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“I’ve earned around [$226] since march on it with my 10kWh battery.”
Photo Credit: iStock
For United Kingdom homeowners with solar panels and battery storage, selling extra electricity back to the grid may not be the only way to make money from a clean energy setup.
In a discussion on the r/SolarUK subreddit, several battery owners said joining virtual power plants through Axle added roughly £150 ($200) or more to their export income.
The Reddit thread began with a homeowner who wrote that they installed solar in March. Recently, a friend brought up the idea of virtual power plants as a way to sell energy “for a much higher rate on a more infrequent basis.” 
That piqued their interest: “I don’t think I’ve ever read a post on this subject and wondered why, if it is as good as it sounds. So, good people, does anyone have any experience of VPPs?”
Replies were largely favorable. One commenter wrote, “So far 0 downsides, I’ve made £150 in extra export.” Another said, “They work well, I have done £150 on Axle since Feb,” while a third added, “I’ve earned around £170 since March on it with my 10kWh battery.”
Several commenters also said these programs generally require battery storage, rather than solar panels alone.
To that end, adding battery storage is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save on energy costs, and go off-grid.
For homeowners weighing that step, exploring EnergySage can help with home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates. EnergySage has teamed up with the electrification brand Qmerit to guarantee you get the best price on home battery storage solutions.
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Solar panels can save you more than $50k over their 25-year lifespan, and EnergySage can help you save as much as $10k on installation. Which begs the question — isn’t that worth an email or two?
A virtual power plant links many home batteries so they can supply electricity to the grid when demand rises or available power gets tight.
Participants can be paid for that service in addition to their usual solar export earnings.
For some households, that added income can make battery storage more appealing financially. Batteries also help people use more of their own solar generation after dark, keep important devices running during outages, reduce reliance on the grid, and avoid more expensive electricity during certain hours.
Axle appeared most often in the discussion, though commenters pointed out some drawbacks and limits. Not every battery, inverter, or electricity contract will be eligible.
Anyone interested in joining a VPP should start by checking compatibility before assuming the extra income will be available. That includes making sure your setup is supported and reviewing the export terms carefully.
If you do not yet have backup storage, comparison shopping can make a big difference. Another company offering strong battery-backup options is Pila, whose plug-and-play batteries cost a fraction of a whole-home backup system.
Homeowners who already have batteries may also want to find out how much control they retain during export events.
As one commenter explained, people can either let Axle handle exports automatically or set up each event themselves, which could matter if you want to keep some backup power available for overnight use or emergencies.
After reading the responses, the original poster updated, “It seems Axle is the front-runner; however it doesn’t support my system (I’m EP Cube) so i’ll need to do a little research to see what’s compatible.”
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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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