Solar batteries are about to get cheaper. But some existing solar panel users are sceptical

SBS Australia

9 hours ago

From 1 July, the government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program will provide a 30 per cent discount on the upfront cost of installing eligible small-scale battery systems. Source: SBS, AAP Homeowners hoping to reduce their power bills by installing solar panels are now considering whether new discounts for solar batteries will be worth it. From 1 July, the federal government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program will provide a 30 per cent discount on the upfront cost of installing eligible small-scale battery systems. But homeowners like Victorian resident Lee Bolger, who invested in solar panels a few years ago, are now experiencing dramatic drops in their feed-in tariffs and are sceptical about the added benefit of batteries. Feed-in tariffs — credits issued by energy retailers — allow solar owners to earn money for any unused electricity they generate, which is fed into the electricity grid. The rates vary across different states and electricity providers.
Adam Corrigan, an energy efficiency expert and founder of Your Energy Friend, says each household is different, and there are many other energy-saving options to consider before spending thousands on solar and batteries.
Bolger, who lives in the Victorian town of Great Western, says he installed 30 panels on his eight-bedroom home in March 2023. He rents out rooms in his house to boarders and says they use a lot of electricity as they often have the air-conditioning and heating on. His 12-kilowatt system cost him $12,680 after rebates and other discounts, which he estimated he could recoup in around six years. But the feed-in tariff at the time was around 12 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), and now he only gets around 6 cents. More drops are expected, with comparison website Finder saying the minimum rate for tariffs in Victoria will drop to 0.04 cents from 1 July, although better rates are available depending on the provider. Fifteen years ago, they were as high as 60 cents.
Bolger estimates his original feed-in tariff of 12c per kWh would have saved him around $1,000 a year. When combined with the estimated $1,000 worth of electricity he saves relying on energy generated from his own system, he receives a total benefit of $2,000 per year from his solar panels. If the feed-in tariff drops to practically zero, the benefit from his panels will reduce to around $1000 a year, meaning the time Bolger would need to pay off his panels would almost double. He says the experience has made him "indifferent" about the economic benefits of solar and he won't be recommending it to others.
Bolger doesn't believe installing a battery will make a difference, because his solar panels won't generate enough excess energy to store — especially in winter when it's often raining and dark — to make the purchase worthwhile. "My summer bills were ridiculously low. In winter, you will not generally get enough charge into the battery to make a big difference," he says.
Corrigan says other households might be in a different position to Bolger, as the average NSW home only uses about 20kWh of electricity per day. The NSW-based energy expert, who has a 1.5 kilowatt solar system, says he uses less than 10 kilowatt-hours a day, although his cooktop is powered by gas. "[For] most homes, a 10 kilowatt or 14 kilowatt battery will get you through the night easily," he says. "However, if you are cranking your air conditioner and you've got ducted air conditioning, it's probably only going to last you two, three hours." Corrigan says batteries will work for some households and the new federal rebate does make the cost more affordable.
A battery makes so much sense, because you can store that excess electricity you're generating in the middle of the day and then use it in the early evening. Finder has estimated the cost of a 10kWh battery could come down to between $6,713 – $8,904 due to the federal discount. "In Australia, the average household uses about 15 to 20kWh of electricity per day," a Finder spokesperson says.
"If most of your energy consumption is in the evening and you're paying a single electricity rate — let's use 32.34c per kWh as an average based on single-rate plans in our database — then with a 10kWh battery and using 80 per cent of its capacity, you could save about $850 a year," a Finder spokesperson says. "However, the actual savings can vary depending on the type of electricity plan you have, the rates you pay, your solar panel setup, your energy consumption patterns, and how much electricity you export back to the grid." While the federal battery discount applies nationally, the states and territories also have programs that can be used to further reduce the cost.
Corrigan recommends considering other options before investing in expensive solar panels and battery systems. He suggests Bolger should review his insulation and energy efficiency measures to reduce his electricity consumption. The first thing he recommends for households is to analyse their power bills and shop around to get the best deal. Making your house more energy-efficient should be the next priority before considering solar panels and, finally, batteries.
If you want to make your home more comfortable, get your insulation sorted and do your draft proofing. That's your best return on investment. That's your best bang for buck. Corrigan says simple changes such as installing heavy-lined curtains and a box pelmet (which goes around the top of the curtain) can be very effective at keeping your home warm, and are much cheaper than double-glazed windows, for example.
Using a thermal camera around the home can also show gaps in roof insulation where batteries might have been moved. "You only need a 5 per cent gap in that insulation blanket, and the effectiveness of that insulation — the whole blanket — diminishes by almost a half," Corrigan says. "When you get into bed tonight and you pull the doona up, just cut some holes in it, see how well it works."
When considering whether to invest in a battery system, Corrigan says the first consideration is cost, as they are expensive and many people don't have the money sitting in the bank. Those who already have a solar system should check whether their inverter is battery-compatible, as this could also raise warranty issues if it needs to be replaced. Another consideration is what your next car will be.
Corrigan says in one to two years, electric vehicles will be capable of vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid functionality, allowing EV batteries to be used to power your home. "Some people are already doing it," he says. They are an attractive option because EV batteries generally have a huge capacity of around 50-70kWh. "You could run your home for days on it."