Household solar and batteries

Considering installing solar panels and/or a battery? Finn Peacock, a local Adelaide expert and founder of SolarQuotes can explain the basics and answer all your questions.

You can use renewable energy to power your home either by installing a solar system or purchasing GreenPower through your energy supplier.

About 41 per cent of South Australian dwellings have a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, which is about the same percentage as the City of Marion. Statistics published on the Australian PV Institute website show our state has the second highest percentage of PV systems installed per dwelling in the nation.

Solar systems reduce your power bills and improve the value of your home – not to mention reduce your greenhouse gases emissions!

If installing a solar system isn’t an option, consider switching to GreenPower. It’s an easy and affordable way to reduce emissions and support the renewable energy sector.

The Clean Energy Council has published a guide on buying and installing solar PV systems for homes. It covers the different types of systems, costs, government incentive schemes, feed-in-tariffs, system sizes, things to watch out for when signing a contract, installation, maintenance and more.

The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme creates a financial incentive for individuals and small businesses to install eligible small-scale renewable energy systems.

When you purchase GreenPower, your electricity provider commits to buying the same amount of electricity that you use from an accredited renewable energy source – which is then added to the grid on your behalf.

You can make the switch by calling your electricity supplier and asking if they offer GreenPower (there are over 40 GreenPower providers in Australia). You then nominate how much of your household’s usage you would like to be GreenPower.

Choosing 100 per cent GreenPower for an average Australian household may cost about $1 per day. If you're keen to do your bit for the environment, and you're looking for a budget conscious option, many electricity retailers offer 10%, 25% or 50% GreenPower plans that you can add to your normal electricity plan. You can check GreenPower’s ‘Find a Provider’ page to find plans available to you.

Battery storage systems allow you to store the excess energy produced by your solar panels. You can then use this energy later. Your battery can either be stand-alone or connected to the electricity grid.