SAY GOODBYE TO WASTED SOLAR POWER
The Jousto Energy Hub is your home's energy brain, automatically optimising solar, battery, and appliances to slash power bills and boost self-sufficiency.
THE SOLAR OWNER'S DILEMMA IN 2025
Diminishing feed-in tariffs and wasted energy are costing Australian homeowners thousands.
FEED-IN TARIFFS HAVE PLUNGED BY OVER 99%
Remember when feeding solar into the grid actually paid off? Those days are fading fast. A decade ago, you might've earned 50–60¢/kWh for exports; now many Aussies get as little as 5¢ – or even near $0.
Worse, you still pay high rates when the sun isn't shining. Peak-time electricity in the evening can cost 30–40¢/kWh (or even more on hot days), while your midday solar earns next to nothing.
It's a classic mismatch: solar when you don't fully need it, expensive grid power when you do. The result? Underperforming solar investments and the sinking feeling that you're not getting the savings you hoped for.
MEET THE JOUSTO ENERGY HUB
Your home's energy brain that automatically manages when to use, store, or share energy.
YOUR HOME'S ENERGY CONDUCTOR
The Jousto Energy Hub is a compact plug-and-play device (built on the powerful Home Assistant Green hardware) that plugs into your router and immediately gets to work connecting all your energy equipment.
Think of Jousto Hub as the conductor of your home energy orchestra: it listens to your solar inverter, battery, EV charger, thermostats, smart plugs – and decides the optimal way to distribute energy moment by moment.
- Do-It-For-Me Simplicity: Pre-configured by experts with the best-practice energy automations for Australian conditions
- Seamless Integration: Works with popular inverter brands like Fronius, Sungrow, GoodWe, and more
- You Stay in Control: Real-time energy dashboard accessible on your phone or computer
HOW JOUSTO HUB OPTIMISES YOUR HOME'S ENERGY
By monitoring your solar output, home consumption, battery level, and even external signals like electricity tariffs or weather forecasts, Jousto orchestrates your devices with precision.
MAXIMISE SOLAR SELF-CONSUMPTION
Whenever the sun is shining and your panels are generating more power than your home is using, Jousto springs into action to use that surplus on-site.
SMART EV CHARGING
Your EV can be scheduled to start charging late morning and pause in the afternoon exactly following your solar curve. If a cloud passes over, Jousto can momentarily pause the EV charger.
TIME-OF-USE OPTIMISATION
Jousto is constantly aware of the time and price of energy and will schedule or automate accordingly, ensuring your battery charges during cheap periods and discharges during expensive peaks.
ENERGY MONITORING
The Hub's built-in energy monitoring dashboard gives you real-time and historical insight into your generation, usage, imports/exports, and savings.
WORKS WITH YOUR EXISTING DEVICES
Jousto Energy Hub seamlessly integrates with your solar system, battery storage, heat pumps, EV chargers, and more.
SOLAR PANELS
Jousto works with most solar inverters including Fronius, SolarEdge, SMA, Enphase, GoodWe, Sungrow, and Growatt.
Learn More
EV CHARGERS
Integrate with EV chargers such as Zappi, Wallbox, Tesla, ChargePoint and others to charge your vehicle with excess solar.
Learn More
BATTERY STORAGE
Compatible with Tesla Powerwall, LG Chem, Sonnen and many other battery systems to optimize charging and discharging.
Learn More
HEAT PUMPS
Control your heat pump hot water system to heat water using excess solar power during the day.
Learn MoreBENEFITS AT A GLANCE
Why Australian homeowners choose Jousto Energy Hub
SAVE MONEY, EVERY DAY
By using more of your own solar power (and buying less from the grid), you can slash your electricity bills by up to 70–90% in the right setup.
BEAT THE TARIFF CHANGES
Energy prices and plans are getting more complex. Jousto keeps you ahead of the curve, automatically adapting to any tariff structure.
NO MORE WASTED SOLAR
It's painful seeing your solar exports earn 5¢ while you later buy electricity at 30¢. Jousto puts an end to that waste by finding uses for surplus solar.
