If you have solar PV you can generate plenty of electricity when the sun is shining. But on overcast days you’ll make less, and you’ll make none at all at night. This generation pattern doesn’t match up with domestic electricity use - it’s at night when you want the lights on and to use appliances (TV, dishwasher etc.).

If your solar panels generate electricity and you don’t use it, it ends up being fed into the National Grid. You may get paid for it, but less than the cost of using electricity from the Grid.

This is where battery storage comes in. If you can store the electricity generated during the day, it is there for when you need it at night.

On average installing a battery will cost £4,000-£8,000, which is a substantial cost, but the technology is evolving and prices should come down over time. At Carman we can help you work out your return on investment, and what is the best solution for you. At the moment installing a battery with a solar PV system incurs 5% VAT, while retro-fitting a battery attracts 20%.