
Battery storage
Storage that earns its place, not a default add-on
Self-consumption
Surplus daytime generation is stored and used in the evening instead of exported at a lower return, the main reason most batteries are added.
Backup power
Keeping selected circuits running during a power cut is a separate function from self-consumption, and only some combinations support it.
Battery-ready design
Where a battery is not fitted yet, position, cable route, protection and board space can still be reserved.
Questions worth asking
Questions worth asking before adding storage
A battery is not automatically part of a good solar system. It earns its cost back when there is a genuine, regular gap between generation and use.
Do I need a battery to have solar?
No. A well-designed solar system without a battery is a complete, sensible system for many properties, particularly ones with strong daytime use.
How is battery size decided?
Against the evening or off-generation consumption on an ordinary day, not against the array size or a fixed package.
Will it keep the lights on during a power cut?
Only if the installation is designed for it. Backup and self-consumption are different functions, worth confirming which one a proposed system actually supports.
Can a battery be added to an existing system?
Often yes, if the inverter is compatible and there is spare capacity in the board. Where neither is true, an inverter change may be part of the scope.

The evening consumption pattern on your property is what decides this, not a general rule.
Next step
