What is solar & storage?

Even though every home is a little bit different, most homes in the UK are suitable to install and benefit from solar. It’s the perfect choice if you're looking to reduce your energy bills and do your bit for the environment. The main things to watch out for are obstacles (skylights or dormer windows), too much shading, not enough roof space and poor roof condition. Our team of experts is on hand to use satellite images to talk these things through with you as part of the process here at Egg.

Solar panels are most efficient when they receive direct sunlight. However, they can still produce electricity on cloudy or overcast days and even in indirect or diffuse sunlight (luckily for us in the UK).

In short, Yes! Solar panel systems continue to generate electricity during the winter months, although their efficiency may be reduced compared to the rest of the year due a few factors, mainly the reduced number of daylight hours and a change in the angle of the sun.

Solar panels are built to endure and are designed for a long and productive life. On average, you can expect your solar panels to keep producing clean, green energy for an impressive 25 to 30 years. Some may even continue working effectively for 40 years or more! So, if you're pondering the benefits of solar energy, rest assured that your investment will continue to shine for many years to come.

In the UK, the best direction for solar panels is south-facing. Solar panels installed on a south-facing roof will receive the most sunlight throughout the day, maximising energy production. If you don't have a south-facing roof though, all is not lost, solar panels are still effective even if they don't face south. Our team of experts can help you understand how much you could generate if you have an East, West or North facing roof - you might be surprised!!

Most installations of solar panels are considered to be a 'Permitted Development' and therefore don't require planning permission. However, you should check with your local planning authority if you live in a:

• conservation area

• area of outstanding natural beauty

• national park

• listed building

We have installation dates available within 2 weeks.

All our numbers come from modelling using standard guidance and calculations from MCS embedded into our design software, OpenSolar.

Design Assumptions:

1) You have a south-facing home that is not shaded and is sloped at 40 degrees.

2) You have a standard roof type with 2 storeys

3) You're home all day with an annual electricity consumption of 4,000 kWh

4) Energy calculation assumptions: Our calculations are based on a customer switching from the average UK energy price cap unit rates to the combination of Octopus Go + Outgoing Lite available in March 2024: 49p/day standing charge, 30p/kWh peak time import (4am - midnight), 9p/kWh off-peak rate (midnight - 4am), 8p/kWh export tariff. We've called this tariff the egg tariff for the purpose of using this OpenSolar software. We assume an annual energy inflation of 7%.

5) Our battery charging pattern has been set up to maximise savings: this means charging during off peak cheaper times, and when your system is generating.

6) System performance assumptions: System Total losses: 0%, Inverter losses: 0%, Optimizer losses: 0%, Shading losses: 0%, Performance Adjustment: 0%, Output Calculator: MCS. Panel Orientations: 16 panels with Azimuth 180 and Slope 40.

We offer a range of home batteries with storage capacity from 3kWh to 13.5kWh. To make sure you have plenty of storage capacity, to collect any excess solar energy generated, to use later when you need it (even when the sun has gone down).

A home battery is a great way to ensure that you store any excess energy you generate from your solar panels to use later in the day when you need it – for example, in the evening when the sun has gone down. Especially if you’re not using as much energy during the day when your solar panels are generating energy, a battery makes sure you don’t lose out on that hard earned green energy – as without a battery, if you don’t use your solar energy it gets lost to the electricity grid. This means you’d instead have to rely on more expensive, less green energy from energy suppliers instead.

Also, installing a battery at the same time as your new solar panels means your battery qualifies for the same VAT rate as solar (instead of 20%) – so getting them together gives you an extra smart saving!

All of our home battery options come with an app which allows you to monitor the performance of your solar panel and battery storage system, including a live view of how power is moving between your solar panels, your battery, and your home.

You absolutely can – but you should consider the benefit of doing so, which is significantly less if you don’t have solar panels. It is possible to sign up to a “time of use” tariff from your energy supplier (e.g. Economy 7) which would allow you to charge up with cheaper electricity overnight to use during the day for a modest saving, but with energy prices constantly changing we advise you give it some real thought first.

Battery storage technologies are a great way to maximise the benefits of any solar you have installed. They allow you to utilise the power generated by your solar panels by storing the power for later use.

Simply put, battery storage is a smart way to maximise your return on investment from a solar panel system and ensure you utilise the power generated from your solar panels. A home battery stores any extra solar you generate so that you can use it later, rather than exporting to the grid – even after the sun goes down.

With the addition of a home battery to the system, we would expect solar self-consumption to increase from 50% to up to 90%, saving you as much as 90% on your energy bills.

What’s more, you can even store energy from the grid during the night when energy is cheaper by being less in demand – and, with smart scheduling, monitor, manage and schedule its charge.

It isn’t necessary to have your battery installed at the same time as your solar panels but there are benefits.

If they are installed at the same time, you don’t pay VAT on the battery as it is labelled as a solar installation.

It’s also worth mentioning that depending on the approval required for your solar system, it may be easier to gain approval for solar and a battery at the same time, rather than having to submit a second application with any wait times later down the line.

We offer a range of home batteries to meet your energy (and budget) requirements, ranging from 3kWh to 13.5kWh capacity. Speak to one of our solar experts today about which one is right for you.

In terms of dimensions, 773 x 1150 x 147 (mm), and be aware batteries can be extremely heavy, weighing up to 125KG.

Our home batteries come with a 10-year warranty to make sure you can get the most out of your battery and home solar system.

Our battery storage costs depend on the type of system you are having installed, if you’re having solar installed at the same time, the amount of storage you required and many other factors. For an accurate quote, we can discuss this with you in a free virtual consultation, to ensure the prices are accurate for your specific needs.