Are you looking for the best residential battery storage systems? Whether you’re wanting to make the most out of your solar panels, concerned about energy price uncertainty or looking to store and use cheap energy from the grid, more and more homeowners are turning to battery storage to help.
Even more, with the recent VAT exemption on battery storage in the UK, you can effectively save 20% on your purchase.
But with many options out there and no one-size fits all approach, choosing the best battery storage model can be daunting. This article will take a closer look at some of the best battery storage systems available in the UK. We’ll lay out all the facts and compare the key factors and features to help you make an informed decision depending on your needs.
Factors affecting the best battery storage system
When choosing the best storage battery for your home, there are several key factors you need to bear in mind. Let’s take a quick look.
- Capacity – The main factor homeowners want to know is how much energy can the battery store. This is the capacity. Look out for two numbers – total capacity and usable capacity. The total capacity is the maximum amount of energy the battery can store, whilst the usable capacity is the amount of energy you can actually use – it’s the usable capacity you need to be concerned about.
Of course, it’s important to choose a battery capacity that aligns with your household energy use/wastage to reach maximum efficiency. - Depth of Discharge (DoD) & efficiency – The DoD refers to the percentage of the battery’s capacity that can be used without damaging the battery. A higher DoD means you can use more of the battery’s capacity.
Efficiency, sometimes written as ‘round trip efficiency’, refers to the amount of energy that can be retrieved from the battery compared to the amount put in, such as the electricity to keep it powered. - Scalability – The capacity of some battery systems can be expanded by adding more modules. This is really helpful for homes that might want to increase storage capacity in the future as your needs grow. For example, if you plan on adding more solar panels or increasing your energy usage in the future with electrical heating or an electric vehicle.
- Power – The power output of the battery determines how much energy it can deliver at one time. A higher power output means the battery can run more appliances at the same time.
- Battery type – The most common types of batteries used in home storage systems are lithium-ion. There are different types of lithium-ion batteries too, including lithium iron phosphate (LFP or LiFePo4) and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) varieties. LFP batteries are known for their safety and long lifespan, whilst NMC batteries pack more energy into a smaller space.
- Warranty – The longer the warranty period, the better. The length indicates the manufacturer’s confidence in their product. Many high-quality batteries offer warranties of 10 years or more.
- Dimensions & weight – Consider the size and weight of the battery, especially if you have limited space or need to wall-mount the unit.
It’s also worth noting that the cost of a storage battery is going to be a major factor for almost everything. Costs can and do vary depending on the brand, capacity, type and more. You also have to consider installation costs, which aren’t always clear. To give you an idea, you can expect to pay between £4,500 and £10,000 for a good sized battery and installation. You can read more about battery storage installation here, as well as learn more on the basics of battery storage.
Best residential storage batteries for homeowners
- Tesla Powerwall 2
Image Credits: Tesla
- Capacity –Â 13.5 kWh
- Depth of Discharge – 100% (90% round trip efficiency)
- Scalable – Yes, up to 10 Powerwalls can be stacked together
- Power – 5kW continuous
- Battery type – Lithium-ion NMC
- Warranty – 10 years
- Dimensions & Weight – 115cm x 75cm x 15cm, 114 kg
The Tesla Powerwall 2 is one of the most popular and recognisable storage batteries on the market. With its sleek and minimalist design, it’s an eye-catcher too. The Powerwall 2 has a high capacity of 13.5kWh and a 100% depth of discharge, meaning you can use all of its stored energy without damaging the battery. At its peak, the battery has a 7kW power rating.
The modular battery design is scalable, allowing you to connect up to 10 Powerwalls to increase the capacity to a whopping 135kWh. Not that a home would ever need that – just two or three Powerwalls would be enough to power the most energy-hungry households.
One of the standout features of the Powerwall 2 is its integration with the Tesla app, which allows you to monitor and control your energy production and consumption remotely and in real-time. You can set preferences for energy independence, black-out protection and savings. The battery is also child and pet-friendly, with no exposed wires or hot vents, and can be installed either indoors or outdoors.