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
By combining solar, storage, and smart controls, you move towards true grid independence. Many Jousto users cover the vast majority of their needs with sunshine.
STRESS-FREE AUTOMATION
No more rushing to turn things on/off at certain times. Jousto's automations run quietly in the background, making micro-adjustments every minute.
FUTURE-READY PLATFORM
Built on Home Assistant's open platform, Jousto is inherently flexible and future-proof. Adding a battery next year? It'll integrate. Switching to an EV? No problem.
SEE JOUSTO IN ACTION
The Jousto Energy Hub makes your home's devices work in unison, ensuring every ray of sunshine is put to work for you.
The display shows solar power flowing to charge an EV and top up the battery while powering the home, with minimal draw from the grid.
Get Started TodayREAL HOMEOWNERS, REAL RESULTS
"I used to export most of my solar for a measly 5 cents. What a waste! Since installing Jousto, my pool pump and water heater automatically run on sunshine, and my battery is always strategically charged. Last quarter, my grid imports were almost zero and my bill was $22 – down from $380 the same period last year. I feel like I'm finally getting full value from my solar."
"We're not tech people, so I was a bit nervous about the 'smart home' aspect. But Jousto made it incredibly easy. They set everything up – our EV charger, the ducted air conditioning, even a couple of smart plugs for our dishwasher and dryer. Now it's like our house runs itself in sync with the solar. I especially love the dashboard; seeing 'Grid: 0 kW' and 'Savings: $1.50 today' by midday gives me a little thrill. In the first 6 weeks we already saved $200 on electricity."
"I considered joining a VPP (virtual power plant) program, but I didn't like the idea of someone else controlling my battery for their benefit. Jousto was the perfect alternative – I stay in control of my battery, but it still does all the smart charge/discharge at the right times. When wholesale prices spiked to $5/kWh one evening, I watched on the app as my house seamlessly switched to battery and even sold a bit back – all automatically. No bill shock for me. This tech is a game-changer for anyone on a plan like Amber."
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Not necessarily. While having a battery or EV unlocks the full potential (by providing more storage for excess solar and flexibility), Jousto can deliver great value even with just rooftop solar and some smart appliances. It will still manage your hot water system, pool pump, air conditioning, etc. to maximise solar self-use and minimise peak grid use.
Many customers start with Jousto on solar-only; the system is ready to integrate a battery or EV whenever you add one. Plus, Jousto's smart control can help you determine the optimal battery size if you decide to get one – you'll clearly see how much surplus solar you have to store.
Think of those as pieces of the puzzle, while Jousto is the glue that brings it all together. A typical inverter or battery app might show you basic status and allow some limited scheduling, but they operate in silos. For example, your inverter can't know when your EV is plugged in, and your battery might not know your time-of-use tariff schedule – so they can't coordinate.
Jousto, on the other hand, monitors everything and can control multiple devices in concert. It's the difference between having isolated smart devices vs. a truly smart home energy system. Also, many built-in inverter "smart" functions are quite rudimentary or inflexible. Jousto's logic is far more advanced and customisable.
In all likelihood, yes! Jousto is built on Home Assistant which has thousands of integrations. We specifically support popular Australian inverter brands like Fronius, SolarEdge, SMA, Enphase, GoodWe, Sungrow, Growatt, etc., as well as Tesla Powerwall, LG Chem, Sonnen and many other battery systems. EV chargers such as Zappi, Wallbox, Tesla, ChargePoint and others can interface too.
Even if a device isn't directly integrated, we can often communicate via open standards (Modbus, MQTT, WiFi APIs) or add an intermediary smart switch. The philosophy is: if there's a way to get data from it or send commands to it, Jousto will make it work.
You'll receive a small hardware hub (the size of a TV box) that runs the Home Assistant-based Jousto software. It comes pre-loaded with our Jousto Energy Automation profile and pre-configured for your setup (we discuss your devices and programs beforehand).
The package includes remote onboarding support – an expert will help you connect the hub to your home network and link your inverter, battery, etc., typically via a secure cloud link. You also get our Tier 1 Smart Automation Service included, which means we set up 3–5 core automations tailored to your needs and provide ongoing chat/email support to adjust things.
