02/09/2026
☀️🔋 COMPLETED INSTALLATION | WESTCLIFF-ON-SEA, SS0 🔋☀️
Another solar & battery upgrade completed today in Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0.
This property already had an existing 2.6kW solar PV system with a Feed-in Tariff (FIT) in place, so rather than replacing the existing panels, we designed the battery upgrade around the customer's existing system.
The original installation had a 12-year-old Sunny Boy inverter, located underneath the stairs in the centre of the property and approaching the end of its service life.
Rather than simply adding an AC-coupled battery charger, we took a different approach.
We rerouted the existing PV strings into a new 10.5kW Fox hybrid inverter, allowing the existing solar PV to work directly with the new battery system.
🔧 The upgrade includes:
• 10.5kW Fox Hybrid Inverter
• Fox EP12 Battery Storage
• 2.6kW existing PV retained
• 12-year-old Sunny Boy completely removed
• Existing PV strings rerouted externally
• New 10mm² supply cable installed
• Consumer unit upgraded with SPD protection
• New inverter and battery system installed externally underneath the carport
The 10.5kW inverter is intentionally oversized relative to the existing 2.6kW PV array — but not oversized for the battery's charging and discharging capabilities.
⚡ And this is where the new battery really comes into its own…
The customer is also on Octopus Intelligent Go, giving them access to off-peak electricity at around 7p/kWh.
This means the battery can be charged during cheaper off-peak periods and then used to power the home during the more expensive peak periods, helping the customer make much better use of their tariff.
But there’s another exciting opportunity…
🔋💷 The new battery can also be connected to Axle Energy, a grid-support platform.
When the customer participates in eligible Axle grid events, energy can be called from the battery to support the electricity grid, with Axle currently paying £1 per kWh exported from the battery during qualifying events.
So the customer now has the potential to make their battery work harder by:
☀️ Storing energy from their existing solar
⚡ Charging at cheaper off-peak rates
🏠 Powering the home during peak periods
💷 Earning from eligible Axle grid-support events
And there’s a practical benefit inside the house too.
The old Sunny Boy has gone, freeing up valuable space underneath the stairs, and we've removed the need for DC solar cables to run through the centre of the property.
The new equipment is neatly installed externally underneath the carport.
An older solar installation has now been brought into the modern energy market — retaining the existing PV and FIT while adding intelligent battery storage and new opportunities to make the most of cheaper electricity and grid services.
☀️ Existing solar. 🔋 New battery. ⚡ Smarter energy. 💷 More opportunities.
Thinking about adding battery storage to an existing solar PV system?
📍 Angus Renewables — Solar PV | Battery Storage | EV Charging
Serving customers across Essex, Kent and the South East.