FAQs

Yes, at survey we will discuss the setup of the system for your needs and explain how the system can work with these tariffs. If you choose to charge the battery up on these off-peak tariffs, we can set the battery up to pull charge at those times.

Please refer to data sheets on your contract for specific dimensions. These are floor standing units. Location of the battery should be discussed with your surveyor.

You will be given a recommendation based on your registration details. However, you can choose to have a larger battery if you wish. It is best to go with the installers recommendation, then monitor the system over 6-12 months to see if another battery is worthwhile having.

Yes, they can be fitted at a later date, they are plug and play so if another is required it is a simple 20-minute job.

None in first 2 years and 3% per annum after that period.

Much the same as the panels, every 2 years. However, we can monitor the battery remotely and you will have the ability to monitor the battery through an app and web portal. So, if the battery experiences any faults or abnormalities, you will get notified. If this were to happen, we recommend you contact us, and we can help resolve the issue.

If your battery is retrofitted, we offer an AC Couple battery system which comes with a power inverter and charger. This is fitted separate from you existing solar PV system. If you are having the battery installed along with your Solar PV system, we offer a DC Coupled system. This is slightly more efficient and if you haven’t previously had solar it is more cost effective.

Yes, it can. At an additional cost of £450 we can install a 2-gang socket which is connected to the EPS function of the battery. This will charge certain circuits and appliance you wish to keep live in the event of a power cut. However, this is limited to the charge of the battery at the time of the event.

With a typical 5.2kw battery it will support up to 5.2Kw of load at any point in time.

Adding panels later can depend on your roof size. It would also be advisable to specify this during your survey to ensure the correct inverter and other equipment is fitted to save costs as and when you add more panels. Increasing the battery size is entirely up to you and would dependant on your energy usage.

Typically, the battery will come with around 50% charged after the commissioning process.

The battery makes no noise. The only equipment that would make a noise is the inverter however this is only a computer like noise.

If your battery is installed along with your solar PV system VAT would be at 5% and typically, when you are installing a retrofit storage system this would be 20% VAT.

They have an internal cooling mechanism, so heat emitted in minimal. However, they are affected by heat so we would have to ensure the location they are stored have adequate ventilation like a loft.

It really depends how many solar panels are installed and how much sunlight is generated on any given day. A 4kW solar system generating at peak capacity would generate 4KW power. If you have a 5KW battery this would charge within an hour and 15 minutes, providing you weren`t using any of the electricity generated from your solar system in your home.

No that`s all done automatically. A current transformer will monitor how much energy you`re using from the grid, this will tell the batteries management system how it should react, and it will then give you the power as and when you need it ensuring you don’t export any power you can use for yourself.

You will need to be connected to the grid for when the solar system isn`t generating electricity. Or your batteries have fully discharged.

The battery will be installed by electrician in the vicinity of your solar inverter or next to your solar equipment, typically it will be mounted on a frame, and it will have wires interconnecting the additional batteries and then cable connecting it to your inverter.

The battery doesn`t include the inverter. The inverter is similar sized but separate and slightly deeper. It`s about 400mm and it will be mounted on the wall. You can see some example photographs on our website and on our social media. Our surveyor will also make sure to have some examples for you when we when we come to carry out your appointment to make sure you can visualise what`s going to be happening.

If you have a battery, you will export less electricity to the grid, however the benefits are roughly 7 times higher using the electricity yourself, compared to the money you would get exporting, for example exporting tariffs are around 2-6pence a unit. Compared to saving the free energy in the battery, and not buying it for 16-20pence a unit from suppliers.

Yes, you can programme the battery to export at specific times. On the other hand, you can connect the battery and tell it to export as and when you require it. We can programme it during the installation, or you can remotely programme it after we have carried out the installation to the specific dates and times you require.

2.5 hours.

The battery is designed to hold its charge for as long as possible. For it to continue running and monitoring its functionality it is roughly 0.3/0.4%.

Yes, you can. Although it wouldn’t be the most cost-effective option as during the winter you would still generate enough electricity to charge you battery. If you were to choose this option, we would need to change the parameters, so no power was exported out of the battery unless you asked it to. However, you may not be getting the most out of the equipment if you made that decision.

FoxEss – links to data sheets are available on our website and will be provided to you when we come and carry out the survey.

Yes, they will still be beneficial as it will increase your energy efficiency.

You could add more storage if needed. The batteries come in variable power plusses we can offer 2.6Kw to 5.2kw to 7.8Kw and 10.4Kw. Typically, we find that 5.2Kw batteries are the most appropriate size.

Yes, the warranty comes with a recycling guarantee.

If you are having a two-string system installed, we can use a normal inverter and each side would use a separate performance tracker and strings. If you were having an uneven mixing of panels on either roof, we would recommend you us optimisers in this scenario which involves extra costs.

Yes, it is possible. We would need to assess the infrastructure between the buildings as there would need to be a sufficient electricity supply to the outbuildings. This can be discussed during your survey.

Yes, the only location it cannot be installed is externally without an enclosure.

They do not need to be close to each other, installation will typically be in your loft garage or in another agreed location, we will then run a suitably sized cable from this location to your consumer unit to connect into it.

We would want to ensure that the locations were ventilated, that it is not easily accessible, and it is protected from any prying hands e.g. if you have at young children. We would also make sure that it wasn`t installed in a location which would get particularly hot.

Yes, we install the scaffolding the day before the installation. During the installation we take detailed photographs of the roof space and would censure any roof space underneath the panels are cleaned.

The £150 deposit is refundable if the installation cannot be done because of your roof orientation etc. However, if we can do the install but you decide you no longer want to go ahead with it the deposit is not refundable.

If there is another appropriate location to store the equipment on the property this should not pose an issue. During the survey they will ensure there is a suitable route from your roof space to wherever the equipment is stored.

The loft doesn’t need to be boarded. We will attend with crawl boards, and we will remove them once the installation is complete so there will be no disruption.

All our installers are trained to carry out work on electricity, solar PV and working at heights. We ensure that any scaffold system erected is certified by the scaffolder prior to installation, and all our installers will carry out a risk assessment and method statement analysis prior to any works being done. We will also do the same at the survey, making sure any unusual risks are highlighted for the installation team. Finally, we will have supervision within the area, we will come and inspect the team, during installation, to ensure they are acting appropriately and in accordance with our documentation, we will also quality audit the installation after work to make sure that everything has been undertaken appropriately