If there’s one thing that a lot of us must have been wondering in a year of heatwaves and rising energy bills, it’s that maybe now’s the time to invest in some kind of home solar setup. In theory it's a winner: make the most of all that summer sun while paying less to energy companies and getting paid for the unused electricity you feed into the grid.
The trouble is that once you start looking into it, you realise that home solar isn't a quick win. The setup costs can be huge: according to the Energy Saving Trust, the average cost of installing a home solar panel system is £7,600, which means it'll take at least nine years for the system to pay for itself. Plus, if you don't want to export all your surplus electricity and would rather hold some back for when the panels aren't doing their job, you'll need battery storage, and that's not cheap either: the Energy Saving Trust advises that it'll cost you between £5,000 and £8,000.
That's one heck of a barrier to entry, but one company is launching a new system that makes home energy storage a lot more affordable.
Solar savings, made simple
EcoFlow has just announced its next-generation STREAM Series of home batteries, and they're the ideal way to get started with solar energy storage without compromising performance, and with the potential to expand into a whole-home energy system over time.
The STREAM 5000 is a compact solar storage battery, weighing just 45kg and roughly the same size as a cabin bag. EcoFlow says that the STREAM 5000 has a footprint up to 40% smaller than comparable batteries, so it'll easily fit into your garage, utility room or even the cupboard under the stairs, but don't let its size deceive you.
It has a 5kWh capacity with up to 5,000W solar input, and crucially it'll output 3,000W AC. What this means is that while many compact batteries will struggle to power heavyweight household appliances, the STREAM 5000 can comfortably run your washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher, as well as storing solar energy during the day so that you can use it later on when energy prices are highest.
The perfect solar starting point
EcoFlow estimates that a single STREAM 5000 will save you £568 over the course of a year, but that's just the start. It's designed with expansion in mind, so that you can add further batteries along the line to store more energy – up to 90kWh – and save even more money, and with the EcoFlow STREAM Gateway you can beef up the system further so that it becomes an all-in-one home energy solution, capable of dealing with even more demanding applications such as heat pumps and EV charging.
The Stream 5000 comes with a 10-year warranty for peace of mind, but it's designed to last for up to 15 years or 10,000 charging cycles, and it also features IP65 weather protection so that it'll keep on performing reliably wherever you put it.
You also won't need to worry about relying on an internet connection to keep things ticking along: from September EcoFlow will be introducing its new Local Mode, which means that even if your internet connection is unavailable, your STREAM 5000 system stays in operation and remains locally controllable.
The bottom line
Of course, what you're wondering now is how much a STREAM 5000 system will cost you. And the really good news is that if you order now, you can buy at the lowest price: EcoFlow is offering an early bird deal on its STREAM Series, with the STREAM 5000 priced at £1,599, down from £1,799. But it gets better; if you pay a £9.90 deposit today, you'll get an extra £100 off, bringing the price down to £1,499.
If you already have solar panels and you're keen to use them more cost-effectively, this is a simple and cost-effective way to do it. But if you want to get started with solar, EcoFlow has a bundle offer for you in the form of a STREAM 5000 plus four 500W rigid solar panels, delivering a total of 2,000W, for just £1,999, and again you can pay a £9.90 deposit today for another £100 off, and get an entire solar starter system for £1,899.
Bear in mind, though, that these prices only cover the STREAM hardware, and you'll still need to pay to get your system installed professionally. Even so, if you've been put off solar by the terrifying upfront costs and slow return on investment, the STREAM Series is a relatively affordable way to dip a toe in the water, with the potential to expand into a full-featured solar energy solution for your entire home.