Prices for the Tesla Powerwall 2 start from around £6,000, which doesn’t include installation costs. Overall, this is a fantastic battery.
2. Powervault P4
Image Credits: Powervault
- Capacity – 8, 12 or 16 kWh
- Depth of Discharge – 100% (83% round trip efficiency)
- Scalable – Yes, can be upgraded to 24kWh capacity
- Power – 4.8kW continuous
- Battery type – Lithium-ion LFP
- Warranty – 10 years or 4,500 cycles
- Dimensions & Weight: 180cm x 106cm x 24cm, 180kg (for the 8kWh battery)
The Powervault P4 is a UK-made storage battery with a modular design that allows you to choose the capacity that best suits your needs. Capacity options range from 8 to 16kWh. The system can be upgraded to a maximum capacity of 24kWh, making it adaptable to changes in your energy usage and suitable for almost every household. One of the key features of the Powervault P4 is its compatibility with most solar panel systems, with AC or DC coupled connections available.
It’s an intelligent battery too. The Powervault’s Smartstor energy management software uses predictive technology to optimise your energy savings based on weather forecasts. The Powervault web portal provides easy to understand insights into your energy production and consumption, whilst the battery management system optimises charging and discharging cycles to extend the life expectancy of the battery.
The Powervault P4 is designed for indoor installation only and can be floor-standing or wall-mounted. Prices start from around £3,000 but you’ll have to make an enquiry to get a better idea of costs for your home.
3. Enphase IQ 5P
Image Credit: Enphase
- Capacity – 5.0 kWh
- Depth of Discharge – 100% (90% AC round trip efficiency)
- Scalable – Yes, up to 40kWh
- Power – 3.84kW
- Battery type – Lithium iron phosphate (LFP)
- Warranty – 15 years, up to 6,000 cycles
- Dimensions & Weight: 98cm x 55cm x 19cm, 66kg
The IQ 5P from renewables specialist Enphase is their most powerful battery to date. The Enphase IQ 5P is an all-in-one AC-coupled storage system that comes with excellent efficiency and a long warranty period of 15 years. Energy production, consumption and savings can be monitored and adjusted from the Enphase app.
You may think 5kWh is quite a small capacity. However, Enphase have purposely made this smaller as the system is stackable, with up to eight batteries going on to one system controller. This storage flexibility means you can achieve a much more precise capacity for your household as opposed to the limited options with the Powerwall battery.
The Enphase iQ 5P system incorporates six embedded microinverters as opposed to one string inverter. This makes the battery one of the safest choices for solar energy storage, as it reduces the risk of fires associated with high-voltage DC power. The Enphase IQ Battery is the first microinverter-based home battery system to use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology and is approved for both indoor and outdoor installation, able to operate in temperatures ranging from -22°C to 55°C.
4. GivEnergy All in One
Photo Credit: GivEnergy
- Capacity – 13.5kWh
- Depth of Discharge – 100% (93% round trip efficiency)
- Scalable – Yes, up to 80kWh
- Power – 6kW continuous (7.2kW peak)
- Battery type – LFP battery
- Warranty – 12 years
- Dimensions & Weight – 110cm x 600cm x 28cm, 173kg
The British-made GivEnergy All in One is an integrated battery and inverter system described as ‘the ultimate home battery, at an accessible price’. And with prices from £6,900 for a fully installed system, it does offer good value. The GivEnergy All in One has a standard capacity of 13.5kWh, but you do have the ability to connect up to six units in parallel, meaning the system can be scaled up to a huge 80kWh. It can provide 7.2kW of power at its peak or 6kW continuously.
The All in One features an AC-coupled inverter that communicates intelligently between PV panels, battery and grid supply. This supports optimisation of energy generation, consumption and cost. Users can monitor and manage their energy usage through a web portal and mobile app.
This battery system is designed to be safe for the whole family with no wires or hot vents. It’s also water-resistant and can be installed indoors or outdoors, functioning well in temperatures ranging from -10°C to 55°C. As a plus point, GivEnergy is one of Octopus Energy’s preferred suppliers.
