Maximise your savings with the right solar battery

Solar batteries have been in the Australian market for decades, and reality is battery storage has never been as affordable, safe and accessible as it is today. What was originally only thought of by people living off-grid in remote communities is now a reality for thousands of suburban households across the country.

Truly, the solar battery storage revolution has begun, albeit slowly. Adding batteries to your solar setup makes sense, especially in Australia, since we pay some of the highest rates to buy electricity from the grid. Simply put, any power you use at home that comes from your solar and not from the grid will provide savings in your energy bills – and a battery will allow you to extend the benefits of your solar, storing the energy generated throughout the day so you can use at times like at night.

 

 

The benefits of solar + battery vs. solar only

A rooftop PV installation allows you to generate free electricity from the sun. As long as the sun is out, and if your solar was correctly designed for your energy needs, you will be able to power your appliances, turn on your lights and run your home as if you were only connected to the grid, with the significant difference that you will be paying much less to your electricity retailer – because you can use free solar energy instead of having to purchase it!

In addition, solar households can export the excess energy they produce to the grid, and receive a payment called a feed-in tariff (or FiT). As you could expect from large electricity retailers, FiTs are never as high as the rates you pay when you consume electricity from the grid (especially at peak times like at night). While this helps somewhat reduce your bills, most households still use a significant amount of power at night, when their solar PV is no longer producing,

Solar batteries are the latest advancement in the solar industry and have rapidly improved in recent years. If you’re considering investing in a solar battery or are just interested in learning more then read on below to learn why you would get one and how they can save you extra money.

 

What a solar battery can do for you (and your wallet)

As we mentioned before, there are times when your rooftop PV installation won’t be producing energy and saving you money– like at night. It is at those times that you can still incur in high charges from grid consumption.

 

 

A solar battery can help you:

• Store excess solar generation instead of sending it straight to the grid. Once the battery is charged, you will still get a feed-in tariff.
• Use your own solar power at night, reducing your reliance on the grid. You’re better off utilising this power rather than selling it for a standard feed-in tariff and then having to pay your electricity retailer a much higher rate to power your home at night.
• Keep your home powered even when the grid fails, if you choose a model that offers blackout protection. Since this is not a part of a standard installation, we recommend you talking to our solar superheroes about blackout protection at the time of quoting. If you already have a battery that supports blackout protection that hasn’t been wired, we can help you organise for an installer to come and enable it.

It is important to mention these benefits will be maximised when you choose the right-sized battery for your energy needs.

To learn more about how you could save with a solar battery and discussing the best option for you, call our solar superheroes at Solar Battery Group on 1300 223 224.