Solar · Batteries · Off-grid power
Keep the lights on. Bring the bills down.
Clear advice on solar, batteries and backup power for homes, businesses, narrowboats, campervans and off-grid cabins.
Find a system that fitsBatteries and backup sized to what you run
Work out your returnRooftop solar, with or without a battery
Battery onlyCharge cheap overnight, use it at peak times
NewPlug-in solarPanels that plug into a socket, no installer
- Real products with current prices
- Calculators you can check line by line
- Written in plain English
Power-cut protection
Most solar systems switch off in a power cut. Yours does not have to.
A standard solar inverter shuts down the moment the grid fails. Keeping your core equipment running takes a battery and the right kind of switchover.
For a home that means heating controls, the fridge and freezer, broadband and lights. For a business it means servers, tills, refrigeration and security. Choose the level of protection that matches what you cannot afford to lose.
UPSOne server, till or router. Rides through short cuts.No gap
Portable powerFridge, router, lights and boiler from a unit you plug into.Plug in by hand
Essential circuitsA hybrid inverter feeds the circuits you choose.A few seconds
Whole buildingA backup gateway isolates the grid and runs everything.Seconds or less
Off-gridNo grid connection, so nothing to cut.Always on
Lower bills
Would solar earn more than your savings account?
Under the current price cap, each unit you use from your own panels saves 26.32p. Exporting it earns about 12p.
The calculator shows first-year savings, payback and an estimated yearly return. It then sets that against a savings account, an investment return and the APR on a loan, so you can see whether paying cash or borrowing helps or hurts.
Renting, or want to start small? Plug-in solar kits cost a few hundred pounds
Estimates only. This is not financial advice and we are not qualified financial advisers.
Who this is for
Advice for how you actually use power
Businesses
Protect servers, tills, refrigeration and security from outages and short dips.
Protect core equipment
Narrowboats and campervans
Right-sized 12V solar and lithium, so you can stay put for longer between charges.
Size a leisure system
Off-grid cabins
Panels, batteries and an inverter sized for the darkest weeks, not the brightest.
How off-grid worksThe right battery is the difference between a power cut and an ordinary evening.
System types
Four ways to build a solar system
On-grid solar
Panels and an inverter, no battery. The lowest cost and often the quickest payback.
On-grid solarHybrid with battery
Stores your daytime surplus for the evening, so you buy less from the grid.
Hybrid systemsHybrid with automatic switchover
A backup gateway hands over to the battery when the grid fails.
Automatic switchoverFully off-grid
No grid connection. Sized around winter, usually with a generator in reserve.
Off-grid systems
System finder
Tick the appliances. Set the hours. See what fits.
A fridge freezer, boiler, router, lights and phone charging for 24 hours comes to about 2.8 kWh.
The finder adds up your own list, then shows only the systems and batteries that store enough. Set a budget, then sort by price or by value in pounds per kWh.
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