Batteries
Do I need a battery with solar in South Africa?
You need a battery for savings only if you use a lot of electricity after sunset. Each kWh of daytime solar stored and used at night is worth your full tariff, for example 355.95c to 469.06c on Cape Town Home User, instead of the 124.18c export credit. If most of your use is in daylight, start with panels and a battery-ready hybrid inverter and add storage later.
Updated 26 October 2026 · Tariffs quoted are the 2026/27 municipal year (from 1 July 2026) unless stated.
What a battery is really worth per kWh
| Cape Town Home User 2026/27 (incl. VAT) | Per kWh |
|---|---|
| Buying a kWh, first 600 kWh | 355.95c |
| Buying a kWh, above 600 kWh | 469.06c |
| Exporting a surplus kWh (residential feed-in rate) | 124.18c |
| Value of storing instead of exporting | about 232c to 345c |
So a battery that shifts 8 kWh of surplus solar into the evening every day moves about 240 kWh a month, worth roughly R557 to R828 a month on these rates before round-trip losses. That figure, against the battery’s price and expected life, tells you whether it pays. If you are not registered to export, surplus solar is simply curtailed and storing it is worth even more.
Size for your evenings, not for the worst outage
Look at your usage between about 5pm and 10pm, when cooking, lights and TV run. A battery that covers that window will cycle every day and earn its keep. Sizing for a full night of every appliance during a long outage usually means paying for kWh that sit unused most days.
If you add one, buy for life span
Savings only add up if the battery keeps working long enough. Compare usable kWh, cycle rating, warranty years and who in South Africa honours the warranty. Locally made options such as Solar MD are popular with installers because of their long field life and because newer modules fit the same housing as older ones, so you can grow later. Our battery comparison lays out about ten options side by side, with trade-offs for each.
Backup is still a reasonable reason
If outages or local network faults still hit your area, a small battery for lights, Wi-Fi, a fridge and the gate motor is worth having. Just know that part is insurance, not savings.
Quick questions
Can I add a battery later?
Usually yes, if your inverter is a hybrid and the battery brand talks to it. Ask for a battery-ready hybrid inverter if you are not buying storage now.
How big should my first battery be?
Big enough to cover your typical evening use. For many homes that is somewhere between 5 and 10 kWh usable, but measure your own evenings before deciding.
Is exporting cheaper than a battery?
Exporting costs nothing extra but earns little: 124.18c/kWh in Cape Town against up to 469.06c to buy it back at night.
Sources
- City of Cape Town: The cost of electricity (Home User 2026/27)
- City of Cape Town 2026/27 tariff book: consumption and generation tariffs
- City of Cape Town: sell surplus SSEG electricity
- Solar MD resources and datasheets