ADD A BATTERY TO YOUR SOLAR – SAVE MORE & GET BACKUP POWER

Yes, virtually any solar system can be retrofitted with a battery. There are two main approaches:

• AC Coupling: Adding a battery with its own inverter that connects to your home's AC wiring. This works with any existing solar system regardless of age or brand.
• DC Coupling: Replacing your existing solar inverter with a hybrid inverter that can handle both solar panels and battery. This is typically only recommended if your current inverter needs replacing anyway.

Our team will assess your specific setup and recommend the most suitable approach.

Modern lithium batteries typically last 10-15 years. Most come with warranties of 10 years or 10,000+ cycles (one complete charge and discharge). After this period, the battery doesn't fail but gradually loses capacity – typically retaining 70-80% of original capacity at the end of the warranty period.

Premium batteries like sonnen offer up to 10,000 cycle warranties, while most quality brands provide at least 6,000-8,000 cycles or 10 years of coverage.

Not all battery systems automatically provide backup power during blackouts. To have blackout protection:

• The battery system must have backup capability (most modern ones do)
• It needs to be installed with the proper equipment (backup gateway or critical loads panel)
• Your installer needs to configure it correctly

Both Goodwe and Sungrow systems can provide backup power when properly installed. We can configure your system to power essential circuits during outages.

Note: If you have a three-phase home, a single-phase battery will only back up that phase unless additional equipment is installed.

The ideal battery size depends on your energy usage patterns and goals:

• For evening/overnight usage: Calculate your typical evening and overnight consumption (usually 5-10 kWh for an average home)
• For backup power: Consider which appliances you need during an outage and how long you want backup to last
• For maximizing self-consumption: Look at how much excess solar you typically export

Most Australian homes start with a 5-10 kWh battery, while those seeking more independence or longer backup might opt for 10-15 kWh or larger. We analyze your usage data to recommend the optimal size.

In most cases, adding a battery won't affect your feed-in tariff. However:

• You'll naturally export less to the grid since you'll be storing energy for self-consumption
• Some legacy high feed-in tariffs (particularly in Victoria) have special conditions that might be affected by system changes
• If you add a second inverter that pushes your total system size above export limits (e.g., 5kW in SA), you may need export limiting

Our team checks your current tariff arrangements before installation to ensure you maintain any valuable feed-in rates or advise if a different plan would be more beneficial with a battery.

Adding a battery to your existing solar typically involves:

1. Site Assessment: We evaluate your current solar system, switchboard, and energy usage patterns
2. System Design: We recommend the optimal battery size and configuration for your needs
3. Installation: Most battery installations take 1 day and involve:
   • Mounting the battery in a suitable location (garage, outside wall, etc.)
   • Installing any necessary electrical equipment (backup gateway, etc.)
   • Connecting to your existing solar system and home electrical system
   • Setting up monitoring and control systems
4. Commissioning: Testing the system and configuring settings for optimal performance
5. Handover: We show you how to monitor and get the most from your new battery

We handle all paperwork, including grid connection applications and rebate claims where applicable.