Solar batteries store solar power, meaning you can draw on your own solar power (stored in your batteries) when the sun goes down. Solar batteries are becoming increasingly popular in Australia especially with the release of the much hyped Tesla solar battery. Depending on the size of the solar battery, the size of your solar system and your energy usage patterns, a solar battery could significantly reduce or remove your need for grid power meaning no more pesky electricity bills!
However, the price of solar batteries is still expensive with a typical system in 2016 costing around $15,000 (this is for an entirely new solar system with a battery). If you already have solar on your roof and just want to add a battery, it will still cost around $8K – $10K dollars just for the battery, not to mention the installation costs and any upgrades that may be required. In some cases, you may need an inverter upgrade, an entirely new inverter or an entirely new system.
At SGS Electrical Solar & Air Conditioning, we believe it isn’t crucial (and doesn’t really make economic sense) for homeowners to rush in and buy a battery right now. The price of solar panels has reduced drastically and the technology has rapidly improved since the mid 2000’s—and so too will solar batteries. We believe homeowners should keep an eye on the solar battery market and consider making a purchase in the next few years when the price has come down and more batteries become available that are compatible with existing solar systems.
