Already have solar?
Add a battery to existing solar panels
Already have panels? We can add a battery to existing solar systems, including ones we didn’t fit. We start with a look at how your current system is set up, explain the route that suits it, and our own team does the work across Devon and Cornwall, from our base near Okehampton.
- Workmanship
warranty10years - Family run
since2022 - The Solar Owners
Club included1year
First, a look
We start with how your system is set up
Every existing system is different: the panels, the inverter that converts their electricity for use in your home, where everything is mounted and how it’s connected. Before we recommend anything, we look at how yours is set up, alongside how and when your household uses electricity.
That’s the same whether we fitted your panels or another company did. If you’re not sure your panels are performing as they should, read the signs a system needs a health check first; an Annual Solar Health Check, an hour-long visit, is a thorough way to see where the system stands. And if adding a battery isn’t the right fit for your system, we’ll tell you.
For how storage works day to day, including what kWh (kilowatt-hours, the energy a battery can hold) means for your evenings, see how we size solar battery storage.
Two usual routes
How a battery joins existing solar panels
There are two usual ways to add a battery to an existing system. Which one suits yours depends on how it’s set up.
A battery with its own inverter
The battery comes with its own inverter and connects alongside the one you already have, on the household side of your wiring. This is known as AC coupling, after the alternating current (AC) your home runs on, and your existing inverter stays in place. Fox ESS, for example, makes a dedicated AC-coupled inverter for adding storage to existing solar.
A new hybrid inverter
Your existing inverter is replaced with a hybrid inverter, which runs the panels and the battery together. Because this replaces part of your system rather than adding to it, we look closely at the age and condition of what’s there first.
Which one suits you
That depends on your inverter, your panels and how you use electricity. We’ll explain the route we recommend and why.
Keep the panels you have.
Add a battery, and use more of the electricity they already make.
Approvals and paperwork
What changes besides the wiring
A battery changes what your system can do, so the work involves more than fitting it. Here’s what comes with it.
- The network operator. Adding a battery can change how much your system is able to supply, so the local network operator may need to know. Smaller changes are usually notified after connection, under a process called G98; larger ones need approval before connection, under G99.
- G99 applications. If your system needs one, we handle the application for you and keep you updated while we wait for their response.
- MCS certification. We’re certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) for battery storage as well as solar PV, short for photovoltaic, under certificate NIC-601527, so the new work is certified too.
- Warranties, kept distinct. Our 10-year workmanship warranty covers the work we carry out. The battery carries its maker’s own product warranty, separate from ours.
How it works
From first call to a working battery
Adding a battery usually runs in four steps, and the first takes a quarter of an hour. Book a 15-minute Battery Quote Request to begin.
A 15-minute call
A Battery Quote Request, at no charge, covers what you pay for electricity and how you use it. From that, we can design a battery-only system remotely.
A look at your system
We check the panels, the inverter and how everything is connected, so the route we recommend fits what’s really there.
Your recommendation
You get a no-obligation quote setting out the route, the battery and its estimated savings, based on your use.
Fitting and handover
Our own DBS-checked team fits the battery and any new inverter, handles any G99 application and shows you how to follow the system in the app. Our solar panel repairs and troubleshooting cover faults on the existing system, and if we didn’t fit your panels, ask us about joining The Solar Owners Club.
Products
The batteries we fit.
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Sigenergy
Our premium battery option.
The Sigenergy range -
EcoFlow PowerOcean
Home battery and inverter.
More on EcoFlow PowerOcean -
Fox ESS
Inverters and batteries.
Fox ESS in detail
Reviews
In our customers’ words.
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Excellent service. Polite and friendly while carrying out the work. Very knowledgeable about their trade. After care five star too. Very helpful for helping me set up the app. I can't recommend them enough. Thank you for stress free and a lovely service.
Andrew B. Customer -
Adam and Ellie are great to work with; they use sensible technology and are reasonably priced. Very pleased with everything they have done for me.
John K. Customer -
They fitted my panels, kept me informed about the process and Ellie and Adam are passionate about all that they do, great service at a great price.
Chris & Debbie G. Customer -
I couldn’t rate the quality and professionalism any higher.
Jon H. Google -
Finally, someone who responds, listens and helps in the solar world. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
M&J, Somerset Owners Club member -
Chuffed to bits with our upgraded system - working better than ever! Thanks guys.
P&M, Devon Owners Club member -
We've already saved the full membership cost in our battery upgrade alone! Great value for money.
I&N, Cornwall Owners Club member
Swipe, or use the arrows.
Where we work
Add a battery near you
From our base at Lewdown, near Okehampton, we work in every part of Devon and Cornwall: Launceston, Tavistock, Okehampton, Bude, Plymouth, Exeter and Truro among them. Launceston, Plymouth and Exeter have their own pages below, as do both counties, and every town and county we cover is on one map.
From the blog
Read before you decide.
GuideHow Do Solar Panels Work? A Simple BreakdownHow solar panels work, step by step: cells, inverter, consumer unit, battery and export, and what happens at night and in a power cut.
AdviceYour Energy Bill Just Got More Expensive. Here's How to Reduce It.Energy bills keep rising with the price cap. Why your bill follows global gas prices, and how solar panels and battery storage reduce what you buy.
NewsWhat Do Oil Prices Have to Do With Solar? More Than You ThinkUK electricity prices follow global gas and oil markets. Why that pushes your bill up, and how generating your own power with solar reduces your exposure.
Usually, yes. The batteries we fit are modular, so capacity can often be added as your needs change. We’ll tell you what’s possible with your system when we look at it.
Yes. We add batteries to existing systems, whoever fitted them.
Not always. Some batteries come with their own inverter and connect alongside the one you have; other systems are better suited to replacing the existing inverter with a hybrid one. We’ll explain which suits yours once we’ve looked at it.
It may. Depending on the size of the change, the network operator is either notified after the battery is connected, under G98, or asked to approve it first, under G99. If an application is needed, we make it on your behalf and tell you how it’s progressing.
You can ask about joining. Members have a dedicated support line, a yearly health check on their system, discounted upgrade products and fixed, discounted rates for labour, with membership based on the size of the system.
Next steps
Tell us about the system you have
Ready to add a battery to your existing solar panels? Tell us what’s on your roof now, or send us a recent electricity bill.
Call us07441 369 505
- Lines open
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
- Find us
- Allerford Farm, Lewdown, Okehampton, Devon EX20 4PU
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