What happens when the lights go off?

Elevate AC
Sep 18
3 min read

What’s the Best Battery Setup for Coffee Shops? How Much Does It Cost to Stay Brewing When the Power Fails

Coffee shops are delicate operations. When the lights go off, things can go downhill fast — no espresso, no chilled milk, no lights, no Wi‑Fi. A single 24‑hour outage could easily mean £2,000–£5,000 in lost trade for a typical café, not to mention wasted stock and reputational damage. Is it worth having a backup plan? For many café owners, the question isn’t if to get battery backup / storage, but what size, how much, and what type makes the most sense. The very latest Battery-as-a-Service models actually save money compared with not having a battery at all—because they reduce peak energy bills, protect against blackouts, and spread costs over a simple monthly fee rather than a large upfront purchase.

Key Considerations for Coffee Shop Battery Resilience

Factor	Why It Matters for a Coffee Shop
Load profile / What you absolutely must keep on	Espresso machines, grinders, fridges/freezers, lights, perhaps Wi-Fi / POS.
Duration of backup you want	Short outages (15–30 mins) vs long ones (several hours).
Peak power draw (kW) vs energy capacity (kWh)	Espresso machines may need high surge; fridges need continuous draw.
Space, landlord / lease constraints	Many cafés rent; bulky batteries may need landlord consent.
Cost vs ROI	Balance upfront investment with avoided downtime and lower bills.

Types of Battery Solutions

Small portable packs (3–6 kW)Low cost, portable, minimal wiring, but limited power and short duration.
Hybrid all-in-one commercial systems (10–20 kWh)Higher power/capacity, can integrate with solar, better for whole-shop backup, but more wiring and landlord issues.
Larger BESS / trailer systems (30 kW+)Complete resilience, sometimes revenue from grid services, but high cost and space demands.

Example Battery Options & Costs for Coffee Shops

Product	Capacity / Power	Approx Price*	Notes for Café
Tesla Powerwall 3	13.5 kWh, strong inverter	~£7,995 installed	Covers espresso, fridge, lights for ~1 hour; good ride-through.
GivEnergy All-in-One	13.5 kWh, 5 kW inverter	£5,300–£6,000	Similar to Tesla but cheaper; suitable for core loads.
Solax Triple Power	17.6 kWh HV	£4,100–£5,000 (battery only)	More energy, longer duration; inverter/ATS extra.
PylonTech Cabinet	20 kWh	£4,750 (battery only)	Strong backup for long outages; integration costs extra.

*Install and ATS/wiring add several thousand pounds to system cost.

Scenario Costs for Coffee Shops

Scenario	Battery Needed	Approx Cost	What It Delivers
Short ride-through	10–13.5 kWh system	£6,000–£10,000	Covers brief outages; keeps fridges + espresso running.
Moderate resilience	15–20 kWh system	£10,000–£18,000	1–2 hours of full load; shifts peak usage.
High resilience	25–40 kWh system	£18,000–£30,000+	Several hours backup; whole-shop protection; higher ROI if outages frequent.

Practical Tips

Inverter rating matters: espresso machines need high surge capacity.
Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS): ensures seamless switch to battery power.
Landlord permissions: many installs are reversible, but consent may be needed.
Warranty/lifecycle: choose brands with 10-year warranties and strong support.
Energy strategy: combine with solar or time-of-use tariffs for maximum savings.

Bottom Line for Coffee Shops

A 13–20 kWh system with a 5–7 kW inverter is the sweet spot: affordable, covers critical loads, offers both resilience and bill savings.
Instead of upfront cost - consider battery-as-a-service
If budget is tight: start with a smaller 10–13.5 kWh ride-through battery.
If resilience is mission-critical: size up to 25+ kWh for several hours coverage.

The right battery protects your coffee shop’s revenue and reputation by ensuring that even if the grid goes down, your café keeps serving customers. In the end, it comes down to weighing up the options: invest upfront in a system you own, or consider Battery-as-a-Service — with no upfront cost, predictable monthly fees, and the opportunity to actually make money while you sleep by cutting bills and participating in energy savings.

bbn.energy