Ikea starts selling solar battery system in UK

Flatpack furniture giant Ikea has launched a solar battery storage system and panel package aimed at helping UK households save hundreds of pounds per year.

"Supersized batteries" mounted on the wall will store energy generated by solar panels, says the Daily Telegraph, potentially saving homeowners "up to £560 a year" on their energy bills.

The cost of installing solar panels has fallen significantly in recent years, adds the paper.

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However, The Independent warns of a "big up-front cost of £6,925" for the system, although Ikea "estimates that customers will make their money back over 12 years".

Householders who already have solar panels installed can buy the battery packs by themselves, which TrustedReviews says will cost around £3,000.

According to Ikea, solar panels without the battery pack "typically consume around 40% of all the solar electricity generated". The rest is channeled back to the National Grid, "at a loss compared to its value."

Ikea is not the first company to offer such a system in the UK. Electric carmaker Tesla has been selling its Powerwall storage system since 2015.

While a single 14kWh Powerwall battery system costs £5,400, there are several additional charges for "supporting hardware", such as device installation and any "electrical upgrades" necessary to make the system work, Alphr says. Solar panels also come at an additional cost, making Ikea's solution around £2,400 cheaper.

Orders are already open on Ikea's website, where you can also find out how much money you should expect to save.