Under stairs storage options when housing a battery for solar panels

[33goingon64]

About to sign up for solar panels with a battery and inverter which will probably need to be stored under the stairs. We've just ripped out the basic cupboard that was there, and had planned a lovely built in shelf/cupboard combo. But now we realise how much space the battery and inverter will take up! Is it still possible to have some understairs storage? How have you got around it?

We have just had one fitted in our garage. Tbh it hasn’t taken up as much space as I thought. Ours looks like an old fashioned modular music system (6 on top of one another), however have def heard of ones that stick to the wall picture frame style, which would not lose you as much floor space? But the space we lose is not actually very large at all.

good for you getting solar! We have had ours just over a week and despite a mix of weather we can already see the bill coming down. We have an overnight cheap rate so “fill up” the battery then so during the day almost everything (will be everything in summer) runs on a combination of solar and cheap battery power.’

Thanks for replying. Is your garage insulated? Ours isn't so would worry the battery would get cold or that it wouldn't be suitable somehow - too damp etc?

Not sure Tbh but ask your installer. I don’t recall there being any concerns about the garage- it is attached to the house. The batteries are pretty robust afaik

Which tariff do you have? We are just about to get batteries and solar panels installed but can’t find a tariff that we can charge the batteries up cheaply from without having an electric vehicle.

Ah yeah we have an ev and are on octopus go.

I don’t see how octopus actually know we have an ev tho.

Ours is going in the garage. Due to be fitted 28/11 just waiting on the council to come and do an epc so we can get the council grant towards it (only £1000 but better than nothing!!)

Your batteries and inverter will need an air gap.

Most are IP65 rated and can be fitted outside.

You'd be best to discuss it with your installer, they should do a site visit to look at cable routes and discuss location.

Also, you may want to add batteries in future, I would choose somewhere that has enough space for another without having to relocate the existing system, if possible.

planning to put mine in the garage when it's installed. Understairs storage space is too useful to lose, and as PP has said, the garage would leave more space for expansion of battery if that was required.