Home Battery: Everything You Need to Know
A home battery offers the possibility to store self-generated energy from solar panels for later use. This means that you are no longer completely dependent on your energy supplier for electricity, which can reduce your energy costs. But how exactly does this work, and what does this mean for the future of energy consumption? In this article we explain everything about the operation, costs, and benefits of a home battery.
What is a Home Battery?
A home battery, also known as a home battery, is a large rechargeable battery that allows you to store the electricity you have generated yourself with solar panels. Instead of using the power directly or feeding it back into the energy grid, you store it for later use. This allows you to use the energy more efficiently and makes you less dependent on the electricity grid.
Typically, you use 30 to 50 percent of the power you generate yourself with solar panels. By adding a home battery, this can increase to 60 to 80 percent. This means you can use more of your own, free generated energy, further reducing your electricity bill.
How Long Can You Go Without Grid Power?
The amount of time you can function without grid power with a home battery depends on your power consumption and the size of the battery. Some home batteries offer enough capacity to power your home for hours. There are even models that can power you for up to several days. It is therefore important to choose the right battery size based on your energy consumption.
How Much Does a Home Battery Cost?
The price of a home battery depends on the type and size of the battery. A common rule of thumb is that the cost is approximately €750 per kilowatt hour (kWh) of storage capacity. For example, a 5 kWh home battery will cost around €3,750. In addition to the purchase price, there are also installation costs, depending on the installer.
As with solar panels, you can get the VAT (21%) back when purchasing a home battery. This means a direct saving of 21% on the purchase price, although many suppliers often advertise the price including VAT.
How Can You Charge Your Home Battery Without Solar Panels?
Although solar panels are the most obvious way to charge your home battery, they are not the only option. After all, the sun does not always shine in the Netherlands, especially in the winter months. Fortunately, you can also charge your home battery with electricity from the grid, at times when the electricity price is the lowest.
If you have a dynamic energy contract, you can take advantage of lower rates, such as off-peak or night rates, to charge your battery. This can be especially beneficial with a variable contract, where you can take advantage of the lowest electricity prices. By charging the battery when the price is low and using the energy when the price is high, you can further reduce your energy costs.
Should You Buy a Home Battery Now?
Although it is still possible to purchase a home battery, it is important to understand that it is not always the best choice financially. It depends on various factors, such as the netting arrangement and the feed-in costs that energy companies sometimes charge for solar energy. The netting arrangement ensures that you receive compensation for the power that you feed back into the grid, but that arrangement will decrease in the coming years. This can make it more attractive to store your solar power yourself instead of feeding it back.
In addition, it is possible that the government will introduce new, favorable regulations for home batteries between 2024 and 2030, which will make the investment in a home battery more attractive. Similar to other countries, such as Belgium, where you can buy a home battery at Ikea, for example, there may be subsidies or tax benefits in the Netherlands in the future that make the purchase of a home battery financially more advantageous.
The Electric Car as a Home Battery
An alternative to a separate home battery is your electric car. The battery of an electric car is often many times larger than that of a home battery. For example, the battery of a Nissan LEAF has a capacity of 62 kWh, which would be enough to supply an average household with electricity for several days.
While bidirectional charging technology, which allows you to use your electric car to power your home, is still in its infancy, it is a promising alternative. Cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 already offer the ability to use their batteries to power your home, and in the future, these systems are likely to become increasingly user-friendly and accessible.
Conclusion
A home battery can be an important step towards more sustainable and cheaper energy consumption, especially if you generate a lot of solar power. However, the costs and savings are not always in balance at the moment. However, technological advances and future regulations can increase the benefits of home batteries, making them an even more attractive investment in the near future. Also consider your electric car as a potential source of energy storage. Combining solar panels, home batteries and dynamic energy contracts offers countless possibilities for energy saving and sustainability.
