Can I use solar electricity without a battery?

Note that without an accompanying battery you can only use solar electricity as it's being generated. When you want to use it might not match with when your solar panels are generating. For example, your panels won't be producing power when it's dark and you want to switch on the lights or other appliances on a dark winter evening.

Do solar panels provide electricity?

The sun is one of the cleanest and most accessible sources of energy. Solar panels turn the free sunlight we receive every day into electricity to power our homes. There are quite a few myths associated with them, the biggest being that solar panels only provide electricity when the sun is shining bright.

Do solar panels need direct sunlight?

No. Solar panels don’t need direct sunlight to harness energy from sun, they just require some level of daylight in order to generate electricity. That said, the rate at which solar panels generate electricity varies depending on the amount of direct sunlight and the quality, size, number and location of panels in use.

Will solar panels generate enough electricity year-round?

Whether they'll generate enough electricity for your home year-round will depend on: if your solar panel system works in a power cut. It may be more realistic to think about whether you can be self-sufficient for the brighter parts of the year, and then top up your energy use from the grid at other times.

Can you use solar energy at night?

The only way to power your home with solar energy at night is to install a solar storage system, like a solar battery. Solar panels won't generate much electricity under the stars. How do I get power at night if I have solar panels? With the help of a battery, it's still possible to use solar energy to power your home at night.

Should you store solar energy and use it yourself?

The price you're paid for each unit of energy you export to the grid is usually much lower than the price you pay your supplier for electricity. So, economically, it makes more sense to store the solar energy and use it yourself – with E.on saying a household with a battery could use 30% more of the electricity they generate themselves.