Solar battery storage in Perth
Solar panels make power when the sun is up. A storage system holds the excess so you can use it after dark, when Perth homes use most of their electricity.
Storage is about timing, not just capacity
The point of storage is to move solar energy from midday, when you generate more than you use, to the evening, when you use more than you generate. The right size is the one that covers your evening and overnight usage, not the biggest one you can fit.
- Its main job
- Midday to evening
- Use your own solar after sunset
- Where the value is
- The price gap
- Exported solar usually earns less than evening grid power costs
- Size it to cover
- Evening and overnight
- A typical day, not the heaviest one
- Perth wildcard
- Summer aircon
- The single biggest variable in storage sizing
On this page5 sections
What a storage system does
During the day your panels typically cover your home's usage and produce a surplus.
- Midday
Your panels cover your home's usage and produce a surplus
- Battery
Storage captures the surplus instead of exporting it
- After sunset
You draw on your own energy rather than paying grid rates
| Your setup | What happens to the surplus | Worth to you |
|---|---|---|
| Without storage | Exported to the grid for a feed-in credit under Synergy's Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme | Usually less than grid power |
| With storage | Used after sunset, so you are not buying that power back in the evening | Avoids grid rates |
That gap, between the low export credit and the higher import rate, is where most of the value of storage comes from in Perth.
What a storage system includes
A home battery storage setup is more than the battery on the wall.
The battery
Where energy is stored, rated in usable kilowatt-hours.
An inverter
Either a hybrid inverter that handles solar and battery, or a dedicated battery inverter alongside your existing solar inverter.
Monitoring
An app or portal showing what is stored, used, and exported.
Backup wiring
Keeps selected circuits running during an outage, configured at install time.
How much storage do you need
Sizing comes down to how much electricity you use when the sun is not shining, mostly the evening and overnight.
A home that uses most of its power before 4pm.
One where everyone arrives home at 6pm and runs the oven, aircon, and screens at once.
Look at your actual usage
Most Perth homes have a smart meter, so you can see your usage in half-hour blocks through Synergy's portal.Size to cover a typical evening and overnight
Not the heaviest day of the year.Accept a little grid power on the occasional heavy day
Rather than paying for capacity that sits empty most of the year.
Next
Air conditioning: the Perth wildcard
Summer evening aircon is the single biggest variable in Perth storage sizing. A ducted system running through a hot evening can add a large chunk to your usage.
A bigger battery
More stored energy to run the aircon through the evening.
Pre-cool during solar hours
Cool the house while the panels are generating, so the evening load is smaller.
Which makes sense depends on your home and habits, and is worth discussing with an installer.
Questions before you size a storage system
Ask your installer
3 questionsWork out the storage size for your home
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