Underfloor heating with solar panels and battery storage
Russ explains how solar generation and battery storage can supply electricity for underfloor heating at different times of day.
Watch Russell explain
A battery can shift when you buy or use electricity. Whether it saves enough to justify its cost depends on your demand, tariff and installed system. Start with those details, rather than a promised percentage saving.
A compatible home battery can store spare solar generation or charge from the grid on a suitable time-of-use tariff. Stored electricity can then supply the home later. Solar panels are not always required, but the equipment and tariff must support the intended use.
Storage loses some energy during charging and discharge. When the usable charge is exhausted, the home needs another electricity source. A battery does not reduce the heat a room loses. Read Energy Saving Trust’s battery guide.
| Input | What to obtain |
|---|---|
| Heating demand | A room heat-loss assessment and realistic heating schedule |
| Tariff | Your actual peak/off-peak rates, windows and eligibility |
| Battery | Installed quote, usable capacity, output limit and efficiency |
| Other loads | Appliances and hot water drawing from the same battery |
| Long-term costs | Warranty, degradation, maintenance and possible replacement |
Floor area alone cannot specify a battery. Ask the installer to model your electricity demand and the charging periods available. Capacity in kWh tells you how much energy can be stored; the power limit in kW also matters when several rooms and appliances run together.
Compare the projected total bill with and without storage, including energy losses and any export income forgone. The cheapest advertised overnight rate does not by itself establish the cheapest annual bill.
Ask for the assumptions behind any savings estimate. Energy Saving Trust’s research finds that technology and tariff choices can make a substantial difference, and a battery’s extra savings do not always recover its cost within its expected life. Read the technology-and-tariff research.
EkoBuild’s Room Designer prices the ribbon-heating stock layout. Battery supply, installation and its savings assessment need a separate specialist quote.
Use your measured room and chosen flooring to start the ribbon layout.