The Hume Household Solar Roll-Out aims to give you honest and accurate information about batteries so that you can make the right decision for your unique situation.
About Batteries
The first step in deciding whether battery storage is right for you is understanding how the system works. To do this, you first need to understand how a home with solar panels operates.
Generally, the set-up of a home powered by solar includes solar panels, mounting equipment, an inverter, and a monitoring system that tracks the production of energy. The solar panels collect energy from the sun and turns it into electricity, which in turn passes through the inverter where it is converted into a form that you can use to power your home.
Most homes with this setup are still connected to and dependent upon the electricity grid. When your solar panels produce more electricity than you use in your home, the excess is fed back into the grid. In the same way, when your panels do not generate enough electricity use for your home, your home draws power back from the grid.
Solar batteries convert the AC (alternating current) energy that is produced by your rooftop solar panels and stores it as DC (direct current) power, meaning that you are able to store excess solar electricity for future use rather than sending it back to the grid. If your panels are producing more power than you use, the excess energy goes towards charging the battery. Later, when your solar panels aren’t producing electricity, you can use the energy you stored earlier. In its most basic sense, this means that solar power you collected during the day can be used at night.
A big misconception about batteries is that once you install storage, you can go completely off-grid. Of course, if you have enough batteries or a backup generator this is possible, but in most cases you will still need to access grid power from time to time. While you will have a lot more energy self-reliance, the grid will provide you with electricity when the battery is depleted. Any excess electricity your solar system produces will also be exported to the grid if the batter is already fully charged.
If you register your interest in a solar system with battery, Green Home Green Planet will contact you to discuss the best battery options for your situation. You can always call YEF to check through your quote, ensuring that the system you choose is the right one.
About the program
This program is a partnership between Hume City Council and the Yarra Energy Foundation, with Green Home Green Planet the solar provider.