Home batteries
Home batteries
Are you producing more solar than you can use during the day? Or do you want to power your home with renewable energy day and night? A home battery can be a great option.
Home batteries typically store power from solar panels. However, they can also be set up to charge from the network.
Home batteries can reduce energy bills by:
- Storing energy during the day when renewable energy is abundant.
- Using stored energy during the evening peak when supplies tighten and prices typically rise.
- Participating in virtual power plants and selling power into the network.
Installing a home battery
There are simple steps you can take when installing a home battery:
Before installing a battery, it helps to know how much electricity you use and when. Create a myEnergy account to review your usage patterns. This will help you and your installer choose the right battery size for your home.
Provide your usage information to prospective installers so they can provide a quote.
When choosing an installer, we recommend visiting the Solar Accreditation Australia website (opens external site in a new window). This shows that installers are accredited and comply with service standards.
Charging a home battery can increase the amount of electricity your property uses from the network. Before installing a battery, a qualified electrician will need to check that your electrical setup can safely handle this additional demand.
If you use more electricity from the network than your home’s electrical setup can safely support, your service fuse may operate to protect your home (also known as a blown fuse), resulting in a power outage until we can replace it. If you continue to use more electricity than your home can handle, you may repeatedly blow your fuse.
What to discuss with your electrician
You’ll need to let your electrician know whether you plan on charging your battery while using other high-energy appliances such as air-conditioning or an induction cooktop.
Based on your total electricity needs, your electrician may advise you to do one or more of the following:
- Manage your usage: avoid charging your battery while using certain high-energy appliances
- Set a limit: set an import limit on your battery inverter
- Upgrade your electrical setup: this could include the service fuse, mains cable or circuit breaker.
- Upgrade your supply: from single-phase to three-phase (if available in your area)
Your installer should submit a pre-approval application through eConnect before you sign a contract.
Once we receive your application, we’ll determine your export limit based on what our network in your area can safely support.
Your battery can be installed once the pre-approval is completed.
When the battery is installed, your electrician will submit the post installation paperwork. This allows us to apply the correct export settings to your connection and confirm that all compliance requirements have been met.