Jordan O'BrienIKEA is jumping onto the battery storage bandwagon, with the company finally offering its customers a way of storing the electricity they’ve been generating through solar panels.
Battery storage technology has become a hot topic in the technology industry, with a variety of stakeholders all vying to offer their own solutions. Samsung, Panasonic and even Tesla all offer battery storage packs, as they offer solar panel users the ability to store electricity that would otherwise be wasted when there’s no one at home to use it.
IKEA’s battery storage packs are not all that different from what is offered by other manufacturers. The real unique selling point offered by the Swedish retail giant, is that everything can be done by a specialist in one of its stores – rather than hunting around for a specific provider of solar panels and battery storage packs.
While battery storage systems can offer significantly higher savings than solar panels on their own, especially if the user spends most of the time outside of their house, it also costs significantly more money. A solar panel package which includes 15 panels and a battery storage system will cost around £9,535, whereas without the battery storage pack it’s almost £4,000 less. The difference in savings are much greater, however. With an estimated £19,083 saved with the battery storage system versus just £12,840 without.
With the battery storage market growing, and users once again demanding solar panels, custom installers could find the technology to be a lucrative way of generating additional revenue. The technology could also ensure home cinemas in rural out-houses that aren’t connected to the national grid can be reliably installed, without having to worry about the power going out.