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This is an illustrative scenario based on typical Perth household data, not a specific customer story.
The most common question from Perth homeowners with existing solar is: "Can I just add a battery without replacing everything?" The answer is almost always yes, using AC-coupling.
AC-coupling explained: Instead of connecting the battery to your solar inverter's DC side (which would require a hybrid inverter), an AC-coupled battery has its own built-in inverter. It sits on the AC side of your switchboard, storing excess solar after your existing inverter has converted it. This means no changes to your panels or existing inverter — the battery simply intercepts energy that would otherwise be exported.
What changes: Your electrician installs the battery unit (typically wall-mounted in a garage or on an external wall), connects it to your switchboard, and configures the energy management system. The whole installation typically takes 4-6 hours. Your existing solar system continues working exactly as before.
Efficiency trade-off: AC-coupling involves an extra conversion step (DC→AC→DC→AC), which loses roughly 5-8% compared to DC-coupled hybrid systems. On a 10 kWh battery, this means ~0.5-0.8 kWh less usable storage per cycle. For most households, this small efficiency loss is far outweighed by avoiding a $3,000-5,000 inverter replacement.
Capturing wasted exports: If you're currently exporting 8-12 kWh/day at 2-3c/kWh (DEBS off-peak rate), that's only $0.16-$0.36/day in export credits. Storing that energy and using it in the evening at 32c/kWh import rate saves $2.50-$3.80/day instead, roughly 10x more valuable.
A step-by-step method covering evening usage and seasonal AC demand.
AS/NZS 5139 clearance rules, garage vs outdoor walls, and what installers check on-site.
Synergy customers get $130/kWh back, capped at $1,300.
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