Replace vs. Upgrade Solar vs. Battery: Which One?☀️NSW
Posted 5 Jul
Posted 5 Jul
When looking into investing further into your energy, it can be difficult to know exactly whether to expand your solar system or buy a battery to store your solar energy, as some homes can benefit greatly from battery storage, and other homes would benefit more from simple adding more panels to their system.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for everyone, but let's find out which option may be more suitable for
you and your property.
A solar-only system is a great way to offset daily energy consumption from sustainable energy, which also takes next to no maintenance to harness free energy. Additionally, battery storage helps properties maximise their solar performance, to be used at day, night, and through grid outages.
For underperforming solar systems, it can be hard to determine whether you should upgrade or fully replace your solar system. Here's why upgrading may be better.
Upgrading or expanding your solar system with additional panels can enable you to bring your generation back to what it once was, with the additional solar panels producing what had been lost due to age and deterioration.
If you use most of your energy throughout the day, more solar power could allow you to take full advantage of the available sunlight and really offset your consumption.
Compared to replacing a solar system, upgrading it with a few more panels would be cheaper to install. This is also limited to system compatibility and rooftop space constraints.
Similar to upgrading your solar system, completely replacing it would optimise your rooftop to generate as much solar power as possible.
Unlike the other option, replacing solar PV systems enables homeowners to take advantage of modern technology, where the same sized system could produce significantly more energy than the original depending on its age.
Replacing your solar system may be the better choice for systems that have aged and are starting to deteriorate to the point of no return. Having a fresh start would allow homeowners to reap the benefits of higher-efficiency panels with increased durability and reliability.
As previously mentioned, battery storage is an excellent way to take advantage of your solar. For most solar systems, battery storage fits in well as the excess solar energy that your system generates can be stored away as cheap backup power.
If you think your solar system is generating perfectly fine, but you want to invest in your energy, battery storage may be the choice for you.
Especially for homeowners that consume most of their electricity during the evenings, battery storage enables you to continue being powered by solar energy even after the sun is long-gone.
By storing excess solar power for later-use, you avoid using expensive peak grid electricity which is what drives your electricity bill. You also benefit from aspects like energy independence and 24/7 energy backup during outages.
Depending on your lifestyle and consumption, your solar system may be producing enough to cover what you use with little-to-no excess energy to spare.
In this situation, investing in a battery wouldn't make sense as your solar generation isn't enough to charge the battery. Expanding your solar may be a better choice.
By boosting your solar capacity, you leave room for feed-in-tariff credit generation, as well as the ability to connect and benefit from battery storage.
If you can spare the investment for an extended solar system, as well as battery storage, you become energy independent and less vulnerable to fluctuating energy costs.
Our team, based in Thornton, NSW, are here ready to help you in your energy journey. We provide a range of solar and battery solutions for both commercial and residential applications across Newcastle and the Hunter.
We can provide solar health checks for older systems that are suspected to not be completely working, as well as full system replacements and battery implementation. Book today.
Each situation will have its unique requirements and constraints, so taking a step back and assessing your situation in 3 elements, consumption, budget, and confinements can help you make a better decision.
Your consumption habits may differ from Newcastle’s average, so looking at your daily consumption and the size of your system can allow you to see if you have excess solar storage potential
Your budget is an important factor when it comes to solar and battery as you are making an investment. By getting a solid amount together, you get flexibility in your options
Depending on your system, your inverter may not be battery ready which will add costs on top of the battery for a new compatible hybrid inverter and installation.
Amber, a service provider, allows you to access wholesale energy prices, and by using Amber Smartshift, you can automatically use your battery to buy cheap energy or use excess solar energy to be stored, and then sold during on-peak periods for a profit.
Unfortunately, Amber Smartshift isn’t really designed for solar-only systems but is a great addition to battery or solar and battery systems which allows you to supercharge your systems’ returns.
Because each home will have its unique energy usage, lifestyle, and budget, there is no one-for-all solution for homes across Newcastle and the Hunter.
However, solar battery storage offers flexibility in elements like scalability so you can opt in for a battery size that is perfect for your situation.
Whilst most homes can probably get away with around 10kWh of battery storage, there are many options in price, capacity, technology, and more.
Determining what the best battery size for homes comes down to the desired kWh capacity and brand, solar system capacity, consumption habits, and budgets.
We really recommend contacting us so we can work with you to find the best energy storage solution!
Talking to a professional solar and battery installer can help you find the optimal solution for your situation, with quotes and estimated return-on-investment timeframes.
Getting assistance can help you have a better understanding of certain decision criteria, estimated performance metrics, and a custom solution for you, regardless of your requirements.
Our team can work with you to help find the best solution for Newcastle and Hunter homes. Our team won’t try and upsell you something you don’t need, as we genuinely want to provide the best, tailor-made solution for you.
Overall, it will all depend on your unique situation. Variables like your usage, budget, current system, scalable opportunities,
service providers, and other aspects will determine the right answer for your property.
Of course, the ultimate solution for this dilemma is investing in both an upscaled solar system, as well as a good-capacity battery.
This would supercharge your home into its own virtual power plant (VPP). Obviously, this isn’t a realistic option for most as the
prices of solar extensions and storage can reach quite high depending on the system you choose.
There’s always a way to improve your energy efficiency, whether it’s the adoption of a new battery, an extension of your solar, or both, both are useful ways to take advantage of renewable energy as Australia strives for NetZero and as the world continues to strive for sustainability.
The recommendations are based on only a few situations and can vary home to home. For the ultimate accuracy, we really recommend uploading your bill and getting in contact with us, so we can have a chat (for free) about finding the best energy solutions for you.
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