5. Huawei Luna
Image Credit: Huawei
- Capacity – 5, 10 or 15kWh
- Depth of Discharge – 100%
- Scalable – Yes, up to 30kWh
- Power – 2.5kW continuous (per 5kWh battery)
- Battery type – LFP
- Warranty – 10 years, with a 15-year paid extension available
- Dimensions & Weight – 96cm x 67cm x 15cm, 62kg (5kWh battery)
The Huawei Luna is a flexible and scalable storage battery system. It comes in a standard range of capacities from 5-15kWh, but each can be scaled up in 5kWh increments, up to 30kWh maximum capacity. The system uses LFP battery technology and has a 100% depth of discharge to make sure it’s working on the highest efficiency.
The Huawei Luna is a safe battery, which automatically detects and isolates battery faults at the module level to keep the system secure. The Luna operates quietly and can function in a wide temperature range from -20°C to +55°C.
This is an affordable battery with prices starting from £3k for a 5kWh battery. It’s a battery that Eco Affect has used personally with a 10kWh install costing £6k. It’s been great so far and is saving us, when combined with solar, almost £1,000 per year in energy bills. Have a read of our battery storage savings here.
6. SonnenBatterie 10
Image Credit: Sonnen
- Capacity – 5.5 – 22kWh
- Depth of Discharge – 100% (96% round trip) efficiency
- Scalable – Yes, stackable capacity up to 198kWh
- Power – 4.5kW
- Battery type – LFP
- Warranty – 10 years or 10,000 charge cycles
- Dimensions & Weight – 184cm x 69cm x 27cm, 138kg (11kWh)
The German-engineered SonnenBatterie 10 is a fully integrated energy storage solution that combines battery modules, a two-way inverter and a smart energy management system in one. The system is made up of 5.5kWh batteries and can be expanded up to a huge 198kWh, making it suitable for both residential and commercial applications.
The SonnenBatterie 10 is designed to integrate into any existing solar PV set-up. The battery can be installed as an AC-connected system, as well as a DC-coupled hybrid system for homes installing new solar panels. The company’s performance guarantee states that the battery will be not less than 70% of its installed capacity after 10,000 cycles.
The system operates best between temperatures of 5°C to 30°C, but it does work in a wider range of -5°C to +45°C with reduced power. Prices for the SonnenBatterie 10 start from £4,500, which doesn’t include installation.
7. LG Chem Resu
Image Credit: LG
- Capacity – 9.6kWh
- Depth of Discharge – 95% (97.5% round trip efficiency)
- Scalable – Yes, up to 32kWh (no more than two batteries in parallel)
- Power – 5kW continuous (7kW peak)
- Battery type – Lithium-ion NMC
- Warranty – 10 years
- Dimensions & Weight – 91cm x 74cm x 21cm, 111kg (9.6kWh battery)
The LG Chem RESU is a high-quality battery storage solution from a global leader in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries. The RESU is available in two capacities – 9.6kWh and 16kWh – with the possibility to stack a maximum of two batteries together. The LG Chem RESU uses NMC battery technology, known for its high energy density.
One of the key advantages of the LG Chem RESU is its versatility. The battery can be installed indoors or outdoors, with the option to wall mount the 9.6kWh model. The battery connects directly to your solar inverter and charges using DC power from your PV panels. Users can monitor their battery status in real-time using the Resu Monitoring App.
The LG storage battery comes with a 10-year warranty, guaranteeing that the battery will retain at least 60% of its original capacity during this period. The battery also features power cut backup and can operate in temperatures ranging from -10°C to 50°C. Prices start from around £5k for a battery pack.
Looking to learn more about battery energy storage systems?
If you’re still looking for a bit more information on battery storage systems, we have plenty of guides and information for you to read up on.
A good place to start are these posts on all about storing energy at home, what is battery storage and what size battery storage system do I need. To give you a bit more background information so you can understand the possibilities and limitations, check out this post on can battery storage power a house.To learn about the upsides, take a read of these posts on the reasons you should get battery storage and the benefits of solar battery storage in particular.
