Harness the full potential of your home solar system with a battery

If you haven’t already got solar panels on your home, you should be considering it. More than just saving you money, solar energy is also a sustainable way to power your household, meaning it’s better for the future of our planet.

It’s expected that around 30% of homes across the county have rooftop solar installed. But what are those 30% now missing when they sit in front of their solar-powered TV at night while reaping the benefits of cheaper energy bills? Batteries.

Batteries are often considered the extra bonus to solar, as 2.6 million Aussie households have chosen to install solar panels, but only 9% of these homes have added a battery. Because often, like with any upfront investment, we’re left asking ourselves if having a solar battery is really worth it.

Well, we’ve done the research and talked to the experts and here’s what you need to know about adding a home solar battery.

First up, what is a battery and how does it work?

A home solar battery allows homes with solar panels to capture and store any unused power that is generated, this means that you’re relying less on the grid and can use the power that is stored when you like, even if there’s a blackout period.

It also means that on a low light day, when solar panels aren’t working optimally or at night time when the panels aren’t doing anything, instead of just having the excess power go back to the grid or being lost; it gets stored in your battery.

Not only can you reduce your carbon footprint, every step you take in supporting renewable sources of energy means that you’re giving back to the environment and doing good for the future.

So, what does it cost?

It makes sense to add a battery to your home solar, but the benefits can be difficult to weigh up compared to the cost of the system, especially when you’re already saving money just by adding solar panels. Feed-in tariffs, the rates that your energy retailer puts back onto your energy bill in credit for selling your surplus energy into the grid, are reducing, so you can lower the impact of these reductions by controlling what you use and when you choose to send the energy back.

What do I look for?

There are three ways to invest in home solar battery – you can pay upfront, work out a finance agreement with your installer, or look at a buy now pay later option. How you pay is up to you, but what you need to look for is a quality tier one battery, that will usually give you a lifetime of around 20 years. Also ensure your battery has at least a 10-year performance warranty and a two-year product warranty. Your installer or retailer should also undertake regular online battery health checks to ensure it is performing at its peak. That way, with the savings you’ll make, you’ll be able to pay back your battery within five years and reap the ongoing benefits for the next 10 to 15 years.

Am I getting caught with any unseen costs?

There have been some reports of a ‘sun or solar tax’ as more and more households add solar to their rooftops. This is when governments or energy distribution networks will not accept excess power at certain times, but there are no unseen costs if you add on your own battery with a Nectr Home Battery Add-on.

Nectr’s Home Battery Add-on lets you take control of your energy usage, and when you send your surplus energy back into the grid, meaning you get a better bang for your buck. You can get a buy now, pay later, Tier-1 battery with no down payment and 0% interest. Sign up now to find out more

Reasons why you should add a battery to your home solar:

Stop paying energy bills

How much can you really save by adding a battery to your home solar? Well, each home is different and what you can save depends on your usage, home size and location, choice of battery, roof size and shading, but having the extra energy stored in your battery means you can use it or sell it back, whenever you like. It’s your power, so you should be able to choose when you use it.

Use your solar power after dark

By putting your energy usage into your hands, it means there’ll be no more paying top dollar at night to your energy retailer for the energy that your solar panels have generated.

Increase your home's value

Like any investment, there needs to be a return. And any increase in desirability is a win-win – and research shows that 77% of Australians believe a house is more valuable with solar, than without.

Take control

Better utilise the energy your home is generating via your solar panels, and as solar feed-in tariffs reduce, be confident in the knowledge that you’ll have the clean energy stored that you need for your home, at any time of the day.

So, what are you waiting for? Put the power back in your hands.