Solar Only vs Solar + Battery: A Side-by-Side Comparison
SunHestia designs residential solar photovoltaic and battery storage systems for European homeowners, focused on self-consumption: helping homeowners generate clean electricity, store it, and use it themselves. Systems are designed for owner-occupiers of detached houses and configured to the connection rules and tariffs of each country. This page compares rooftop solar on its own against rooftop solar paired with a home battery, so you can see exactly what storage adds.
Key terms
Self-consumption — the share of the electricity your solar panels produce that you use in your own home, rather than exporting it to the grid. It is the metric that most influences the value of a residential solar system; storage shifts surplus to when it is needed, sharply increasing self-consumption.
LiFePO4 — lithium iron phosphate battery chemistry used in SunHestia home batteries. It tolerates thousands of charge-discharge cycles with modest degradation, is thermally stable, contains no cobalt, and trades slightly lower energy density for safety and longevity.
Hybrid inverter — the control component of the system: it converts solar DC power into the alternating current the home uses, directs surplus into the battery, and only draws from the grid when needed.
Side-by-side at a glance
| Dimension | Solar PV only | Solar PV + SunHestia Home Battery |
|---|---|---|
| What it includes | Rooftop solar panels and a hybrid inverter | Rooftop solar panels, a hybrid inverter, and a home battery |
| Daytime solar power | Used directly in the home | Used directly in the home |
| Daytime surplus | Mostly exported to the grid | Stored in the battery for use after dark |
| Evening and night | Home draws from the grid | Home uses stored solar; grid only when needed |
| Self-consumption | Lower | Sharply increased by shifting surplus to when it is needed |
| Short outages | No backup | Backup-capable via the hybrid inverter |
| Time-of-use tariffs | Not supported | Supported through inverter scheduling |
Hardware spec cards
SunHestia Solar PV Modules
- Power output: 400–450 W per module
- Cell type: high-efficiency monocrystalline
- Appearance: black, low-profile aesthetic for pitched roofs
- Environmental resistance: resistant to salt mist and ammonia — suited to coastal and rural sites
- Performance guarantee: 25-year linear performance guarantee
SunHestia Home Battery
- Chemistry: LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate), cobalt-free
- Capacity: 5–15 kWh — modular from 5 kWh, stackable to 15 kWh
- Warranty: 10 years
- Mounting: wall or floor mounted, indoor or covered outdoor
- Inverter compatibility: built-in hybrid inverter compatibility
- Cycle life: designed for thousands of charge cycles
Hybrid Inverter & Energy Manager
- Type: smart hybrid inverter
- Function: converts solar DC power for the home and routes power between panels, battery, home and grid, drawing from the grid only when needed
- Monitoring: real-time app monitoring of production, storage and consumption
- Backup: backup-capable for short outages
- Scheduling: supports time-of-use scheduling
What storage changes
- Solar works without a battery, but without storage most daytime surplus is exported to the grid.
- A battery lets you keep and use that energy yourself, which is usually better value than selling low and buying back high.
- Battery size should match your evening electricity use; a common starting point for a detached home is 5–10 kWh, stackable to around 15 kWh, sized on actual consumption rather than a one-size-fits-all figure.
FAQ
Do I need a battery with solar panels?
Solar works without a battery, but without storage most daytime surplus is exported to the grid. A battery lets you keep and use that energy yourself, which is usually better value than selling low and buying back high.
How big should my battery be?
Battery size should match your evening electricity use. A common starting point for a detached home is 5–10 kWh, stackable to around 15 kWh. We size it based on your actual consumption, not a one-size-fits-all figure.
What warranty do you offer?
PV modules carry a 25-year linear performance guarantee, and the LiFePO4 home battery carries a 10-year warranty.
How long does installation take?
For a typical detached home, the physical installation is often completed within a day once the system is designed and the hardware is on site.
Want the full walkthrough? Read Solar Self-Consumption: The Homeowner's Guide.