Thinking about adding a battery to your solar setup? You’re in the right place. This blog gives an easy-to-follow, friendly breakdown of how home solar batteries work, what to look for, and why now’s a great time to buy.
During the day, your rooftop solar panels generate electricity. Instead of sending every extra watt back to the grid, a solar battery stores that energy. Then, when the sun goes down, your home runs on that stored power with no extra grid bills. Some systems go a step further, sending unused energy back to the grid during peak demand (like hot summer evenings). You can even earn credits or rebates via Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), helping stabilise the grid while making your system more efficient.
A home-ready battery system boils down to three main components:
These parts work together seamlessly to ensure your solar-to-battery power runs reliably and safely.
Here’s how a typical day might look:
In daylight, your panels power the home and charge the battery. As evening hits, the battery takes over, saving you from high grid costs. If overnight the battery drains, your system can automatically switch back to grid power. And, if set up for backup, it can keep critical circuits like lights or your fridge running during power cuts.
Think of it as retirement planning for your energy! Especially if you’re planning an EV charger or electric heating, your battery lets you scale up without surprise costs.
Here are three key features worth looking out for:
These are only a few key features, but our SunPeople team can better help to provide you with quality products that should last you for decades
From 1 July 2025, the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program offers roughly 30% off eligible home battery systems. In NSW, you can stack on additional incentives by joining a VPP, potentially slashing upfront costs even further.
One news report noted that this combination could cut payback time to just a few years, making batteries a much more accessible investment.
Home battery systems aren’t just clever, they can be super-smart. A 2021 study used deep reinforcement learning to optimise when to charge and discharge a solar battery, helping bring household electricity costs down to nearly AUD $1 a day.
Other research highlights how falling battery costs and flat tariffs are accelerating home battery adoption and shifting energy demand patterns. These findings show batteries are more than kits, they’re evolving into intelligent, future-ready energy systems.
A little planning today means big savings for years to come.
A solar battery isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a step toward energy independence. It gives you control, delivers savings, and plays a part in a greener future. With current incentives, reliable tech, and real-world savings, there’s never been a better time to invest.
Ready to maximise your savings and take control of your power?
Let’s power your home for a better tomorrow.