Essentially, it's a turnkey solution: hardware + software + configuration service. You can self-install the hub in minutes (it's basically plug in power and Ethernet), or opt for a professional install if you want hands-off.
No – Jousto operates non-invasively. We integrate via the standard communication interfaces provided by your devices (for example, reading data via Ethernet/WiFi APIs, sending commands through official channels). We don't "hack" or alter your inverter's internal settings in any unsupported way.
In fact, the automations we perform (like adjusting a battery's charge/discharge setpoint or turning an EV charger on/off) are analogous to what a user might do manually with the manufacturer's app – just automated and smarter. This means it preserves compliance and warranty.
Absolutely. We designed Jousto for regular homeowners, not just gadget geeks. If you can use a smartphone, you can use Jousto. The beauty is that after installation, you don't have to actively do much at all – that's the point of automation!
The interface you'll see is a clean dashboard with intuitive icons for solar, home, battery, grid, etc., and simple controls like on/off toggles or mode selections (e.g., "Max Savings mode" vs "Comfort mode"). And remember, our team is here to support you. We will handle all the complex configuration in the background.
READY TO TRANSFORM YOUR HOME'S ENERGY FUTURE?
It's easy to get started with Jousto Energy Hub.
BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION
Chat with our energy experts to discuss your home setup and goals. We'll give honest advice on how Jousto can help and what kind of savings to expect in your scenario.
ORDER YOUR JOUSTO HUB
We'll pre-configure it and ship it to your door. (Installation can be DIY in 10 minutes or arranged with a pro – your choice.)
ACTIVATION & ONBOARDING
Our team will guide you through connecting the hub and will fine-tune the automations to fit your lifestyle. It's a white-glove, hassle-free process.
ENJOY THE SAVINGS
Watch as your solar self-consumption soars, your bills plummet, and your home runs smoother than ever. You'll wonder how you lived without it!
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HOME'S ENERGY TODAY
Don't let another summer go by where you're dumping excess solar back to the grid for crumbs while paying through the nose after dark. With the Jousto Energy Hub, you can turn the tables on big utilities: you decide how to use your power, you keep the savings.
Join the energy revolution that thousands of Australian homeowners are already discovering.
Stop Exporting Solar at Low Prices with Jousto’s Smart Management
If you have solar panels installed, you might have noticed that the amount you receive for exporting excess electricity to the grid—known as the solar feed-in tariff (FiT)—has been decreasing. In some cases, feed-in tariffs are so low that it makes more financial sense to store excess solar energy in a battery rather than sell it to the grid.
This is where Jousto comes in. Jousto’s smart energy management system ensures that your solar energy is used in the most cost-effective way, preventing you from exporting excess electricity when feed-in tariffs are low and instead storing it for later use.
In this article, we’ll explore:
How solar feed-in tariffs work and why they are decreasing.
How Jousto helps you store and use solar power instead of exporting it at low rates.
The financial benefits of optimising solar self-consumption.
How Jousto ensures you maximise savings while still taking advantage of export opportunities when prices are high.
1. Why Are Solar Feed-In Tariffs Decreasing?
In the early days of solar adoption, feed-in tariffs (FiTs) were generous, allowing homeowners to earn significant returns for exporting excess solar power. However, as more homes install solar, governments and energy retailers have gradually reduced these tariffs.
Reasons for Falling Feed-In Tariffs
More solar on the grid – With increasing solar adoption, there’s often too much electricity during the day, lowering the value of exported solar energy.
Wholesale electricity price drops – When solar production is high (especially at midday), electricity prices drop, reducing what retailers pay for exported power.
Shifts in government policy – Governments have shifted focus from high FiTs to encouraging self-consumption and battery storage instead.
Many homeowners now find that selling excess solar to the grid is far less profitable than storing and using it themselves.
2. How Jousto Prevents You from Exporting at Low Prices
Jousto ensures you maximise your solar energy savings by prioritising solar self-consumption and only exporting to the grid when it’s beneficial.
