If your solar panels send energy to the grid, a battery does not save you more today.
If you are installing new solar panels that will send energy to the grid, under EAC's current Net Billing contract a battery does not save you more and does not pay back what it costs. That is how new systems connect in most areas. The exception is full areas, where new solar panels send no energy to the grid at all.
In the Switch calculator, a home in Nicosia saves €1,224 a year with solar panels alone. With a 5 kWh battery it saves €34 less.
There are still cases where a battery is worth considering. We explain them below.
How much you save when you add a battery
The example home has a single-phase connection, uses most of its power in the evening and pays €400 per two-month bill in summer. With a €250 or €600 bill the conclusion is the same.
| Case | System | Saving a year |
|---|---|---|
| You send energy to the grid | 3.15 kW solar | €1,224 |
| You send energy to the grid | 3.15 kW solar and 5 kWh battery | €1,190 |
| You send energy to the grid | 3.15 kW solar and 10 kWh battery | €1,166 |
| Full area | 2.25 kW solar | €469 |
| Full area | 2.25 kW solar and 5 kWh battery | €849 |
In the example, if you install only 3.15 kW of solar panels without a battery, they pay back what they cost in 4.8 years.
- Battery cost: the calculator counts €4,750 for a 5 kWh battery and €8,000 for 10 kWh, including the hybrid inverter, installation and certification.
- Energy that is lost: in a full area the solar panels send nothing to the grid, so any energy you do not use straight away is lost. In the example 53.6% of the output is lost, and with a 5 kWh battery only 11.9%.
- Why it does not pay back: at €380 extra a year, the €4,750 would come back in about 12.5 years. But the calculator also counts the battery's upkeep and wear, and assumes the price of electricity falls 2% a year. It counts nothing after 15 years.1
Net Billing nets your energy on each bill
- Netting: EAC subtracts the kWh you sent to the grid from the kWh you bought on each bill. For most homes this happens every two months.2
- Surplus: if on a bill you send more energy than you bought, the difference is credited in euros to the next bill. Every month of 2026 up to September, EAC credited 11 cents per kWh at low voltage. Under the contract, any credit you have not used by the yearly clearance is lost.3
- Battery losses: each time the battery charges and empties, a little energy is lost. That is why in the calculator you save slightly less with a battery.
Nor can you fill the battery from the grid, since it charges only from your solar panels. It sends energy to the grid only in an emergency, if EAC's Distribution System Operator (DSO) asks it to.4
When a battery is worth considering
- Full area: there, new systems connect only with permanent zero export. The battery keeps the midday energy for the evening, so it is not lost.
- More kW: if your area is not full, the DSO allows a bigger system, provided the battery has at least as many kWh as the solar panels have kW. In a three-phase home with a 3×20 A fuse the limit rises from 6 to 10.4 kW, and with 3×30 A from 8 to 10.4 kW. In a single-phase home with a 30 A or 40 A fuse it rises from 4.16 to 5.2 kW, while with 20 A it does not change.5
- Back-up: an ordinary battery does not power your home during a power cut. You need an inverter that runs without the grid and an automatic switch that isolates the home from the grid. The DSO checks this equipment at the inspection.4
- Occasional zero export: if you do not have occasional zero export, during a curtailment the whole system is always disconnected, battery included. To get it, you apply in writing to the DSO. If the DSO approves, a curtailment first stops only your export, so the battery can keep charging.
If you want to add a battery later, you need a new application and a new approval from the DSO. The DSO will judge the application on the grid as it is then. A battery without approval is illegal, and your connection terms stop applying.
As far as we know, there is no open grant today for a home battery on its own.
Work out what you save with solar and a battery →
How occasional zero export works →
Keep reading
If you install solar without a battery in a congested area, you may lose more than half of its output.
In a congested area, new solar usually connects only if it never sends energy to the grid. In the example we worked out, a home without a battery loses 53.6% of its output. See how much the same home saves with a battery.
SolarWith occasional zero export, you can use the power from your solar panels on curtailment days too.
With occasional zero export, a curtailment first stops only your export, and your home can keep using its own solar. You apply in writing to EAC's DSO and pay for the equipment; the DSO can still cut production off.
SolarVAT on home solar has fallen from 19% to 9%.
Since 16 October 2026, home solar panels in Cyprus carry 9% VAT instead of 19%. On a €5,000 system you save €500. The order does not mention batteries or installation.
References
- Switch home solar calculator, assumptions of 22 October 2026. switch.cy
- EAC Supply, Net Billing contract, version 6 (August 2026), terms 6.1 and 7.1. EAC (in Greek)
- EAC, purchase prices for renewable energy, low voltage, January to September 2026. EAC (in Greek)
- EAC's DSO, Technical guide for connecting storage systems, edition 2026.3, 15 July 2026, section 2 and Annex V. EAC (PDF, in Greek)
- EAC's DSO, Connection guide for active customers and self-consumers, 15 May 2026, sections 4.1 and 4.7. EAC (PDF, in Greek)
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This guide is for information only and is not technical, financial or legal advice. The figures are an example from the Switch calculator. The rules are based on what EAC and the DSO publish, and may change. Switch is not responsible for decisions anyone makes based on this guide.