Solar Battery - Home Battery Storage

Take your grid connected solar system to the next level by adding a Solar Battery - aka Home Battery or Home Storage System. Storing your own solar power will give you greater independence from the corporate energy retailers and will increase the benefits of your solar system.

Sizing the solar battery

A typical Aussie household ("working family") only uses about 30% of its total energy needs during sunshine hours. So a Solar Battery sized to offset most, if not all of your energy needs should be around 70% of your daily consumption (in kWh).

Of course, smaller batteries can also be installed and still have a great impact on your electricity bill as well as your carbon footprint. Generally, Solar Batteries with a capacity of about ⅓ of your daily consumption already double your solar yields.

Tesla Powerwall

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Average use
per day (kWh)
Best Value
battery (kWh)
Min. required
solar (kW)
Best Size
battery (kWh)
Min. required
solar (kW)
8 2.4 1.5 5.6 2.5
12 3.6 2 8.4 3.5
22 6.6 3.6 13.5

5.5

 

Tesla Powerwall 2

Tesla App Screen Shot

Tesla Powerwall 2 in combination with its integrated AC inverter makes a powerful Solar Battery system with emergency backup. The 13.5kWh Powerwall 2 is sized for installation in large family homes or even small businesses.

Powerwall 2 is rated for outdoor installation and requires no maintenance; operation is completely automated. The system is managed by the Tesla Energy Gateway. If permanently connected to the internet, Tesla warrants the battery for 10 years and you can monitor your home via Powerwall App.

Tesla Powerwall 2 AC System includes:

Tesla Powerwall

  • 1 x Tesla Powerwall 2 AC (Lithium Ion)
  • 1 x Tesla Energy Gateway
  • Labels, brackets, breakers, cabling
  • Installation within 50km of Nimbin

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Enphase - Home Energy Solution

Enphase battery with mobile phone app

The Home Energy Solution is an intelligent and modular storage system designed for residential households. The 2.4kWh Kit is suited for working individuals or couples but the system can also grow with the family.

The Enphase system comprises of a communication gateway and 2 x 1.2kWh solar batteries with integrated inverters. It continuously monitors the electricity production and consumption to decide when to export, import, charge and/or discharge. If there is a permanent internet connection, such data can also be accessed in a browser or mobile app.

The Enphase Home Energy Solution includes:

Enphase AC Battery
Enphase AC Battery

Lithium Iron Phosphate

  • 2 x Enphase AC battery (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
  • 1 x Envoy-S Metered Communication Gateway
  • Labels, brackets, breakers, cabling
  • Installation within 50km of Nimbin

Note: an internet connection OR mobile reception is required to commission the system.

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Why should I add a Solar Battery?

Electricity import and export on residential home, solar only

Graph #1

Regulated feed-in tariffs (FIT) are a thing of the past; most energy retailers only offer 6-12 cents per exported kWh (if anything) while charging 30 cents for imports. It is therefore more economical for households to use that home-made power, however solar production peaks during midday, but the demand is in the mornings and evenings.

Graph #1 shows a typical 3-bedroom home of a working family (using 8kWh/day) with a net-metered 1.5kW solar power system. About 33% of the household's energy is supplied by the solar panels.

Electricity import and export on residential home, solar and 2.4kWh battery

Graph #2

Solar Batteries store some or all of the generated solar power which otherwise would have trickled into the grid at a low pay rate. They are automatically recharged when your solar panels produce more power than is required by the household; at night or during cloudy periods, electricity is drawn from the batteries. Even small batteries can make a big impact.

Graph #2 shows the same 3-bedroom home, still with the 1.5kW solar system + 2 x Enphase AC Batteries (2.4kWh). Now the yields from solar nearly doubled to 65.1%.

Electricity import and export on residential home, solar and 6.4kWh battery

Graph #3

The fortunate owners of larger solar systems (3+ kW) can add bigger batteries which would meet the bulk of the household's electricity needs; the grid will only be ever used to "top up" or as last resort. Please note, Home Batteries are currently not capable of powering a house during a blackout. If you want to go the extra mile, please check out our battery backup page.

Graph #3 shows the same 3-bedroom home with a 3.5kW solar system and a Tesla Powerwall I (6.4kWh). Now the yields from solar are well above 90%.

Installation

Home Batteries must be installed by a licensed electrician, and ideally by someone who understands batteries. It should not take too long to upgrade an existing solar system provided that there's enough room for all equipment. Note: even outdoor rated batteries should not be located in direct sunlight.

SMA based Solar Systems

© SMA

Most existing grid connect systems with an SMA inverter (e.g. Sunny Boy) are "battery ready" making the retrofitting of a SMA Sunny Island system seamless. The newer generation of SMA inverters allows for battery charging AND grid export (in case of excess). Older SMA inverters can still be used for battery backup and/or increased self-consumption (without grid export).

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Why should I buy from Rainbow Power Company?

Solar system components have some of the best warranties on the market: 25 year performance warranty on solar panels are industry standard, 5 to 10 years on solar inverters are very common. Home Batteries also come with a staggering 10 year performance warranty. But a warranty is only as good as the company that is behind it. Rainbow Power Company designs and installs renewable energy systems since 1987 and is still going strong (36 years and counting).

If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email.