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With longer days and brighter skies, summer is the perfect time for solar panels to generate electricity. In fact, many homeowners find that their solar PV system produces more energy during the summer months than they can use at the time it is generated.
This is known as solar surplus: when your solar panels produce more energy than your home needs.
What actually happens to that extra energy? Does it go to waste, or can it be stored and used later?
Solar panels work by converting sunlight into electricity, meaning the amount of energy they generate depends on the amount of daylight available.
During summer, the UK benefits from longer daylight hours and stronger sunlight, allowing solar PV systems to produce more electricity throughout the day. Even though solar panels can still generate energy during colder months, summer typically provides the ideal conditions for maximum output.
For many households, this creates a situation where solar generation is highest when energy usage is often lower. You might be out at work, enjoying the sunshine, or simply not using many electrical appliances during the middle of the day – which is exactly when your panels are producing the most power.
When your solar panels generate more electricity than your home needs, the surplus energy has a few different options.
The first option is to send the excess electricity back to the grid. Many solar PV owners choose to export their unused energy back, and receive payments through a Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariff.
While exporting energy can be beneficial, it also means you are sending your valuable solar generation away when you could potentially use it yourself later. This is where battery storage can make a huge difference.
A solar battery allows you to store the electricity your panels generate, instead of exporting it back to the grid immediately.
During the day, your solar panels power your home. Any surplus electricity is sent to the battery, where it is stored ready for when you need it.
Later in the evening, when the sun has gone down and your solar panels are no longer producing energy, your home can draw power from the battery instead of relying fully on electricity from the grid. This means that more of the energy you generate stays in your home.
A solar PV system, combined with battery storage, can help you get more value from your renewable energy investment.
During periods of high solar generation, your battery can charge using free energy from the sun. This stored electricity can then be used overnight, or during times when your solar panels are producing less.
For many homeowners, this can help reduce electricity bills, increase energy independence, and make better use of renewable energy.
Modern battery systems, such as the Tesla Powerwall 3, can intelligently manage when energy is stored and when it is used, helping your home run more efficiently throughout the year.
Although summer is when solar generation is often at its highest, battery storage is useful all-year round.
During autumn and winter, when daylight hours are shorter, your solar panels may produce less energy. A battery can help by storing available solar generation and, depending on your tariff, can also be charged from the grid during cheaper periods to be used when electricity demand is higher.
This makes battery storage a flexible solution for changing energy needs.
Solar panels are a great way to generate clean electricity for your home, but combining them with battery storage can help you make the most of every unit of energy produced.
Instead of letting excess solar energy leave your home, a battery system allows you to store it and use it when you need it most.
We design and install complete renewable energy solutions, including solar PV systems, battery storage, and smart energy technology to help homeowners take control of their energy use.
Get in touch with our team today to find out how solar and battery storage could work for your home.
