar panel installation). In this article, we would like to give you more information about a home battery. So you will find out what exactly a home battery is and what the cost of home battery might be. Read on quickly.

Home battery in combination with solar panels

Those with solar panels can meet all or part of their own energy needs (power). If your solar panels supply more power than you are currently using, that power is returned to the energy grid. The electricity you supply back is offset against the electricity you supply (so-called net-metering). However, if you supply more electricity than you consume, you will receive a lower compensation for this. This is the so-called feed-in compensation, which still applies until 2025. The abolition of this scheme is partly due to a lack of storage capacity for the surplus of electricity supplied back to the energy suppliers.

Instead of returning this surplus power too cheaply to your energy supplier, you can choose to have a home battery installed. This allows you to reuse your own generated solar energy. The less expensive power you buy from your energy supplier, so the more you use your own produced power, the more profitable your solar panels will be. In addition, it is reassuring to know that you are almost completely self-sufficient in electricity.

A home battery allows you to store solar energy. The moment your solar panels do not produce much or any energy at all, for instance on a cloudy day or because it is evening, a home battery offers a solution. A home battery can then step in by releasing the stored (free) power. Your electrical appliances will then be powered by the home battery.

How does a home battery work?

You can compare a home battery to a very large power bank, so to speak. Of course, the capacity of such a home battery is many times larger than that of the average power bank. The direct current is converted into alternating current with a bidirectional inverter.Unfortunately, a home battery cannot store energy indefinitely. Think of several days of power. You charge your home battery with the power generated from with your solar panels.

How does a home battery work?

You can compare a home battery to a very large power bank, so to speak. Of course, the capacity of such a home battery is many times larger than that of the average power bank. The direct current is converted into alternating current using a bidirectional inverter.Unfortunately, a home battery cannot store energy indefinitely. Think of several days of power. You charge your home battery with the power generated from with your solar panels.

So what are the benefits of a home battery?

With a home battery combined with solar panels, you need up to half the amount of expensive energy supplied by your energy supplier. You can often use your own ecologically generated solar power all day long.
Another advantage is that in the event of a power cut, you can automatically switch to your own power supplied by your home battery.
A nice thought that in case of a power cut, you can continue your business and private activities as usual.

Home battery costs

Home batteries have not been on the market for very long. Besides, it is an innovative product. Therefore, the prices of a home battery are still on the high side. Keep in mind amounts between €6,000 and €8,000. The level of home battery costs depends in particular on the capacity and model chosen.

Although in neighbouring Belgium you are eligible for the home battery premium (an amount up to € 1,725), in the Netherlands there is no subsidy possible on a home battery for the time being. However, this is expected to be the case in the near future (2023 or 2024), which will reduce the cost of home batteries.

Installing a home battery, how long does it take?

On average, installing a home battery takes between four and eight hours. Its final duration depends on the following factors:
- The type of home battery
- The charge controller
- How complex the wiring in your home is
So keep in mind (for the last time) that while installing a home battery, you will have to make do without power for a few hours.