Lidl's 2.24 kWh home battery at €299 shakes up the solar market
Lidl sells a 2.24 kWh solar battery for €299. We analyse whether it is profitable for self-consumption, how much it saves and what drawbacks it has.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Lidl launches a 2.24 kWh solar battery for €299: solution or pie in the sky?
Lidl has burst into the home solar market with the Tronic Solarstromspeicher, a 2.24 kWh battery priced at €299 – although in Germany it appears at €399. At €133/kWh, it is one of the cheapest on the market, but its real capacity limits it to reduced loads: 93.3W for 24 hours or 280W for 8 hours. Enough for a router, some LED lights and charging mobiles, but not for a fridge or an air conditioner.
The price breaks the barrier, but capacity falls short
2.24 kWh is not enough to become independent from the grid. In a blackout, the battery keeps critical consumption going for hours, but for an average household with appliances, it remains a mere backup. Internal analyses calculate that the real saving, taking advantage of the difference between the off-peak and peak PVPC price (about €0.25/kWh difference), is approximately €0.50 per day. Thus, payback stretches to 600 days, assuming the battery does not fail. With three units (€900), the saving triples, but so does the initial outlay.
Who is it useful for?
The battery is designed for balcony solar installations, very popular in Germany. In Spain, municipal ordinances usually prohibit them, but where allowed, it allows storing surplus from the panels and using it during hours without sun. It can also serve in second homes or caravans, always with austere consumption. A user with a contracted power of 2.2 kW values the possibility of disconnecting from the grid, although the capacity is not enough to cover demand peaks.
Legalisation and insurance: the Achilles heel
Although installation is simple (plug-in), any storage system must be legalised in Spain, even if it does not feed into the grid. In case of fire, the insurance may refuse to cover damage if the installation is not certified. Furthermore, in Germany VAT on these systems is zero since 2023, but in Spain there is no such benefit, which makes the real price more expensive.
Lidl's battery is a symptom of the rapid fall in prices for home storage. It is not the panacea for self-sufficiency, but it brings the technology closer to more households. The question left in the air: how long will these prices last before demand drives them up?
Related debates on the forum
Lidl has burst into the home solar market with the Tronic Solarstromspeicher, a 2.24 kWh battery priced at €299 – although in Germany it appears at €399. At €133/kWh, it is one of the cheapest on the market, but its real capacity limits it to reduced loads: 93.3W for 24 hours or 280W for 8 hours. Enough for a router, some LED lights and charging mobiles, but not for a fridge or an air conditioner.
The price breaks the barrier, but capacity falls short
2.24 kWh is not enough to become independent from the grid. In a blackout, the battery keeps critical consumption going for hours, but for an average household with appliances, it remains a mere backup. Internal analyses calculate that the real saving, taking advantage of the difference between the off-peak and peak PVPC price (about €0.25/kWh difference), is approximately €0.50 per day. Thus, payback stretches to 600 days, assuming the battery does not fail. With three units (€900), the saving triples, but so does the initial outlay.
Who is it useful for?
The battery is designed for balcony solar installations, very popular in Germany. In Spain, municipal ordinances usually prohibit them, but where allowed, it allows storing surplus from the panels and using it during hours without sun. It can also serve in second homes or caravans, always with austere consumption. A user with a contracted power of 2.2 kW values the possibility of disconnecting from the grid, although the capacity is not enough to cover demand peaks.
Legalisation and insurance: the Achilles heel
Although installation is simple (plug-in), any storage system must be legalised in Spain, even if it does not feed into the grid. In case of fire, the insurance may refuse to cover damage if the installation is not certified. Furthermore, in Germany VAT on these systems is zero since 2023, but in Spain there is no such benefit, which makes the real price more expensive.
Lidl's battery is a symptom of the rapid fall in prices for home storage. It is not the panacea for self-sufficiency, but it brings the technology closer to more households. The question left in the air: how long will these prices last before demand drives them up?
Related debates on the forum
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (50 replies).
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