A home battery stores excess solar electricity generated during the day for use at night or during a blackout, rather than exporting all of it to the grid. This page is general information only, not a quote or a guarantee of any saving.
How batteries work with solar
Excess solar power that would otherwise be exported at a relatively low feed-in tariff rate is instead stored in the battery and used later, which can reduce how much grid electricity a household needs to buy in the evening.
Sizing a battery
Battery size is generally chosen based on evening and overnight usage patterns, not simply matched to solar system size — an installer should be able to model this against your own bills rather than a generic household average.
Cost and payback
Batteries currently add a significant amount to the upfront cost of a solar system, and the payback period varies widely depending on usage, tariff structure, and any battery-specific rebate available in your state. Always ask for an itemised, address-specific payback estimate rather than relying on a marketing figure.
Key takeaways
A battery isn't essential to benefit from solar, but can make sense for households with high evening usage or a need for blackout backup — compare a few written, itemised quotes before deciding, and check current state rebate schemes on energy.gov.au.