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- Lidl has launched a new solar-powered battery designed for use with balcony solar systems
- It costs €299 in Germany (around $350 / £260 / AU$485)
- It has a 1,000W input and an 800W output
You may have noticed that we’re in the middle of an energy crisis, with ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran pushing prices up to levels that are increasingly unaffordable for many — and undesirable for everyone. A lot of us will be looking for ways to cut costs, and Lidl has just launched a possible solution — for those in Europe, at least.
As reported by PV Magazine, Lidl has launched a 2.24kWh balcony battery in Germany, with a 1,000W input and 800W output. It’s compatible with most balcony solar systems, so you can use solar power to charge it, and there’s even a version of it that can be controlled via an app.
The battery retails for €299 (around $350 / £260 / AU$485) — or €399 (roughly $465 / £345 / AU$650) if you want a version you can control via the Lidl Home app. While it’s currently limited to Europe, there’s always a chance it will launch more widely (including at UK Lidl stores) if it’s a success.
Given the current energy crisis and regulations in the pipeline, there's every chance that might be the case. If you have, or are considering, investing in a solar power system for your balcony, then this battery could be a good thing to pair it with.
However, it's worth noting that the battery doesn't really do anything on its own — it's designed to be part of a system. You'll need solar panels, which plug in on one side, and also a microinverter, which you sends charge to and from your house. Still, add those parts and you'll be able to store energy generated in the day for use in the evening or morning, and also use it as a backup if your energy supply is ever disrupted.
Not the only option
The battery measures 310 × 170 × 350mm and weighs around 19.8kg, making it suitable for small spaces like balconies. In theory, it should also be IP65-rated for withstanding rain showers (that's the case with the Marstek B2500-D it's based on, at least) and it also has an LED display and comes with an extension cable for solar panels.
As mentioned earlier, the panels themselves aren’t included, but we already know that Lidl plans to start selling plug-in solar panels in the UK — or you could source them elsewhere.
In any case, the battery has been met with largely positive comments on Reddit, including “amazing price”, “I want one”, and “this makes me very optimistic about the future of our energy independence.”
Still, if Lidl doesn’t bring it to your region, there are alternate options, including the Marstek B2500-D, which this is believed to be a rebranded version of, or the incoming Anker Solarbank 4 Pro (which has a built-in inverter and a much higher capacity). Like most things at Lidl, its solar battery is cheaper than a lot of its rivals – if not quite as feature-rich.
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