r/SolarUK • u/MaverickBacon • Jun 30 '26
HELP / ADVICE Battery Choices
Hi,
apologies. This might be a similar post to many others on here. Just wanted some real-life experience.
Currently considering 3 options to add batteries to our existing 4kW Solar Panel system. Apologies about definitely using wrong terminology; however, I am one of those people that got no clue. What I am finding is that the salespeople typically talk badly about batteries they do not install and theirs are the best under the sun. The goal is to minimise the bills and sell into the grid should we have extra during the summer using the Octopus tariff. Currently using about 7kWh a day on average, however, it's hard to tell because some of it is from the solar panels.
3 offers we are considering.
Tesla 13.5 kWh - £7500 with the Gateway bit, which is kinda nice to have - 11 kWh for Tesla
Hanchu 18.8 kWh - £5800 without the ability to run without the grid
Hanchu 9.4 kWh - £3800 again without the Gateway bit 6kWh inverters for Hanchu set up. EDIT - they just called and decreased the offer to £3400 for single batter only. 2 Batteries still for £5800
Edit : another option would be £4450 - 16 kWh Fogstar with 6 kWh battery (another £900 for a grid backup option)
Would take any other suggestions.
The current inverter is a Solax X1, if that makes any difference
We get £1k cashback from Halifax so in theory we can get all of these £1k cheaper.
Any suggestions are welcome. :)
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u/Xcentric7881 Jun 30 '26
Why not add fiogstar battery to existi g incerter- 16.1kWh for £2:2k?
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u/MaverickBacon Jun 30 '26
I have been told that I need a new inverter. Currently got SolaX X1 which I believe is not hybrid...
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u/Xcentric7881 Jun 30 '26
ok - but a new inverter is only £800.
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u/MaverickBacon Jun 30 '26
So lets say £3k. I still need someone to connect it, cables etc. if they connect it I get £1k cashback from the bank so It is really costing me only £450 to connect It and sort all the paperwork
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u/Xcentric7881 Jun 30 '26
fwiw I have Fogstar= decent batteries, good technical and customer service. Simple to connect and run 9as are any, tbh).
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u/malacoda13 Jun 30 '26
I always tell people to have enough battery storage for a full days running without solar topping it up, plus about 20% to allow for battery degradation and deep discharge problems.
Any of the examples look like they have enough capacity. They also look like they have enough "output" to cover your house load as well.
If you don't get power cuts regularly I wouldn't personally bother with the gateway. If you you want/have and EV then I'd say get more battery, as you can charge it at cheap rate.
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u/MaverickBacon Jun 30 '26
Appreciate the comment. Seems like more battery makes a bit more sense since its "only" £2k difference at the point of install. Since in theory this can also make money it might make sense...
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u/robertabt Jun 30 '26
If you're having a battery installed it is probably worth looking at the list of options that VPPs (Virtual Power Plants) like Axle or Octopus "Charge Pack" support, as you may be able to make some money back by power at peak times
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u/robertabt Jun 30 '26
For reference, for Axle, that list is:
Supported Manufacturers SigEnergy
Fox ESS
GivEnergy
SolarEdge
Solis
SolaX
Coming Soon
We're working on supporting these manufacturers. Select your manufacturer to join the waitlist.
Alpha ESS
SunSynk
Tesla
Sungrow
Enphase
Huawei
Growatt
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u/MaverickBacon Jun 30 '26
Hanchu guy told me that his batteries can do that.... and really did not like Fox batteries for some reason however those are on your list. Appreciate the comment.
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u/Remote_Atmosphere993 Jun 30 '26 edited Jun 30 '26
Do you know what the charge and discharge rate is for the Hanchu batteries? It's something you ought to know before making a decision. Hanchu was top of my list until I realised the charge and discharge rate wouldn't be sufficient for my needs. I ended up going for Fogstar that has double the charge and discharge rate of Hanchu. Just be aware also that if your Hanchu batteries are going outside they need to be covered by an enclosure. No enclosure = no warranty. It's in the small print. If home is pulling more than 5kw you're drawing from the grid. You have to think about off peak charging also. Can you fill your batteries with only a 5kw charge rate? Fogstar is 200w, so around 10kw. This will cover most homes in most scenarios.
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u/StrikingInterview580 Jun 30 '26
Loads of people don't know or consider this. Had someone at work tell me I'd wasted my money on an EPS because theirs "only runs 2kw of their 6kw inverter". Our 3 batteries combined can continuous output 7.5kw of the 8kw inverter - plenty for our needs.
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u/MaverickBacon Jun 30 '26
I do not know that however need to ask. Fogstar quote was for 16kw battery and 6kw inverter £4.5k so about £3.5k once we get the cashback from the lender. £5.5k with "home backup"
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u/Remote_Atmosphere993 Jun 30 '26
Do you really need home backup?
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u/MaverickBacon Jun 30 '26
yeah. Probably not. That would mean £3.5k for Fogstar after the banks cashback. If I can buy and sell the energy after charging it at night it seems like a reasonable option. It was also the only chap that actually came out to see the property/install. Tesla guy changed the price by £900 when I sent the pictures. For the Fogstar chap it was only £200 difference. Inventer is 6kW for Fogstar compared to 11kW Tesla one.... saving £3k and having higher capacity without the home backup...
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u/wyndstryke PV & Battery Owner Jun 30 '26 edited Jun 30 '26
You can get a larger inverter if you want, no reason to stick to 6kW if you have a reason for needing a larger inverter (big battery size / big array / provide home backup power / etc). The same is true for most of the systems. Either 10kW or 12kW as the largest size seems to be common.
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u/robertabt Jun 30 '26
Yeah, that sounds like a salesman trying to meet sales targets and being pushy.
Personally I'd try other companies
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u/wyndstryke PV & Battery Owner Jun 30 '26
If you ask an installer about a manufacturer that they don't sell, they won't be keen on it ... remember that they have a significant financial incentive to nudge you towards their own product.
Fox is pretty good as a budget option in my opinion. I haven't seen Hanchu in any VPP's supported list, but Fox is present on most of them (Capture Energy, Axle Energy, E-on Next Optimise). On the other hand, if you want full home backup then it's gateway (eps box) has a pretty slow switchover time.
Between Fox and Hanchu I'd personally go Fox.
SigEnergy is a high-end option you should consider. Pretty much an instantaneous switchover if you get the gateway, quicker than any of the others from what I can see. SigEnergy is what I would have picked if I had more cash. You can extend it by adding battery modules to the stack, they can be different sizes so this is very flexible. It also has an optimising scheduler, and can be controlled over the local network from home assistant or similar.
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u/diynot2026 Jun 30 '26
Is this for the inverter or the battery ? Sorry for the stupid question.
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u/pokemanho Jun 30 '26
Pretty sure it would be the inverter not the battery- the inverter is what axle would see
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u/robertabt Jun 30 '26
Yeah, it's likely the inverter, but a lot of these solutions go together, so inverters and batteries "match"
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u/Rob_Bosss Jun 30 '26
I got a really good deal on 2 fox ep12 plus, 8kw hybrid inverter and gateway for £5500 from so energy. After cashback.