A. Stores Excess Solar Power Instead of Exporting It
When your solar panels generate more electricity than your home is using, Jousto directs excess energy into your battery first.
This means you store free solar power for later use, rather than exporting it for a low FiT.
Stored energy can be used in the evening when electricity prices are highest, maximising savings.
B. Automatically Exports Only When It’s Profitable
If grid electricity prices spike due to high demand, Jousto can allow exports at higher FiT rates.
If you’re on a wholesale pricing plan, Jousto ensures you sell excess solar only when market rates are high.
Jousto tracks real-time electricity prices and optimises when to export power for the best returns.
C. Prevents Unnecessary Battery Discharge
Some systems discharge batteries even when electricity prices are low, wasting stored energy.
Jousto prevents unnecessary discharges, ensuring your battery power is used at the best times.
By intelligently managing when and how your solar energy is used, Jousto maximises every kilowatt-hour generated.
3. The Financial Benefits of Storing Solar Power Instead of Exporting It
With decreasing feed-in tariffs, self-consumption is now the most cost-effective way to use solar energy.
Example Savings Comparison
ScenarioExporting to the GridStoring & Using LaterSolar power value5–10c per kWh (low FiT)40–50c per kWh (avoided peak price)Financial benefitEarns a small returnSaves significantly more on electricity billsJousto’s rolePrevents unnecessary exportsEnsures stored energy is used at peak times
With Jousto, you get more value from your solar energy by using it at the right time rather than selling it at low rates.
4. Jousto’s Smart Energy Management Features
Jousto’s intelligent system continuously monitors:
✅ Your home’s energy usage – Ensuring solar energy is used directly whenever possible.
✅ Battery storage levels – Prioritising charging your battery before exporting.
✅ Grid electricity prices – Selling only when rates are high.
✅ Solar generation forecasts – Adjusting energy flow based on expected solar production.
A. Dynamic Export Control
Jousto detects when feed-in tariffs are low and automatically prevents unnecessary exports.
When export rates rise, Jousto sells excess energy at the best price.
B. Time-of-Use Tariff Optimisation
If you have time-of-use pricing, Jousto ensures stored energy is used during peak periods when grid electricity is most expensive.
This avoids buying electricity at high prices while making the most of free solar energy.
C. Wholesale Market Integration
If you’re on a wholesale electricity plan, Jousto monitors market price fluctuations and exports only when financially beneficial.
This allows users to profit from high demand periods, rather than selling at low rates.
5. Can You Still Export Some Solar Energy?
Yes—Jousto doesn’t completely block exports but ensures they happen at the best times.
When Does Jousto Allow Exports?
When your battery is full – If your battery is at maximum charge and there’s still excess solar, Jousto allows exports.
When FiT rates are high – If market conditions cause a spike in electricity prices, Jousto strategically exports to maximise earnings.
If you’re part of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) – Jousto ensures you contribute to the grid when demand is highest, earning the best returns.
This balanced approach ensures you get the most financial benefit from both self-consumption and exports.
6. How to Get the Most Out of Jousto’s Solar Export Prevention
To maximise savings, consider the following:
A. Choose a Plan with Time-Based Pricing
If your energy provider offers time-of-use pricing, Jousto will help you store solar and use it when grid prices are highest.
B. Opt for a Wholesale Energy Plan
With a wholesale pricing plan, Jousto ensures your battery charges when prices are lowest and exports when rates are highest.
C. Enable Custom Energy Preferences
Jousto allows users to set preferences, such as prioritising solar self-consumption, battery backup, or profit-focused energy trading.
Final Thoughts
With solar feed-in tariffs decreasing, exporting excess electricity is often less profitable than storing and using it later. Jousto prevents you from exporting at low prices, ensuring your solar energy is used in the most cost-effective way possible.
By maximising solar self-consumption, optimising battery charging, and strategically managing exports, Jousto helps you reduce electricity bills, increase energy independence, and make the most of your solar investment.
To learn more about how Jousto can optimise your solar and battery system, visit Jousto today.
