Solar Batteries

Solar Battery Storage
What’s a solar battery, and what does it do?

Generous Solar Battery Rebates & Programs are currently available throughout New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Speak with a battery expert to find out more and check your eligibility.

 

Adding a solar battery to your solar system means you save even more money on your power bills. But what is a solar battery and how do they work?

Install a solar battery with Natural Solar

Your typical rooftop solar power system collects energy from the sun via your solar panels, then your inverter turns it into usable electricity. But, it’s basically ‘use it or lose it’.

If you generate more electricity than you need, you lose the extra. At best, you can sell it back to the grid at a lower rate than you’d buy it for. At worst, it’s wasted. And when your panels aren’t generating power (like at night), you’ve got to buy it from the grid anyway.

sonnen and Tesla solar battery storage

A solar battery system stores the excess electricity generated by your solar panels. That means it’s not wasted. And at night or on cloudy days you don’t need to be reliant on the grid.

Solar batteries, like Tesla and sonnen, are a big tick for your hip pocket, the environment and your peace of mind.

What’s the best solar battery brand?

The Tesla Powerwall 2 and the sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 are the best solar batteries out there. Well, all our customers, our team here at Natural Solar and most of their product reviews think so. There are a few others in the market, but Tesla and sonnenBatterie really are the cream of the crop when it comes to energy storage systems.

How does home battery storage work?

Tesla Powerwall 2

The most affordable home battery in terms of cents/kWH, the Powerwall 2, Tesla’s second generation solar battery is a 13.5kWh powerhouse. It stores enough power to see an average household through the night and has a 10-year warranty, assuming you cycle the battery (charge and discharge it) every day over that time.

It also has back-up protection to keep your entire household (not just one circuit) running in case of blackouts, and you can install it either inside or out.

What’s the best solar battery storage?

sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53

German-designed sonnenBatterie is the most flexible solar battery choice, offering multiple solar battery storage options ranging from 2.5kWh to 15kWh.

sonnen’s warranty reaches to either 10 years or 10,000 cycles, whichever comes first. So, you could cycle your battery 2.7 times PER DAY for 10 years straight, and still be under warranty.

Plus the sonnenBatterie also has smart home capabilities, so it can connect with your Alexa or Google Home.

How do I choose the right solar battery for me?

To start figuring out whether the Tesla Powerwall 2 or the sonnenBatterie Hybrid 9.53 suit you best, ask yourself:

  • Will you install your battery inside or outside? A sonnenBatterie needs to be indoors, but a Tesla battery can go outside if it’s not located anywhere too sunny.
  • Do you need blackout protection? The Tesla Powerwall 2 can back up your whole house, but a sonnenBatterie can only back up one circuit of your home. For example, it might back up your kitchen and fridge/freezer, but mean the rest of your home is in the dark.
  • Will your electricity needs change? The sonnenBatterie makes it easy to increase your capacity in increments if your power needs change in the future. However, the Tesla Powerwall 2 only comes in one generous size.
  • What’s your available upfront budget? Consider the difference in solar battery cost. With a sonnenBatterie, you can start out smaller (and cheaper), then build onto your system over time. The Tesla Powerwall 2 is a set upfront cost for its one size battery.
  • Do you want a smart home? If you’re interested in integrating your solar home battery storage with smart home devices like Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa, the sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 is your best option.

Here’s a quick summary of those differences for comparison:

Tesla Powerwall 2sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53
Installation placementInside or outsideInside only
Blackout protectionFull circuit backupOne circuit only
Ability to growCan only add 13.5kWh modules at a timeCan add 2.5kWh modules at a time
InvestmentOne upfront priceStart with smaller, cheaper battery, and grow
Smart home capabilitiesNoYes

Identifying the best solar battery storage system is not as simple as it first sounds. The smartest way to do it is to ask us for a no-pressure, no-obligation, individual assessment.

How a solar battery storage system can help you

A solar battery storage system will:

  • save you money
  • reduce your reliance on the grid
  • help lessen your impact on the planet
  • give you peace of mind during blackouts and extreme weather events

A solar battery storage system is smart. It only sends electricity back to the grid when it can’t store any more (as in, it’s fully charged). And it’ll only draw power from the grid (which you have to pay for) once its stored power is totally depleted.

This means your solar battery will fully charge during the day and then give you its stored electricity once your panels have stopped generating power in the evening. Overall, you’ll draw (and pay for) less power from the grid, saving you money in the long run.

How long will a fully charged solar battery last me?

For most homes, it will give you enough power for a full night.

Of course, it depends on a few different things.

  • how much power your household uses
  • your solar battery’s capacity, described in kWh
  • its ‘depth of discharge’ (DOD), aka ‘how empty it can get each time it’s discharged’ – as an example, a 10kWh battery with 90% DOD will have 9kWh of usable capacity.

So how many hours would you get from that fully charged 10kWh battery? If you use as much power as the average Australian home, it should last you the entire night.

So… should you buy a solar battery?

Yes! Home solar batteries offer a wealth of benefits, including:

  • Cheaper power bills. You could reduce the amount of grid power you pay for by up to 92% (read our 2020 Tesla Powerwall review to find out more).
  • Less grid reliance. Having solar battery storage makes you less dependent on the grid and more self-sufficient by protecting you against blackouts or brownouts.
  • Good for the environment. Having a solar battery storage system actively reduces your carbon footprint and lessens your impact on the planet.
  • Protects your solar investment. Energy company feed-in tariff rules and rates change often, usually to your disadvantage. Having a battery backup can help to protect your upfront investment in your solar system.
  • Adds value to your property. A solar system with battery storage adds real asset value to your property. That makes it an even better long-term investment.

So from our perspective, the answer is clear. If you’re going to invest in a solar power system, it just makes sense to get the most you can from it – which means including a solar battery.

Why choose Natural Solar for your home battery installation?

Trusted, established company

  • Australian-owned and operated by the Williams family for 12 years
  • CEC Approved Retailer meeting the highest of industry standards
  • AFR Fast 100 #15 2017 + AFR Fast 100 #15 2018
  • Bridgepoint 2018 Growth Award Winner

Premium Tesla Installer

  • Installed the very first Tesla Powerwall worldwide
  • Thousands of Tesla installations across Australia

Experienced sonnen Installer

  • Installed the first sonnenFlat system in Australia
  • Thousands of sonnenBatterie installations across Australia

Satisfied customers

Want to know more about solar batteries? Talk to us

At Natural Solar, our 10+ years of experience has given us a keen sense of our clients’ needs and how best to meet them. So whether you’re in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, or anywhere in between, we can help you get the right solar energy solution.

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These costs are based on the SA Power network in Adelaide but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes a general energy usage of 4000kWh/year for a residential customer on Energy Locals Time of Use Tariff – (TOU – Peak, Off-Peak & Solar Sponge).

The reference price is set by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) for a financial year in relation to electricity supply to residential customers in the distribution region and is based on an assumed annual usage amount. Any difference between the reference price and the unconditional price of a plan is expressed as a percentage more or less than the reference price. The terms of any conditional discounts are shown, along with any further difference between the reference price and the discount applied if a condition is met, expressed as a percentage more or less than the reference price.