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6 min Reading time Do you already have solar panels on your roof for a few years, and are you now considering a home battery? That's a logical step: you get more out of the solar power you already generate, and you become less dependent on energy prices on the grid. Moreover, quite a bit will change in the coming years regarding the net metering scheme, making it increasingly interesting for more and more households to store self-generated power instead of feeding it back. But does a home battery simply fit with your current installation, or does something need to be done with your inverter first? You can read about that in this article.
The inverter is the device that converts the direct current (DC) from your solar panels to alternating current (AC), so you can use the power in your home. To determine whether a home battery can be added just like that, the type and brand of your inverter is the starting point.
You usually find this information in a few places:
Also pay attention to what type of inverter you have. With most installations there is one inverter in an accessible place, such as the meter cupboard. However, with some installations, this technology is not in one place, but per panel on the roof, in the form of micro-inverters or optimizers. That distinction is important, because it partly determines which solution for a home battery suits you best. You can read why later in this article.
Are you not sure anymore, or can't you find the information? Then we would be happy to check this together with you. Often one photo of the nameplate is sufficient to determine what is possible.
Technically, that is often possible. Namely, there is a solution where the battery gets its own, separate inverter and is connected to the distribution board separately from your existing solar panel inverter. This is called AC coupling.
However, this is not what we recommend as standard. With almost every home battery we install, we recommend replacing the existing inverter with a hybrid inverter, even if that old inverter is still working perfectly fine. We explain why below.
Our advice is: in the vast majority of cases yes, and that also applies when your current inverter is still under warranty and functioning perfectly. A hybrid inverter is one device that controls both your solar panels and your home battery, instead of two separate devices. We have six good reasons for this:
Feature | Battery inverter with AC coupling | Hybrid inverter |
Number of devices | Two: your existing inverter plus a separate battery inverter | One integrated device for panels and battery |
Yield | Lower due to double conversion | Higher, minimal conversion losses |
Overview | Possibly multiple apps or systems | One monitoring platform for everything |
Ready for expansion | More limited | Easier to expand |
During a power outage | Battery supplies power until it is empty, is not recharged | Battery continues to charge with solar power and supply home with power |
There is one clear exception to this advice, namely when you have micro-inverters or optimizers. You can read more about that in the next section.
Yes, that is possible. If you have micro-inverters or optimizers on the roof, this is certainly worth considering: these components are not mounted in one accessible place, but per panel on the roof, and replacement is therefore much more labor-intensive and expensive than replacing one inverter in the meter cupboard. That's true, but that doesn't automatically make AC coupling the best choice. If you choose AC coupling to avoid these additional costs, you also keep all the disadvantages of an AC-coupled system: a lower yield, two separate systems instead of one, and a battery that is not recharged during a power outage. You do save on the replacement costs of your micro-inverters or optimizers, but you miss the advantages of a hybrid system. So you make that consideration yourself; it is not self-evident that AC coupling is the better choice in this case, and we are happy to think along with you about this.
However, even then it is good to look beyond the purchase costs alone. Do you want to have two separate systems work together later, where sensitive components are on the roof and maintenance can therefore be more expensive? Or would you rather have one coherent system that controls everything, without having to switch between two apps or installers? That consideration may just make the difference for you, and we are happy to discuss it with you personally.
Also keep in mind that an AC-coupled battery can serve as emergency power during a power outage, but is not recharged as long as the outage lasts: if the battery is empty, you are without power until the grid works again. With a hybrid inverter, the battery continues to be charged with solar power even during a prolonged outage.
Did you have your solar panels installed a while ago? Then there are a few extra things to take into account.
First, the capacity of older panels may have decreased slightly; this is called degradation and is normal, usually about 0.3 to 0.5% yield loss per year. This does not have to be a problem for a home battery, but it is good to know how much solar power you realistically still generate in order to determine which battery capacity suits you.
Second, with an older installation it is good to have it checked whether your distribution board and the generation of your installation still match your current wishes and needs, and also whether everything still meets the technical requirements for your meter cupboard. Our advisor is happy to check this with you personally, so that it is clear what is possibly needed before we install a battery.
Finally: even if your inverter is now due for replacement, that is not a problem. In fact, that is often a nice natural moment to immediately choose a hybrid inverter, so that you are ready for the future in one go.
This depends on the chosen coupling. With AC coupling the battery communicates via the normal power grid in the house, and not directly with your solar panel inverter. Therefore, in most cases you can combine a battery from a different brand with your existing inverter, regardless of who made it.
With a hybrid inverter this is different. Because the inverter and the battery communicate closely with each other, many manufacturers ask for products from their own brand family. If you still combine different brands, that is sometimes possible, but not always guaranteed and not always with full functionality.
This is exactly why with a hybrid inverter we consciously choose a coherent system from one brand: that connects seamlessly to each other and gives you, as mentioned earlier, one clear monitoring platform instead of multiple systems that do not always communicate well with each other.
Do you doubt whether your current brand of inverter works with a certain battery? We know the compatibility of the common brands and advise you honestly about what does and does not work together, so that you are not faced with surprises.
Our advice is clear: at the moment you add a home battery to an installation with a regular inverter, we replace it with a hybrid inverter. This applies regardless of the age of your current inverter, and also when it is still under warranty and is currently functioning well. All the reasons mentioned above remain in place: you are investing in new equipment anyway, you prevent unnecessary complexity, you get more yield, you are ready for expansion, you have one overview and you remain supplied with power even during a power outage. The only exception to this is the situation with micro-inverters or optimizers on the roof, as described above.
For information: an inverter lasts on average about 10 to 15 years, with a warranty period that is usually between 5 and 12 years, depending on the brand. If you already commissioned your solar panels a while ago, replacement is often not far away anyway, and adding a home battery is a nice natural moment to arrange that properly in one go. We are happy to calculate this with you, including the costs and the expected return, so that you can make a well-considered decision.
Are you still doubting whether your installation is suitable, or do you simply want to know what a home battery yields in your situation? Our advisors are happy to take a non-binding look with you and give you honest advice, even if that means we advise you to wait a while. Then request a non-binding consultation below and discover what is possible for your roof.
In almost all cases yes. With most installations we recommend replacing the inverter with a hybrid inverter. Only with micro-inverters or optimizers on the roof, or with very outdated installations, do we look together with you for a different solution.
Because you are investing in new equipment anyway as soon as you add a battery, and then it is a shame not to immediately choose one efficient hybrid system. With a hybrid inverter you get the highest yield, you keep one clear system instead of two, you are ready for future expansions, you have everything in one monitoring platform, and you remain supplied with power even during a power outage. This also applies when your current inverter is still under warranty and functioning well.
That depends on the coupling. With a hybrid inverter connected to your solar panels, the battery continues to be charged with solar power even during a prolonged power outage, and your home remains supplied with power. With an AC-coupled system, the battery does supply power during a power outage, but is no longer recharged; if the battery is empty, you are without power until the grid works again.
No, that is not necessary. A home battery is added to your existing panels; they simply continue to do their work.
* AI was used in the creation of this article. The content has been checked by us and adjusted where necessary.
