Battery
Battery Retrofit in Ormskirk
Already have solar panels installed? Add a battery and start using more of the electricity you generate, day and night, with a compatible, MCS certified retrofit from our in-house team.
Free survey and written quote typically within 1–2 working days.
MCS Certified
Battery storage installation
10 years
Typical battery manufacturer warranty
~10
In-house installation team
QANW
Insurance-backed guarantee
If your solar array predates affordable storage, you are almost certainly exporting energy during the day and buying it back at a far higher rate in the evening. A retrofit battery corrects that without touching the panels you already own.
What a battery retrofit involves
A battery retrofit is the addition of a battery storage unit to a solar PV system that was installed without one, whether that system is a few months old or many years old. Rather than exporting surplus solar generation to the grid for a low return, the battery stores it on site so it can be used later in the day or evening when the panels are not generating. Depending on the age and type of your existing inverter, this can mean adding a compatible battery to your current setup, or in some cases installing a new hybrid inverter alongside the battery to get the two systems working together properly. Either way, the objective is the same: capture more of your own solar generation and use it yourself, instead of relying on grid import once the sun goes down.
Who this is for
Retrofits suit homeowners and businesses who installed solar PV without a battery, often because batteries were less common, less affordable, or simply not offered at the time, and who are now watching a large share of their generation get exported for a fraction of what it costs to buy electricity back. It also suits properties where electricity use has increased since the solar was fitted, for example with the addition of an EV, a heat pump, or simply higher household demand, meaning there is now more appetite to shift usage into daylight-generation hours or store it for the evening peak.
When it is worth considering
The case for a retrofit strengthens the more your household or business uses electricity outside of daylight hours, since that is exactly the usage pattern a battery is designed to serve. It is also worth reviewing if your export payments have never matched expectations, if your existing inverter is approaching the end of its warranty or replacement cycle (a natural point to consider a hybrid unit), or if you are planning to add an EV charger or heat pump and want to make the most of existing solar capacity before those extra loads land on the grid import bill.
Why professional assessment matters
Not every existing solar installation is straightforward to retrofit. Inverter brand, model, age, string configuration and the position of the existing consumer unit and cabling all affect what is achievable and how. Some inverters have AC-coupled battery options that bolt on with minimal disruption; others need replacing to get proper compatibility and warranty support. Getting this assessment wrong before ordering equipment can mean paying for a battery that never performs as expected, or discovering compatibility issues after installation. Our surveys look at the existing system in detail before we recommend a route, rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all retrofit will work.
What you get out of it
- Keeps your existing array and existing export arrangement intact
- Raises the share of your own generation you actually consume
- Works with most existing inverter configurations, confirmed at survey
- Installed and certified by the same in-house team that handles new builds
What the work includes
- Free survey of your existing array, inverter and consumer unit
- Compatibility assessment and battery sizing
- Battery, any additional inverter hardware and full electrical work
- Commissioning, monitoring setup and handover
What it costs to wait
What happens when this is left alone
Exporting electricity you could be using
Without storage, any solar electricity you do not use the moment it is generated is exported to the grid, typically for a rate well below what you pay to import electricity back later. For many households and businesses, a significant proportion of solar generation happens while nobody is home to use it, meaning that electricity is effectively sold cheap in the afternoon and bought back expensive in the evening. A retrofit closes that gap.
Fitting an incompatible or undersized battery
Batteries are not universally compatible with every inverter, and buying one that is technically not designed for your system can lead to poor charging performance, reduced usable capacity, or warranty issues if something goes wrong. Undersized batteries can also fail to capture enough surplus generation to make a meaningful difference, leaving you disappointed with the return on the investment. Correct sizing and compatibility checking against your specific inverter and generation profile matters more than most people expect.
DIY or unqualified installation risks
Battery retrofits involve working on live electrical systems, sometimes alongside existing solar PV wiring that was installed by a different company. Poor workmanship at this stage can create genuine safety hazards, invalidate existing solar warranties, and fall foul of Part P and MCS requirements for notifiable electrical work. Using an MCS certified, NAPIT registered installer for the retrofit protects both safety and the paperwork trail needed for any future warranty claim or property sale.
Our process
How we deliver the work
- 01
Free survey and system review
We visit your property, inspect your existing solar PV installation, and record the inverter make, model, age, string layout, and how the system is currently wired into your consumer unit. We discuss your electricity usage patterns and what you want the battery to achieve.
- 02
Compatibility and route assessment
We check whether your existing inverter supports a compatible AC-coupled battery, or whether a hybrid inverter replacement would give a better outcome. This assessment is the foundation of the recommendation you receive, not an afterthought.
- 03
Written quote within 1–2 working days
You receive a clear, itemised written quote covering the recommended battery, any inverter work required, installation labour, commissioning and paperwork, typically within one to two working days of the survey.
- 04
Installation and commissioning
Our in-house electricians carry out the retrofit, integrating the battery with your existing solar array, configuring the system for your usage priorities, and commissioning it to confirm it charges, discharges and communicates correctly with the existing PV.
- 05
Handover, monitoring and documentation
We walk you through the app or monitoring interface, hand over updated system documentation including MCS certification for the battery work, and register the installation as required, leaving you with a single, coherent record for the combined solar and battery system.
Benefits
What this changes for you
Use more of your own generation
Instead of exporting surplus solar electricity at export rates, a retrofitted battery stores it for use later the same day, increasing the proportion of your own electricity consumption that comes from your own panels rather than the grid.
Evening and overnight cover
Stored solar electricity can cover usage after the sun goes down, when demand in most households and businesses is at its highest, reducing reliance on grid import during peak-price periods.
