Which Battery Storage Solution Should I Choose?
If you are looking to add Battery Storage to an existing Solar PV Kit, or a new Solar Kit, this information will be helpful to you.
We offer three main options for battery storage:
OPTION 1 – ENPHASE 5P 5kWh BATTERY MODULE
The Enphase IQ Battery 5P 5kWh Battery is an All-In-One AC-Coupled system, which is powerful, reliable, simple, and safe.
You can see more information on the Enphase Battery here: Enphase IQ Battery 5P – 5kWh Battery Module
You can see a datasheet for the Enphase 5P 5kWh Battery here: Enphase 5P Battery Module.
It has a total usable energy capacity of 5kWh, with 100% Depth of Discharge (DoD).
If you want to increase your capacity, you can simply add further battery modules (e.g. 2 x 5kWh Units for 10kWh Capacity).
The Enphase IQ Battery 5P 5kWh Battery has a a 3.2 kWh charge/discharge rate, which is additive, so by adding another battery you increase your charge/discharge rate (e.g. 2 x 3.2kWh = 6.4kWh charge/discharge rate).
The Enphase battery can be configured to charge from excess Solar PV, or the grid (during specific times), or both.
The Enphase Battery comes with an industry leading 15 year warranty.
When using a Plug In Solar Kit with an Enphase Battery you will be able to monitor both the Solar PV generation and Battery performance all in the Enphase Enlighten Platform, Not only does this give you a neater overview of the system, but using all Enphase products also gives you one point of support and improved system integration.
Please be aware that as the Enphase 5P Battery is an AC Tied Battery System, it therefore does not have an Emergency Power Supply (EPS) facility. As such, if there is a powercut, the battery will not function. An EPS feature will be available when the IQ System Controller becomes available in the UK in 2025 (Price TBC).
OPTION 2 – ALPHA SMILE-B3 PLUS 5.04kWh BATTERY ESS
The Alpha Smile B3 Plus is an All in One Unit, that includes a 3kW Battery Charger and a 5.04kWh Battery (4.79kWh Usable).
You can see more information on the Alpha Smile B3 Plus is an All in One Unit here: Alpha Smile-B3 Plus 5.04kWh Battery ESS
The Alpha Smile B3 Plus All in One Unit is designed to be very easy to install, and is easily expandable up to 30.24kWh with the addition of up to 5 x Alpha 5.0kWh Batteries (SMILE-BAT-5P)
This Battery can be configured to charge from excess Solar PV, or the grid (during specific times), or both.
The Alpha Smile B3 Plus All in One Unit has a maximum charge/discharge rate of 3kW at any time (no matter how many modules you install).
The Alpha Smile B3 Plus All in One Unit has it’s own in built wifi and online monitoring system, this is where you would login to see the performance of the battery.
The Alpha Smile Battery comes with a 5 year warranty.
A qualified electrician with no additional training can install the Alpha Smile Battery System.
Please be aware that as the Alpha Smile B3 Plus All in One Unit is an AC Tied Battery System and therefore does not have an Emergency Power Supply (EPS) facility. As such, if there is a powercut, the battery will not function.
This option is a less expensive option, but with more components and is therefore a more involved installation.
The first item that is required is a Solis 3.0kW 5G RAI Energy Storage AC Coupled Battery Charger/Manager. You will need this even if you already have a Solar PV Inverter/Micro-Inverters.
This unit allows you to charge and discharge batteries from excess Solar PV. You can also choose to charge the batteries from the grid (great if you have a dual tariff).
The Solis 3.0kW 5G RAI Energy Storage AC Coupled Battery Charger/Manager is usually teamed with PylonTech Battery Modules, which are available in two capacities:
- PylonTech US3000C 3.5kWh Module (3.37kWh Usable)
- PylonTech US5000 4.8kWh Module (4.56kWh Usable)
To increase the capacity of the battery bank you can simply add more modules. E.g. 2 x US5000C 4.8kW Modules = 9.6kWh Battery Storage (9.12kWh Usable). Mixing and matching modules is not advised.
The Solis RAI AC Battery Inverter has a maximum charge/discharge rate of 3kW at any time (no matter how many battery modules you install).
The Solis RAI Battery Inverter comes with a 5 year warranty and the PylonTech Battery Modules come with a 7 year warranty.
As well as the Battery Inverter and Batteries, you would also need some other additional equipment such as:
- PylonTech Stackable Battery Brackets (Optional)
Sizing a Battery System
If you are unsure if you need a Battery System, we would advise running your Solar PV system for a month or so (in Spring or Summer), and record the energy generation and usage. That way you can determine whether a battery is worth purchasing (and what capacity) based on how much excess energy you have. As battery systems can be retro-fitted, this is a very worthwhile activity.
For further advice on how to choose the correct size battery for your installation, please see a link to our guide below:
