Keep more of your own power
Use solar after sunset and through dull spells instead of exporting everything at lunchtime and buying electricity back at peak evening rates.
Solar City services
Solar and battery storage installers in Birmingham and Solihull
Solar City installs solar panels and home batteries across Birmingham and Solihull from our base in Tyseley (B11 2BA). We are a family-run MCS certified installer (NIC-1542), TrustMark registered and RECC members (00040355), rated 5.0 from 85 Google reviews, and we fit Fox ESS, Sigenergy and EcoFlow batteries.
Home batteries sized for Midlands living; store daytime generation for evenings, with honest advice on when storage makes sense.
Sized for how you live
We look at your evening kWh consumption, tariff and array output - not a one-size battery bolted onto every quote.
Straight talking
Not every home needs a battery on day one. If waiting, fitting a hybrid-ready inverter, or choosing a smaller pack is smarter, we will say so.
Is a home battery worth it with solar?
Without battery storage, a domestic solar PV array powers whatever appliances are running while the sun is up and exports any surplus to the grid under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). For many Birmingham and Solihull households, however, peak electricity consumption happens between 4pm and 10pm when the family is home, cooking, heating and charging devices.
Adding a solar battery bridges that gap between midday generation and evening demand. It also allows you to import cheap overnight electricity on smart or EV tariffs during dark winter months and run your house from the battery during peak tariff hours. Because Solar City has no commission-only salespeople, we assess your actual meter usage and tell you honestly whether a battery will pay for itself on your roof.
When a battery usually makes sense
- Evening-heavy households: Homes where most people are out at work or school during the day and electricity demand rises sharply after 4pm.
- Time-of-use and EV tariffs: Households on tariffs with a cheap overnight window (such as Octopus Go, Intelligent Octopus or Flux) that can charge the battery overnight in winter.
- Electric vehicle owners: Pairing solar, battery storage and solar-aware EV charging so house battery storage is not accidentally drained into the car.
- Heat pumps and electric hot water: Homes with higher daily kWh demand that benefit from load-shifting across the day.
When it usually does not
- Low evening demand: Very low-usage households whose evening draw is too small to cycle a battery meaningfully each day.
- High daytime self-use: Retirees or home-workers who already use the majority of their solar generation live during daylight hours and receive a strong flat SEG export rate.
- Tight upfront budget: Where budget is better spent maximising roof panel count while scaffolding is up, alongside a hybrid-ready inverter (+£405 indicative) so a plug-in battery can be added cleanly later.
Batteries and equipment we install
We install leading panel, inverter and battery brands, chosen to suit your home and budget, including Aiko, Fox ESS, Sigenergy, EcoFlow, Trina and LONGi. We select battery platforms with clear UK warranty support, clean cable management and reliable app monitoring:
- Fox ESS H-series hybrid inverters & EP6 / EP12 batteries: Modular high-voltage LFP storage (EP6 at ~5.2 kWh usable and EP12 at ~10.4 kWh usable) that can be wall-mounted or floor-mounted and expanded in parallel. Read our dedicated Fox ESS battery & hybrid inverter guide.
- Sigenergy SigenStor: All-in-one integrated energy controller and stackable battery modules (such as 6.0 kWh and 9.04 kWh usable configurations) paired with high-wattage solar arrays.
- EcoFlow power systems: Modular home storage and smart energy management options for suitable residential layouts.
What a battery adds to the price
In our instant solar design tool, you can toggle between solar-only and battery storage to see live indicative prices. The design tool uses the following indicative adders on a standard Fox ESS string-inverter system:
| Upgrade or battery module | Usable capacity | Indicative design-tool adder |
|---|---|---|
| Fox ESS H-series hybrid inverter upgrade | Hybrid-ready inverter | +£405 |
| Fox ESS EP6 battery module | ~5.2 kWh usable | +£945 |
| Fox ESS EP12 battery module | ~10.4 kWh usable | +£2,160 |
Worked solar + battery examples from our design tool:
| Complete system specification | Indicative price |
|---|---|
| 10 panels (4.65 kWp) + Fox H-series hybrid + Fox EP6 x1 (~5.2 kWh usable) | £6,435 |
| 10 panels (4.65 kWp) + Fox H-series hybrid + Fox EP12 x1 (~10.4 kWh usable) | £7,650 |
| 13 panels (6.05 kWp) + Fox H-series hybrid + Fox EP6 x2 (~10.4 kWh usable) | £8,280 |
| 8 panels (3.96 kWp, 495W AIKO) + SigenStor EC 3.6 kW + 6.0 kWh battery | £7,402.50 |
| 8 panels (3.96 kWp, 495W AIKO) + SigenStor EC 3.6 kW + 9.04 kWh battery | £7,942.50 |
| 16 panels (7.92 kWp, 495W AIKO) + SigenStor EC 8.0 kW + 9.04 kWh battery | £10,980 |
For a sample 10-panel (4.65 kWp) West Midlands system, the design tool estimates simple payback at 6.0 to 8.0 years under its stated electricity and export tariff assumptions. See our full Birmingham solar panel & battery cost guide for all 6 to 16 panel rows.