Backup during power cuts
Depending on the battery and inverter configuration chosen, a retrofit can provide a level of backup power to keep essential circuits running during a grid outage, something a solar-only system without storage cannot offer.
Better headroom for future loads
If you are planning to add an EV charger or a heat pump, a battery retrofit can help you make more use of existing solar capacity before those extra loads increase your grid dependence, giving your existing panels a longer useful working life.
One accountable team, not a patchwork
Rather than a separate battery installer bolting equipment onto a system fitted by someone else with no oversight, our in-house team assesses and documents the whole combined system, so you have one point of contact and one coherent set of records.
Warranty-backed equipment and workmanship
Batteries fitted as part of a retrofit typically carry a 10 year manufacturer warranty, and our installation work is covered by a 2 year workmanship guarantee that is insurance-backed via QANW, giving you cover on both the equipment and the fitting.
In detail
Battery Retrofit for Existing Solar explained properly
AC-coupled versus hybrid inverter retrofits
There are two broad approaches to adding a battery to an existing solar PV system. An AC-coupled retrofit adds a battery with its own inverter that connects directly to your existing consumer unit alongside your current solar inverter, working independently but coordinating charge and discharge. This route often suits systems where the existing solar inverter is relatively recent and performing well. Alternatively, a hybrid retrofit replaces the existing solar inverter with a new hybrid unit that manages both the solar array and the battery through a single device, which can offer tighter integration and is often the better route if the existing inverter is older or nearing the end of its service life anyway. We assess both options against your specific system during the survey rather than defaulting to one approach.
Battery sizing and household or business demand
Choosing the right battery capacity depends on your existing solar array size, your typical daily and evening electricity consumption, and what you want the system to prioritise, whether that is maximising self-consumption, providing backup capability, or a balance of both. Oversizing adds unnecessary cost without proportional benefit; undersizing leaves surplus generation still being exported unused. We size battery capacity against your actual generation and usage data where available, rather than applying a generic recommendation.
Working with existing installations from other companies
Many retrofit enquiries come from properties where the original solar PV was installed by a different company, sometimes one that is no longer trading. We are used to assessing third-party installations, checking documentation, inverter condition and wiring standards before recommending a retrofit route, and we will flag clearly if any remedial work is needed on the existing system before a battery can be safely added.
Residential and commercial retrofit differences
Domestic retrofits typically involve a single battery unit sized to household consumption, fitted within a day or two. Commercial and public sector retrofits tend to involve larger battery banks, three-phase considerations, and integration with wider site electrical infrastructure, and are usually funded through commercial finance, a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) or CAPEX purchase rather than domestic finance, which we do not currently offer.
Certification, notification and future-proofing
Battery retrofit work is notifiable electrical work and is completed to Part P standards, with MCS certification issued for the battery storage element and NAPIT registration underpinning the electrical competency of the installation. Keeping this documentation together with your original solar PV records matters for any future property sale, extended warranty claims, or subsequent additions such as an EV charger, so we ensure the retrofit paperwork is handed over as a complete, coherent set.
Common questions
Questions about battery retrofit for existing solar
Can any solar panel system have a battery added later?
Most existing solar PV systems can be retrofitted with a battery, either by adding a compatible AC-coupled battery alongside the existing inverter or by replacing the inverter with a hybrid unit. The right route depends on the age, brand and configuration of your current system, which is why we assess this during a free survey before recommending anything.
Do I need a new inverter to add a battery?
Not always. If your existing solar inverter is relatively modern and performing well, an AC-coupled battery can often be added without replacing it. If the inverter is older or nearing the end of its service life, replacing it with a hybrid inverter alongside the battery can give better integration and is often the more sensible long-term route. We will explain which applies to your system.
How do you know what battery is compatible with my panels?
During the free survey we record the make, model and age of your existing inverter and solar array, along with your wiring configuration, and check this against compatible battery options before recommending a specific product and installation route.
My solar was installed by another company. Can you still fit a battery?
Yes, we regularly retrofit batteries onto systems installed by other companies, including installers who are no longer trading. We assess the existing installation and documentation during the survey and will flag clearly if any remedial work is needed before a battery can be safely added.
Will a retrofitted battery give me backup power during a power cut?
Depending on the battery and inverter configuration selected, a retrofit can provide backup power to selected circuits during a grid outage. This is something we discuss and confirm during the survey, since not every configuration supports it in the same way.
How long does a battery retrofit take to install?
A typical domestic retrofit is usually completed within a day or two, depending on whether the existing inverter is being kept or replaced. Commercial retrofits vary more widely depending on scale and site electrical infrastructure.
What warranty comes with a retrofitted battery?
Batteries fitted as part of a retrofit typically carry a manufacturer warranty of around 10 years, and our installation work is covered by a 2 year workmanship guarantee that is insurance-backed via QANW.
Do you offer finance for a battery retrofit?
We do not currently offer domestic finance. For commercial and public sector retrofits we can discuss commercial finance, PPA or CAPEX purchase options depending on the scale and requirements of the project.
Related services
Battery Storage Installation
Store what you generate and use it after dark, instead of exporting it for a fraction of what you pay to buy it back.
Solar PV Installation
Full turnkey solar PV for homes and businesses across the North West, MCS certified from survey to commissioning.
EV Charge Point Installation
OZEV approved installation of home and workplace charge points, wired and certified by our own electricians.
Areas we cover
Not listed? See the full coverage area or ask us directly.
Get your existing solar working harder
Book a free survey and we will assess your current solar PV system, confirm what battery retrofit options are compatible, and provide a written quote typically within 1–2 working days.
MCS certified for solar PV and battery storage · NAPIT and RECC registered · OZEV approved · 2 year workmanship guarantee backed by QANW.