Battery Storage Systems FAQ

Should I Go Off Grid?

Properties With Power

If you have a grid connection but are considering ‘cutting the cord’ and going off-grid, then there are a couple of things to consider.

An off-grid system requires a backup power source for times of high usage or bad weather. When you don’t have a grid connection, then this backup power is most commonly sourced from a petrol/diesel generator.

An off-grid system needs to include extra battery capacity to give you a few days worth of storage, just in case there’s a few days of bad weather. This means that an off-grid system will usually be more expensive than a grid connected battery storage system.

If going completely off-grid isn’t for you, then you can install a small amount of battery storage on your home to use some of your excess solar power at night. The grid remains connected as a backup power source, and you will still need to pay for the grid electricity you use, and your supply charge.

Properties Without Power

With rising electricity prices and large upfront connection costs, choosing to go off-grid for your electricity is increasingly more attractive. When deciding standalone or paying to connect your property to the grid, looking at the full system life cycle will help to understand the total cost of each option over the long term, not just the initial upfront cost.

Off-Grid Energy Australia can help you compare going stand alone or grid connection with a full life cycle analysis. Factors including annual expected electricity price rises, system ongoing costs (Generator fuel, maintenance) and equipment replacement are calculated over their useful life.

Things To Consider

Which Battery System Is Right For Me?

Your current energy situation, your location, and what you want to achieve from your storage system are the three most useful pieces of information in determining which home battery storage system is right for you.

If you are not connected to the electricity network and don’t plan to connect, then an off grid system is for you.
If you have a grid connection but would like to ‘cut the cord’ and get off the grid entirely, then you’ll also be looking at an off grid system.

If you have a grid connection, then there are a few more options available.
If you’d like full energy independence with the security of a grid connection, our Home Autonomy systems are the option for you.

If you’d just like a little bit of storage to make the most of your solar energy, then there are many battery storage options available to you (Such as Tesla, Alpha and Fronius). Our On Grid Storage page will give you more info about each of these products.

How Is My Battery System Designed?

We use our own, in-house, system design software – made specifically for designing both off grid and grid connected battery storage systems. Using your load profile or electricity bill information we are able to quickly formulate a technically compliant system design, along with a quotation and accurate system performance details.

This advanced battery storage design software ensures greater accuracy in system design choices, specific to your situation and future needs. Meaning you are not buying a system that is too small or too large for your needs.

Can I Expand My System Later?

Whether you can expand your battery capacity later is entirely dependant on the type of battery system you have.
In most cases the solar component of your system is easily expanded (within utility restrictions if you are grid-connected), and it’s the battery capacity that can sometimes be tricky or expensive to expand.

Systems like the Enphase AC Battery are extremely easy to expand on – and were designed to be very modular. Whereas most off-grid systems are difficult to expand on, and it is usually best to go for the battery capacity you estimate to need in the future.

It is also important to keep in mind that it’s likely you’ll need to expand your system with the same battery model that you already have. So even if the system is easily expandable, if the original product is no longer available then this could be more difficult than expected.

Can I Add Batteries To My Existing Solar System?

Yes, you can. But there are a few things to keep in mind.

Some battery systems may only compatible with a select few inverters. So we would need to find out what your existing inverter is, and then advise which battery systems are compatible.

Battery systems such as Enphase AC Battery are compatible with all existing solar systems.

For systems with a basic form of AC coupling (e.g. Alpha Storion), the battery system can monitor and use existing solar – but it cannot control the solar or make the solar available during blackouts.

How Does The Grid Connection Process Work?

Before installing your solar system, we need to seek approval from your power utility to connect the system to the electricity grid.

In most cases we complete the appropriate paperwork and lodge the application on your behalf, and will require an electricity bill and rates notice to complete this paperwork.

Off-Grid Energy will also arrange the paperwork required for your utility to replace or reconfigure the electricity meter and connect your solar system to the grid.

The system cannot be turned on until the meter has been updated, and the distribution company is responsible for the timeframe in which this happens.

The utility will then notify your electricity retailer of the connection, and your electricity account will be updated to include the default feed-in-tariff.

The full connection process differs from state to state. To see info on the connection process in your state, please download our PTC & Connections Guide.