Nowadays, the vast majority of First Class Solar domestic installations include a solar (Lithium-Ion) battery. We’ve noticed a huge increase in the popularity of solar batteries, alongside a reduction in their prices, while seeing the massive benefits batteries provide to our customers in Northern Ireland. One of the key points in maximising the benefits of the batteries is making use of the cheaper night tariff rates to charge up the batteries overnight, particularly in the winter months! In this blog, we explain why Solar Batteries have become so popular in Northern Ireland.
Why are Solar Batteries so popular in Northern Ireland?
Over the past few years, First Class Solar has noted a steady trend of more interest in batteries from our customers – almost every person who gets in touch with us asks for a price for solar panels and battery systems. Along with the lower prices for the batteries, it’s a win-win for Northern Irish homeowners! And global data confirms this, solar battery prices have dropped by a massive 90% in the past 10-11 years, while solar PV production has massively ramped up.
Benefits for Homeowners: Storage and Savings
As we now know that battery prices have dropped – they have become more accessible to more people. They are also a great way to complement existing solar panel systems. Solar batteries enable consumers to store and use more self-generated electricity, meaning more savings on your bills and less reliance on the grid! The infographic below from National Energy Action shows how a solar system with batteries would typically work over the course of a day.
Maximising Winter Savings with Day/Night Tariffs
The above are great and very reasonable reasons for getting batteries alongside your solar PV system. However, consumers are now realising an additional massive benefit to having solar batteries in Northern Ireland, particularly during the dark winter months when solar production is lower: charging the batteries using the cheaper nighttime tariffs.
So, even on the darkest winter days, you can still expect to run your home and all its standby equipment (things like the TV, lights, plug points, etc.) during the day on cheaper electricity stored in your battery overnight.
Lots of people may already be on day/night tariffs with their electric supplier due to electric vehicles, so they would be aware that the night rates from most suppliers are more than half the price of the day rates! On the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland website, you can compare the different suppliers; it may be worth a switch to save you money on your electricity rates!
How to Charge Your Battery at Night Rates
To get the most benefit out of charging your solar battery, you would need to be on the day/night tariff (often called Economy 7) from the supplier of your choice. You may need your NIE meter to be upgraded to allow for this, but your supplier will arrange this for you, and NIE will change your meter free of charge!
Once your solar battery is installed, you can control the solar battery charging through your inverter app. You can choose the time to set charging, as well as the rate of charge (up to certain maximum allowed levels).
For example, if customer A in Craigavon had a 10kWh battery, they would set this to charge between 1-8 am each night, at the rate of 13.89p/kWh (as offered by Share Eco 7 Rate). Customer A would then wake up to a full battery, which would carry their home’s electric usage on even the darkest of Northern Ireland’s winter days!
Protecting your Battery Health during Winter
First Class Solar has found the overnight charging to be a huge benefit to customers from October to March each year, when the days are shorter and darker. Customers without the overnight charging will find that their batteries might struggle to charge during these months, as all of the electricity produced by the solar panels is used directly by the house. If your batteries are constantly at 0%, this can cause damage to the battery cells and shorten their lifespan.
Overall, solar batteries are a huge benefit to any solar PV system. By charging your batteries overnight on the cheaper charging rates in the wintertime in Northern Ireland, they become even more worthwhile – reducing your electric bills, lowering your reliance on the grid and keeping your equipment in healthy working order! Contact First Class Solar today for a free battery quote and see how much you could save.
