Home Batteries information page header accelerate climate action

Home battery information page

Maximising your savings with a home battery and solar 

The 30% rebate is a great start!

The Albanese government has announced the $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program, from 1 July, reducing the cost of a typical installed battery by “around 30%“, followed by a further $5bn extension to the program.

 

Interested in really cutting your energy costs?

The Cheaper Home Batteries Program has been very successful offering homeowners an opportunity to increase energy self sufficiency and resilience as well as slashing power bills.

Where to start?

With a home battery and solar you can cut energy costs by 90%, but what about battery size, system design and features?

Learn the essentials with this fast paced introduction!

Knowing your objectives is a good first step 

Knowing how much energy you use and what your want your battery to achieve is critical in deciding brand, size and features.

  • Do you want to utilise excess solar later, avoid paying for peak rates, support full electrification? What about blackout protection?
  • What about EV charging or supporting a future EV?
  • How big do you want your battery to be?

 

More resources on home batteries

Thanks to the Energy Transition Group for organising these events!

Watch our Home Batteries & Solar webinar

with Trent Jones, CEO All Electric Homes and Russell Williams, Systems Engineer

  • Why a battery? Understanding your objectives for choosing battery size and features
  • Correct choice of tariff and system design to maximise savings
  • Learning more about the battery rebate, installation, approval process
  • Homeowner case studies – every home is different

Watch our event Live on YouTube here.

The advantages of a home battery

A home battery can increase solar self consumption

Increasing solar PV self-consumption

Home batteries will increase the use of your own rooftop solar energy

  • Household batteries store excess solar energy, allowing for later use, for instance in the evening peak.
  • This boosts overall solar self-consumption and reduces reliance on grid power.

With solar, the right battery and tariff can really slash energy costs

A home battery and solar can reduce energy bills by up to 90% with the right tariff, for instance solar soaker (free power at midday, high feed in tariff in the evening peak) or at least time of use.

Home storage helps with lowering energy bills

Further lowering your energy bills

With solar, batteries can drop energy bills by up to 90%

Australian Government: “Under the program, a household could save around:

  • $4,000 off the upfront cost of installing an 11.5 kWh battery previously costing around $13,000.
  • $700 to $1,600 per year on their electricity bill, with the battery delivering $300 to $900 of that.”

Renew Economy: “a household with existing rooftop solar could cut a further $1,100 from its annual power bill by adding a battery, while a home adding solar and a battery in one go could save as much as $2,300 a year – up to 90 per cent of a typical family electricity bill.”

Home storage helps lock in cheaper energy prices

Increasing energy independence

Home batteries further improve household resilience

  • Investing and solar panels and a household battery, and shifting to efficient electric appliances, helps lock in today’s prices – your household will be protected against increasing gas and electricity prices – see Rewiring Australia report p3.
  • Household batteries can provide ‘blackout protection’ if designed to do so, providing an isolated supply known as ‘islanding’. This feature also depends on inverter design and integration as well as a ‘multimode’ battery.
Increasing home storage helps stabilise the grid

Supporting the grid

Home batteries help grid stability and affordability

  • Drawing from batteries in the early evening reduces demand on the grid at peak times, helping to delay expensive grid upgrades which filter down to the consumer.
  • Rewiring Australia: the cost of your own energy supply is much less than the cost of sending grid electricity to you – solar and batteries reduce the cost of further grid expansion.
  • Household batteries also help protect against voltage fluctuations during peak export times, helping stop wasted solar power.
  • Clean Energy Council: “Orchestrated battery systems” (virtual power plants) provide even more savings, not just for households but for the whole electricity system.

Finding a trusted supplier

Many people wish to install solar and batteries, but face difficult decisions in deciding the type and size of installations or finding a supplier.

A good supplier will take the hassle out of choice and installation.

Your installer must be accredited in order to claim rebates and subsidies

For more information check out the CER’s explainer here

It’s extremely important to choose a good solar installer to get a good service.

Remember, you should always:

  • Make sure that the solar provider you choose is Tier 1 approved.
  • Look at the Clean Energy Council’s approved solar retailers and installers: see accredited installer scheme and approved retailer scheme.
  • Check that your solar installer has been in operation for at least 5 years.
  • Check that the solar installer provides a 5-year installation warranty and servicing in Australia.

 

Advice on electrification

Check out our entertaining short video on going electric with home energy expert Tim Forcey or pick up a copy of his new handbook here, full of tips on the electrification process..

Battery owners experiences

Got a few minutes? Three battery owners explain more about their batteries, systems and savings here.

 

Further Information

Australian Government

  • Australian Government news page on the home battery scheme: “The program aims to help energy consumers reduce their electricity bills and cut their emissions by harnessing cheap, clean solar power. The Cheaper Home Batteries Program will be delivered through the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).”
  • CER Cheaper Home Batteries Program page

Solar Victoria

Clean Energy Council

Renew Economy

Electrify Boroondara

Lighter Footprints

  • Many of our members have added or upgraded their solar PV. Check out some of their stories here.
  • Making the switch – information on moving away from gas to cleaner, safer affordable electric homes
  • Blog on benefits of solar
  • Webinar on solar from Peter Mercurio, YEF, with slideset here, Although the MCPH program has finished, the slideset has particularly useful details on installation, orientation, shading and mounting.
  • Webinar on solar and heat pumps from Lachlan Hensey MCPH via YEF
 

 

Installing solar panels on a roof in Canterbury

Electrify our Homes Video Highlights

Got a few minutes? Check out our short video on going electric with home energy expert Tim Forcey here.

 

Our 2030 Home

Learn more about what is coming for storage, islanding EVs, charging, Vehicle to Grid and future proofing your electrical system and switchboard here.

 

Disclaimer

Please note that whilst Lighter Footprints has endeavoured to ensure all information is correct, individual circumstances will vary and it is important that you undertake your own research to best cater for your preferences and situation.