Australia is undergoing a massive energy shift. It’s experiencing a surge in solar battery adoption, with over 183K batteries being sold in the second half of 2025 alone.
With the Cheaper Home Batteries Program offering significant subsidies to homeowners, it’s easy to see why.
If you’re keen on cutting electricity bills, the idea of installing a solar battery may seem like a no-brainer with these subsidies.
After all, your grid reliance drops, especially in the evening, saving you from buying costly electricity. The goal is simple: stop buying expensive electricity and start using your own.
But here’s the thing: solar batteries aren’t the right option for all homes by default.
To gauge if a solar battery is the right investment for you, it’s worth understanding your energy use pattern. To help you figure that out, we’ve put together a quick checklist below.
It’ll help you assess whether you really need a solar battery.
Checklist Point 1: Your Electricity Bill
Do you have high usage, especially during peak evening times?
The decision of investing in a solar battery often boils down to your electricity bill. If your energy costs aren’t high enough, you won’t be able to gain much value from purchasing a battery.
So, when are solar batteries worth it?
High energy usage, especially during the evening hours post sunset, makes the case for investing in a solar battery. That’s because the spot electricity rates are at their peak at this time.
By storing excess energy generated during the day, a solar battery powers your home during peak evening price surges. You’ll save more money for each kWh of energy used during those hours.
To understand your energy use pattern, check your power bills. Here are some ways:
- Review your time-of-use patterns to determine if your peak hour electricity usage is high.
- Access your smart meter’s app to see when your electricity usage peaks. If it happens post-sunset, you will benefit from a solar battery.
With a solar battery, you increase the self-consumption of electricity during periods of high energy usage. This way, you’ll rely on the grid for energy only during off-peak night hours, when the electricity rates are low.
Checklist Point 2: Your Solar Export
Are you currently exporting a large amount of solar energy back to the grid for a low feed-in tariff?
Your solar setup should offset a significant part of your electricity bills by selling the additional power you generate.
But if you’re exporting a large chunk of your solar power during off-peak hours, you’ll get low feed-in rates for it. As a result, your solar PV system’s overall ROI drops and payback period increases.
And if your energy usage remains elevated during the evening hours, when there’s peak demand, you’re essentially “giving away” high-value solar power that you could use later.
A solar battery helps you store this energy for later use instead of giving it away.
This way, you import fewer kWh of costly electricity and instead use the “free” energy stored in the battery. While you do lose out on the revenue generated by exporting this excess power, your savings increase because your imports reduce.
Here’s some quick math to understand this better:
- Excess energy: 10kWh
- Export income: 5c per kWh
- Peak rates: 40c per kWh
Without a battery: You export 10kWh for a small $0.50 credit, but then you spend $4.00 to power your home that evening. Total daily cost: $3.50.
With a battery: You miss out on that $0.50 credit, but you save the $4.00 evening charge. Total daily “saving”: $3.50. Over a year, that adds up to over $1,270 in avoided costs.
If you opt for a higher capacity solar battery, you can even generate a small passive income stream while saving on energy costs.
You can connect with a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) operator and sell your excess stored electricity to them when the energy rates are high. Without a battery, that power would have been sold for low feed-in rates.
VPPs even manage your batteries directly, maintaining better charge-discharge cycles to enhance their life.
Checklist Point 3: Your Grid Reliability
Do you experience frequent blackouts where backup power is valuable?
Financials aside, sometimes the biggest “ROI” is simply knowing the lights will stay on.
If you live in an area where power outages and blackouts are a frequent occurrence, a battery can be a valuable addition to your solar setup.
As soon as the grid’s power supply goes down, the solar battery can take over and supply uninterrupted power to your household. It enables you to continue your day as usual, without the uncertainty of when the power will be restored.
The importance of having a solar battery for backup power is especially important for households with medical devices or home offices. The reliability of solar batteries is often the primary reason to invest.
Checklist Point 4: Your Future Plans
Do you plan to add an EV or air conditioning, increasing your demand?
Electric vehicles, air conditioners, and other heavy-duty consumer appliances make up a large chunk of household electricity bills.
In fact, air conditioners and water heaters alone account for about 65% of the average household’s power consumption.
If you’re eyeing a new electric vehicle (EV) or a powerful multi-split air conditioning system, your demand is about to skyrocket.
What’s more, both these consume the most energy in the after-hours. Air conditioners run all night, and EVs are usually plugged in to charge during those hours too.
This surge in overnight energy demand can increase your electricity bills owing to the higher cost of energy during the evening and night.
A battery helps future-proof your home by storing enough electricity to power these through the night, shielding you from the bill shock that usually follows a major lifestyle upgrade.
Checklist Point 5: Your Financial View
Do you value energy independence and locking in long-term savings over immediate payback?
This one’s all about your financial priorities.
The upfront cost of investing in a solar battery may seem steep compared to your monthly electricity bills. However, batteries save you a lot of money in the long run while offering predictive returns, convenience, and power stability.
With a battery, you become energy independent to a great extent, as the solar panels cover the daytime power needs and the battery meets the nighttime requirements.
This shields you from future electricity price rises and fluctuations in peak power demand pricing. So while the initial investment cost may be more, your savings would only increase with time.
What makes batteries even more worthwhile is the fact that they have long lifespans ranging from 10 to 15 years. Think of it this way: you’re locking in your energy costs for the next decade by purchasing a solar battery.
The current rebate under the Cheaper Home Battery Program largely reduces the payback period, making the investment worthwhile.
But if you’re comfortable with the idea of paying monthly power bills and feel that your payback period exceeds 10 years, solar batteries aren’t for you.
Get the right solar battery for your needs
This self-service checklist can help you quickly assess if a solar battery is likely to add value to your new or existing solar setup.
That said, the key to a successful installation is ensuring the battery capacity perfectly matches your “excess” production.
Too small and you still pay the grid; too large and you’ve overspent on capacity you’ll never use.
At Think Renewable, we make that balancing act a breeze.
We assess your current usage trends, solar power generation, compatibility, and several other parameters to find the right solar battery for your needs.
Get in touch with us now for a personalised battery assessment.
Remember, the Cheaper Home Battery rebate is set to significantly reduce from May 1st, so claim the maximum rebate by getting in touch now.
