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Solar Panels and Battery Storage: A Homeowner's Guide

By Staff4dshire Group · Margav Energy

Solar panels generate most during the middle of the day, while many households use most electricity in the morning and evening. Battery storage helps close that gap. Here is how solar and batteries work together, and how to decide what is right for your home.

Solar Panels and Battery Storage: A Homeowner's Guide

How solar PV works

Solar PV panels convert daylight into electricity. An inverter converts that into the type of electricity your home uses. Anything you do not use straight away can be stored in a battery, if you have one, or exported to the grid.

What a battery does

A home battery stores surplus solar electricity during the day so you can use it in the evening. Some households also charge a battery from the grid on a cheaper off-peak tariff and use that energy at peak times. Batteries can be installed alongside new solar panels, added to an existing solar system, or installed standalone.

Is my roof suitable?

South-facing roofs are ideal, but east and west-facing roofs can also work well, especially with a battery. Shading from trees, chimneys or neighbouring buildings matters, as does the condition of the roof. If the roof needs repairs, do them before the panels go on; within Staff4dshire Group, roofing and scaffolding are handled by our own companies.

Sizing the system

The right size of solar array and battery depends on your roof space, your electricity use and when you use it. Electric vehicles, heat pumps and home working all change the picture. A good installer will look at your bills or usage data before recommending a system.

Planning permission

Solar panels on most houses are permitted development, subject to conditions. Different rules can apply to listed buildings, flats and properties in conservation areas, so check before you commit.

Questions to ask any installer

Ask how they sized the system, what output and savings assumptions they used, what the warranties cover, who handles aftercare and how the system will be monitored. Ask how the installation meets any scheme requirements relevant to you, such as for export payments.

Is a battery worth it?

A battery lets you use more of the electricity your panels generate, by storing what you do not use in the day and releasing it in the evening. Whether it pays back depends on how much you use in the evening, how much your system generates, what you are paid for exported electricity and what you pay for imported electricity. Some households also charge the battery from the grid on a cheaper overnight tariff.

The best way to decide is to look at your actual electricity use. Your bills, or half-hourly data from a smart meter, show when you use power and how much. An installer can then model how a battery of a given size would change what you import and export.

Sizing the system

Panel numbers are limited by roof space, orientation and shading. South-facing roofs give the most generation, but east and west roofs can work well, spreading generation across the morning and evening. Battery size should match your evening use and the surplus your panels produce; a battery that is never filled, or is emptied by mid-evening, is not doing its best work.

Grid connection and paperwork

Most domestic systems need to be notified to the local distribution network operator, and larger systems may need approval before connection. You will also need an export tariff arrangement with an energy supplier to be paid for the electricity you send to the grid. Using an MCS-certified installer is normally required for export payments, and you should receive the certificates and electrical paperwork when the system is handed over.

Maintenance

Solar panels need very little maintenance. Keep an eye on generation using the inverter app or display, and look out for sudden drops, which can point to shading, a fault or dirt build-up. Batteries and inverters have their own warranties, so keep the paperwork safe.

Solar and batteries from Margav Energy

Margav Energy installs solar PV, battery storage, heat pumps, heating, electrics and air conditioning across Staffordshire, with free consultation and property assessment and aftercare and support.

Quick checklist

  • Check roof orientation and shading
  • Fix roof problems before installation
  • Share your electricity usage with the installer
  • Think about future EVs or heat pumps
  • Check planning rules for your property
  • Ask about warranties and monitoring

Frequently asked questions

Can I add a battery to existing panels?

Often, yes. Batteries can be installed standalone or paired with solar.

Do I need a south-facing roof?

South is ideal, but east and west roofs can work well, especially with a battery.

Do you install EV chargers?

Margav Energy also lists EV charger installations, home and commercial.

About Staff4dshire Group. Staff4dshire Group is based at Unit 7 & 8 Kimberley Business Park, Rugeley, Staffordshire. Our companies cover building and landscaping (Staff4dshire Properties), roofing (Staff4dshire Roofing Specialists), scaffolding (Staff4dshire Scaffolding), groundworks, drainage and utilities (Staff4dshire Groundworks & Utilities), plant hire (Staff4dshire Plant Hire) and renewables (Margav Energy). We work for homeowners, developers, principal contractors and local authorities across Staffordshire, Birmingham and the West Midlands, and we are a registered supplier with Walsall, Tamworth, Sandwell, Dudley, Birmingham and Telford & Wrekin councils.
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