Getting access to reliable and affordable energy is a big priority for busy Australian families, and we’re all looking for a way to do it better.
As the cost of grid power continues to rise, it’s become necessary to look for better alternatives, which is why so many households are embracing solar energy. But installing a solar energy system is only the first step towards reducing reliance on the power grid. The second important step is to also install a solar battery system.
Put simply, a solar battery system is a device set up in your home that will free you forever more from your reliance on the electricity mains grid.
Think of it this way: the peak time for generating solar energy is usually in the middle of the day, when most families have low energy needs, so any excess energy produced by a solar energy system that isn’t set up with a battery is usually directed straight back to the power grid (if your solar energy system is ‘grid-tied’, as most are). However, a solar battery system will allow you to hold onto this excess energy in a storage device installed in your home, ready to use when you need it most, during peak times in the mornings and evening, when solar energy production is low.
Not at all! Installing a solar battery (such as the new sonnenBatterie Eco 8) means you’ll be largely independent but never totally cut off. Your system will still be connected to the grid, so you’ll still be able to draw energy from it, if you ever find you’re in need extra supply. But you’ll be able to function most of the time without having to rely on the grid – which is great news for anyone who has dreaded the arrival of the next energy bill!
Most solar power systems without solar batteries are set up so that any excess, unused energy produced gets sent to the mains grid in return for ‘credit’. Then, when the household needs additional energy (at morning and at night, when solar energy production is low) it can draw the energy back from the grid. Sounds great, right?
The big problem with this process is that the credit you receive for passing your excess solar energy on to the grid is much lower than the cost of buying it back when you need to use it. So you’re always functioning at a loss.
Installing your own solar battery system means you can cut out the ‘middleman’ and hold onto your excess energy, ready for when you need to use it.
Add to this the options of forward-thinking government support, such as the $6000 solar battery subsidy currently being offered in South Australia, and you’ve got yourself the energy deal of a lifetime.
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.
