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Guide · Batteries
Home battery or virtual battery?
Your panels make the most around midday, often more than your home uses. A home battery keeps that surplus for the evening; a virtual battery turns it into credit on your bill. Here is how the two compare, with real figures from Spanish electricity companies.
Your spare power
Three places your solar can go
Whatever your home doesn't use the moment it is made has to go somewhere. Which of these it goes to decides how much it is worth to you.
Used at home
Runs the fridge, the air conditioning and the pool pump while the sun is out. Every kWh used this way is one you don't buy.
Stored in a home battery
Kept for the evening and the night, and for the circuits you choose in a power cut.
Sent to the grid
Earns a credit on your bill. With a virtual battery, the credit your bill can't use is kept for later.
The rule for surplus power in Spain
Under Royal Decree 244/2019, home systems up to 100 kW can use simplified compensation: each month your electricity company takes the value of what you sent to the grid off the energy part of your bill. The credit can't be more than the energy you bought that month, and it isn't paid out in cash.
A virtual battery is an extra some companies offer on top: it keeps the credit your bill couldn't use, in euros, for later bills.
Side by side
How the two compare
| Question | Home battery | Virtual battery |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A battery fitted at your home, next to the inverter | A credit account with your electricity company |
| What it costs | Part of your system price: see the sizes on our battery storage page. Price to confirm | No equipment. A monthly fee of €0 to €2 with the companies below |
| What each kWh is worth | The full price of a kWh you no longer buyFor example €0.1299 a kWh for energy on Repsol's solar tariff, before tax (October 2026) | €0.04 to €0.06 of credit per kWh exportedBefore tax, autumn 2026 |
| In a power cut | The circuits you choose stay on | Nothing stays on: a grid-connected system switches off in a power cut |
| Evenings and nights | Your home runs on the sun you stored | You buy from the grid as normal, and the credit comes off the bill |
| If you change electricity company | The battery stays yours | Check first: Octopus, for one, says the credit is lost if you leave |
| Upkeep and warranty | Monitored on the app; warranty years to confirm | Nothing to look after |
| Grants | Almería homes: Andalucía pays 55% or more towards solar with a battery | The Andalucía grant is for systems that include a home battery |
A kWh you store and use yourself is worth the full price you'd otherwise pay for it; a kWh you export earns a few cents of credit. That gap, and how much power you use after dark, decides whether a battery pays its way. Payback explained shows how to work it out.
Virtual batteries in Spain
What four electricity companies offer
Real offers as published in autumn 2026, before VAT. They change often, so check the current terms before you sign.
| Company | Monthly fee | Credit per kWh exported | What the credit pays | How long credit lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EndesaSolar Plus with virtual battery | €2 | €0.06 | The total of later bills for the same home | Not stated; kept for later billsSource: endesa.com, prices updated 15 October 2026 |
| RepsolBatería Virtual | €1.99 (none on its Tarifa Solar) | €0.06 | Your bills, including a second home | No time limitSource: repsol.es, October 2026 |
| IberdrolaSolar Cloud | Not stated in our source | €0.04 | Energy first, then the power charge and regulated costs, on any contract in your name | 24 monthsSource: tarifaoptima.com, checked August 2026 |
| Octopus EnergySolar Wallet | Free with its solar tariff | €0.04 | The whole bill, including the power charge | Doesn't expire; lost if you change companySource: selectra.es, updated 5 November 2026 |
With every one of these, you need the company's solar tariff and your installation certificate. A virtual battery works with any of our systems: you choose the company.
A flexible path
Start simple, add a battery later
Install solar
Panels and a battery-ready inverter, with the permits and the paperwork done for you.
Use a virtual battery
Sign up with an electricity company that keeps your spare credit, at little or no monthly cost.
Add a battery when it suits you
Your inverter is already battery-ready, so a battery goes in without changing your panels.
Which suits you
It depends on when you use your power
A virtual battery suits you if…
- You want the lowest cost up front
- The house is empty for long spells, such as a holiday home
- You don't need power during a power cut
- You're happy to stay with one electricity company
A home battery suits you if…
- You use most of your power in the evening and at night
- You want the lights, the fridge and wifi on in a power cut
- Your home is in Almería and could use the Andalucía grant
- You'd rather use your sun than sell it for a few cents
Questions
Questions about batteries and credit
Can I have both?
Yes. The battery fills up first; what it can't hold goes to the grid, where a virtual battery can turn it into credit for later bills.
Is there a limit on how much I can export?
The rules don't cap how much you send to the grid, but under simplified compensation the credit each month can't be more than the energy you bought that month. A virtual battery keeps the rest for later. In a few places the local grid can only take a limited amount; we check this at the survey.
Can I start with a virtual battery and add a home battery later?
Yes. Every inverter we fit is battery-ready, so a battery can be added later without changing your panels.
Can the credit pay the bill for a second home?
With some companies, yes: Repsol and Iberdrola say the credit can be used on another contract in your name. Check the terms before you sign.
More answers in the solar FAQ.
Sources
- BOE: Royal Decree 244/2019 on electricity self-consumption
- Endesa: Solar Plus with virtual battery, prices updated 15 October 2026
- Repsol: solar tariffs and Batería Virtual, October 2026
- TarifaÓptima: Iberdrola Solar Cloud, checked August 2026
- Selectra: Octopus Energy Solar Wallet, updated 5 November 2026
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