Every figure is indicative, from the Solar City design tool at solarcityuk.co.uk/design. Scaffolding is extra (around £400-£500 per side) and an on-site survey confirms your final design and price.
Adding a battery to existing solar
Already have solar panels on your roof? You do not need to replace working panels to add battery storage. Our electricians can either fit an AC-coupled battery system alongside your existing string inverter (ideal if you are on a legacy Feed-in Tariff and must not disturb the generation meter or original inverter) or upgrade an older string inverter to a new hybrid inverter so one unit manages both roof strings and the battery. Call our Tyseley office on 0121 707 9991 or request a retrofit survey.
Real installs with batteries
Browse published West Midlands solar and battery installations carried out by our own in-house team:
- Solihull (B91) - 4.65 kWp Aiko array with Fox ESS 10.37 kWh battery
- Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham (B37) - 4.19 kWp Aiko array with Fox ESS 5.18 kWh battery
- Olton, Solihull (B92) - 4.19 kWp Aiko array with Fox ESS 5.18 kWh battery
- Kingsbury (B78) - 4.19 kWp Aiko array with Fox ESS 5.18 kWh battery
- Lilleshall, Newport (TF10) - 2.33 kWp Aiko array with Fox ESS 5.18 kWh battery
- Waters Upton, Telford (TF6) - 4.55 kWp Aiko array with Fox ESS EP6 battery
- Nuneaton (CV11) - 4.19 kWp Aiko array with Fox ESS 5.18 kWh battery
- Coventry (CV6) - 4.19 kWp Aiko array with Fox ESS 5.18 kWh battery
- Designed with new solar or added to a suitable existing array
- Works alongside home EV charging and time-of-use tariffs
- MCS-accredited Solar City installation (NIC-1542) and direct aftercare
Common questions
Who installs solar and battery storage near me in Birmingham?
Solar City installs solar panels and home batteries across Birmingham and Solihull from our base in Tyseley (B11 2BA). We are a family-run MCS certified installer (NIC-1542), TrustMark registered and RECC members (00040355), rated 5.0 from 85 Google reviews, and we fit Fox ESS, Sigenergy and EcoFlow batteries. See whether a home battery is worth it and our case studies.
Is a solar battery worth it in the West Midlands?
Yes for households that use a large share of their electricity in the evening, run an electric vehicle or heat pump, or take advantage of off-peak overnight tariffs. If someone is at home all day running appliances directly from daylight generation, solar-only or a hybrid-ready inverter can be the more sensible starting point.
How much does a solar battery add to the cost of a system?
In the Solar City instant design tool, upgrading from a standard string inverter to a Fox ESS H-series hybrid inverter adds £405, a Fox ESS EP6 battery (~5.2 kWh usable) adds £945, and a Fox ESS EP12 battery (~10.4 kWh usable) adds £2,160. Every figure is indicative, from the Solar City design tool at solarcityuk.co.uk/design; scaffolding is extra (around £400-£500 per side) and an on-site survey confirms your final design and price.
Which battery and inverter brands do you install?
We install equipment from Fox ESS, Aiko, EcoFlow, Sigenergy, Trina and LONGi. For home storage we frequently install Fox ESS H-series hybrid inverters with EP6 (~5.2 kWh usable) or EP12 (~10.4 kWh usable) batteries, Sigenergy SigenStor all-in-one systems, and EcoFlow storage solutions.
Can you add a battery to an existing solar panel system?
Often yes. Depending on your current inverter age, wiring and consumer unit, we can either fit an AC-coupled battery alongside your existing solar inverter or upgrade the inverter to a modern hybrid unit. We inspect your existing array during an on-site survey before recommending the best route.
Where can a home solar battery be installed?
Batteries are typically mounted in an attached or detached garage, utility room, plant room or suitable sheltered exterior wall, away from direct heat sources and living areas in line with manufacturer clearances and UK electrical guidance. We confirm the safest, neatest location during your on-site survey.
Can I charge a solar battery overnight on a cheap EV or smart tariff?
Yes. Hybrid inverters from Fox ESS, Sigenergy and EcoFlow allow scheduled grid charging during off-peak overnight windows so you can top up the battery at cheap night rates in winter and use that stored power during peak daytime hours.
Ready to talk through your project?
Free desktop design and quotation from a family-run MCS installer; no salespeople. See real installs in our case studies, or open the design tool for Solihull and West Midlands roofs.
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