Can you add a battery to existing solar panels?

Yes. Most homes use only about a third of the solar they generate, the rest is exported the moment it is produced. A home battery for existing solar panels can be fitted to a system that is already on your roof, and Emaldo Power Store is built to do exactly that. It pairs a 10.8 kW inverter with expandable battery capacity in a single cabinet, stores the solar you would otherwise export, and can earn you money each month through Emaldo Grid Rewards. Installation is designed to be quick, and power backup can be added for the circuits that matter most.

If you already have solar, you do not need to start again. If you are still planning it, you can install both together.

Contents

• What is Emaldo Power Store?

• Why Emaldo Power Store?

• Can a home battery earn money, not just save it?

• What if you do not have solar yet?

• What does this mean for you?

• Frequently asked questions

What is Emaldo Power Store?

Power Store is a home energy storage system: a floor-standing cabinet containing an inverter and one to three battery modules, connected to your home’s electricity supply and to your solar system. It stores surplus solar during the day and releases it when you need it, and it is controlled through the Emaldo app.

Two terms are worth defining, because they do most of the work in any battery conversation. Self-consumption is the share of your solar generation that you use in your own home rather than exporting. An inverter converts the direct current produced by solar panels and stored in batteries into the alternating current your appliances and the grid use. Power Store’s inverter is rated at 10.8 kW across three phases, which is the amount of power the system can deliver at any given moment.

That figure describes the battery, not your panels, and the distinction matters if you already have solar. Power Store connects on the AC side, at your home's distribution board, in parallel with the solar system you already have. Your existing inverter stays where it is and carries on working exactly as before. It does not need to be replaced, and the cabling from your panels is left untouched. Power Store has its own inverter for the battery and reads your household consumption through a smart meter, which is why the system works whatever make your current inverter happens to be.

Power Store was the first system Emaldo built, and it sits at the accessible end of the Power Series.

Yasin Belouati, Account Manager at Emaldo:
"Built for a smarter, greener future, Power Store can be installed on both new and existing PV systems. This makes it the perfect fit not only for our Power Series, but also for those who want to store energy."

Read more about Emaldo Power Store

Why Emaldo Power Store?

Because the features are designed around what actually changes a household’s energy bill and its options later on. Here is what each one means in practice.

It works with the solar you already have. Power Store is built to be added to an existing photovoltaic system, so you keep your panels and your existing setup.

Capacity you can grow. The cabinet holds up to three battery modules, giving 5.12 to 15.36 kWh of storage, and the system can be expanded well beyond that as your needs change. Buying a system that can grow with your home is cheaper than replacing one that cannot.

It decides when to charge and discharge, so you do not have to. Power Store optimises automatically, storing solar when it is abundant and drawing on it when grid electricity is most expensive.

SlideOn installation and concealed cabling. Emaldo’s SlideOn approach means the components slide into the cabinet rather than being wired in place piece by piece, which shortens the installation and keeps the cabling hidden. A tidier installation also means cables are out of reach of children.

Power backup as an add-on. If keeping essential circuits running during a power cut matters to you, backup can be added to Power Store and is sold separately. Discuss your needs with your installer at the quoting stage.

Safety designed in, not added on. All cabling runs inside the cabinet rather than along the wall, so there are no exposed cords. The batteries use lithium iron phosphate chemistry, or LFP, chosen in home storage for its thermal stability, and built-in protections cover voltage, temperature, overload, insulation, residual current and surge.

Full specifications are in the Power Store data sheet.

Specifications tell you what a home battery can do. Living with one tells you what it means in practice. Meet one of our Emaldo customers, Lars Hillgren, and learn more about what his Power Store means for his everyday life and energy usage through the article below.

Can a home battery earn money, not just save it?

In some markets, yes, and this is revenue rather than a saving, so it is worth keeping the two separate. Savings come from using your own solar instead of buying electricity. Revenue comes from being paid for a service your battery provides to the grid.

The service is called an ancillary service. The electricity grid has to be kept in constant balance between supply and demand, and when that balance shifts suddenly, grid operators need resources that can respond within seconds. Rather than paying power stations to sit idle waiting for that moment, operators pay for flexible capacity that can step in. A home battery, aggregated with thousands of others, is exactly that.

Through Emaldo Grid Rewards, Emaldo registers your battery with the grid operator and offers its available capacity into that market. And in return for supporting the grid you earn Grid Rewards.

What if you do not have solar yet?

Then you are in a great position, because you can size the two together from the start. Installing solar and storage as one project means the panel array, the battery capacity and your actual consumption pattern can be matched to each other, and it usually means one installation visit rather than two.

What does this mean for you?

It means more predictable bills, because you are less exposed to the expensive evening hours. It means the option of monthly income from Grid Rewards where your market allows it, and the option of keeping essential circuits running in a power cut if you add backup. And it means a system that can grow when an electric vehicle or a heat pump changes what your household needs.

How much of each of those you get depends on your situation: how much electricity you use and when, how large your solar array is, what tariff you are on, how the system is configured, and what your local market allows. None of these outcomes is a guarantee, and a good installer will size the system to your actual consumption rather than to a generic assumption.

So, can you add a battery to solar panels you already have?
Yes. And with Emaldo® Power Store, storing your solar while optimising your household’s energy consumption has never been easier - or more valuable.

Frequently asked questions

Will it work with my existing solar inverter?
Power Store is designed to be added to existing solar installations. Compatibility with your specific equipment should be confirmed by a certified installer before you order, since configurations vary.

How much storage can I add?
The cabinet takes one to three battery modules, giving 5.12 to 15.36 kWh, and capacity can be expanded further as your needs change. Your installer will recommend a starting size based on your evening and overnight consumption.

Will it keep my lights on during a power cut?
Only if you add the power backup option, which is sold separately and covers the circuits you choose. Without it, the system stores and optimises energy but does not supply your home during a grid outage.

Can I join Grid Rewards after my system is installed?
Yes. You can sign up at any time through the Emaldo app, and there is no deadline. Note that the three-month enrollment period starts from the date you sign up rather than from installation, so signing up earlier means earning earlier.