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There isn''t a single solar battery that''s best for everyone. The cost of residential
Home battery storage is a hot topic for energy-conscious consumers. If you have solar panels on your roof, there''s an obvious benefit to storing any unused electricity in a battery to use at night or on low-sunlight days.
And batteries are becoming increasingly popular, with the number of installations increasing every year . As of 2024, according to data from solar analytics company Sunwiz, there are more than 250,000 home storage batteries installed in Australia. Approximately 57,000 were installed in 2023 alone. The majority are installed as part of a brand new solar panel system, but a significant number of batteries are additions to an existing solar panel system.
The concept of home battery storage isn''t new. Off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind electricity generation on remote properties has long used battery storage to capture the unused electricity for later use. Storage batteries are increasingly popular with new solar installations, and it''s possible that within the next five to 10 years, most homes with solar panels will have a battery system.
If your solar panel array and battery are large enough, you can run your home substantially on solar power
A battery captures any unused solar power generated during the day for later use at night and on low-sunlight days. Installations that include batteries are increasingly popular.There''s a real attraction to being as independent as possible from the grid – for most people it''s not just an economic decision, but also an environmental one, and for some it''s an expression of their wish to be independent of energy companies.
If your solar panel array and battery are large enough, you can run your home substantially on solar power. Using electricity from your battery can be cheaper per kilowatt-hour (see Terminology) than using electricity from the grid, depending on the time of day and electricity tariffs in your area.
Check out some of our other articles on home batteries:
If you have a solar storage battery from any of these brands, you should urgently check the product recall details on the ACCC''s Product Safety website.
The recalled batteries may overheat and catch fire, and need to be shut down immediately. The product recall site linked above has all the details. LG will remove and replace the recalled batteries for free, or provide a refund.
Costs vary significantly for solar batteries, but generally, the higher the battery capacity, the more you can expect to pay.
Here are typical battery costs for some common sizes (including basic installation). Prices are based on information from SolarQuotes.
As an example, one of the most popular batteries is the 13.5kWh Tesla Powerwall 2. This currently costs about $12,100 before any subsidies. Fully installed it will come to about $15,500 (or more, if the installation is complex).
It can be more cost-effective to buy a battery as part of an entire new solar panel system package than to retrofit it to an existing system, especially if the existing system is several years old (it may need substantial upgrading to accommodate the battery; for example, older systems are often relatively small, say 3-5kW, and may need more panels added to deliver enough power for charging the battery and powering the home).
For many homes, we think a battery doesn''t make complete economic sense yet. Batteries are still relatively expensive and the payback time will often be longer than the warranty period (typically 10 years) of the battery.
Batteries are still relatively expensive and the payback time will often be longer than the warranty period of the battery
Currently, a lithium-ion battery and hybrid inverter will typically cost between $4000 and $16,000 (installed), depending on capacity and brand. As the electricity market changes over the next few years, and (hopefully) battery prices improve, it may then make clear economic sense to always include a storage battery with a new solar PV system.
Despite the points made above, a storage battery can still be worthwhile, economically and for other reasons. Households with high power consumption that are savvy about using their solar-generated and stored power can make the battery pay for itself in less than 10 years. Joining a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) scheme can improve the economics too (see below for more on VPPs).
For many people investing in home battery storage, the motivation isn''t just about the economics. Protection against blackouts, maximising the benefits of your solar panels, and even simply liking this new technology are all perfectly good reasons to consider a battery. Or at least making sure your solar PV system is battery-ready for a future installation. Batteries are often seen as being less about the pure economics and more about being as independent from the grid as possible.
We recommend you work through two or three quotes from reputable installers before committing to a battery installation. The results of anindependent trialof storage batteries show that you need a strong warranty, and commitment of support from your supplier and battery manufacturer in the event of any faults.
Our solar partner SolarQuotes has a battery calculator to help you figure out the savings you might make from adding a storage battery to your existing solar panel system.
To use it, you''ll first need to obtain a NEM12 file from your electricity distributor; this is the data collected by your smart meter, which shows in detail how much energy your solar panels generate, how much electricity your home uses at different times of the day (night-time power consumption is a key factor here), and therefore how much would be available to charge a battery. Here''s their guide to how you obtain this file. Request 12 months of data, so that you have a full picture of your solar usage in every season.
If you don''t have solar at all, and are wondering if you should buy a system with battery included, the CHOICE Solar Estimator is a quick and easy way to look at the potential savings with and without a battery.
Government rebate schemes, and energy trading systems such as Reposit, can definitely make batteries economically viable for some households. Note that the Small-scale Technology Certificate (STC) financial incentive for solar panel systems (the "solar rebate") only applies to the solar panels in the installed system, not the battery. But there are currently battery-focused rebate or special loan schemes in some states and territories.
Victoria: Solar Homes Program
Northern Territory:Home and Business Battery Scheme
Note that the Victorian Solar Homes Programhas a fixed number of subsidies available over a set period. So it''s possible for a subsidy scheme to be active, but unavailable until the next round of subsidies opens up.
A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a network of solar and battery systems installed on homes and businesses, centrally controlled by a computer system run by the VPP operator company. By joining a VPP program, you agree to make the stored energy in your home battery available to the VPP operator who can then use it to supply the grid in times of high demand.
In return, you''re paid a subsidy, which might be in the form of reduced energy bills, a rebate towards buying the battery, or even free solar and battery installation. But note that even joining a VPP program won''t always guarantee that your battery pays for itself, and it can mean that you''ll sometimes find your own battery is running low at night when you want it, due to the VPP having taken some of the stored energy earlier that day.
There are various Virtual Power Plant programs in most states which can help reduce the cost of a battery. SolarQuotes maintains a list of current VPP programs.
Some electricity retailers such as Amber offer plans that price your electricity in 15 minute intervals, based on the wholesale market price at that moment in time. This price can vary wildly, from extremely expensive to buy (but great to sell your excess solar or stored battery energy at that moment), to negative pricing (when you''ll actually be paid for using grid energy, but might have to pay the retailer for any solar power you export; so that''s a great time to charge your battery with solar or grid power).
These plans can be very effective, even profitable, if you are prepared to monitor prices daily and adjust your home energy usage accordingly. But if you''d rather just "set and forget" your electricity plan and not worry too much about when you run your appliances, this type of plan could end up costing you more.
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