Just about every person who walks into our shop asks me the same question. How much is it for Solar + Battery? It sounds like a simple question right? Well surprisingly it's not, and it depends on a range of factors such as your current electricity bills, lifestyle patterns and energy use.
Here at Geni.Energy we don't just take a best guess on what you need. We only design systems that perfectly match your situation. Some things you need to consider before you ask how much will it cost....
What are you trying to achieve - energy independence, saving money, saving the planet etc!
Where and when does your energy use occur now - do you have hot water systems, pumps, air conditioners, cold rooms, pools etc
What energy uses could be moved to another time of day - can you have your hot water system only draw during solar hours etc
Are blackouts a problem for you - which circuits would you want to keep running during blackouts
Are there energy savings steps you can take - can you add insulation to your home etc
We can help step you through you these questions by booking an Energy Assessment with us. Once we know better what your energy use looks like we can work out the ideal system for you.
Of course, everyone still wants to know, what kind of investment they might need to make to reach this energy utopia. So, we have done two examples below to give you some idea of what your system might look like. But again, you are better off to have us give you a free Energy Assessment.
Solar + Battery systems start for as little as $12,010 (ex GST). Below is an example of a small energy use household and a larger one to give you a feel for where your home may fit.
Let's look at one household that is a pretty small energy user - the McDonald's.
The McDonald's have a quarterly bill of around $550 with an average energy rate of $0.28 per kWh. This would mean the family are using an average of about 20kWh per day of energy.
Their ideal system is to install 3.7kW of solar panels - about 13 panels. Once combined with a 4.8kWh battery, they will ideally not need to import or export much to the grid once connected. This chart shows how the energy flows in and out of the McDonald's house once the system is installed with Solar + Battery.
Under the new system, the solar panels will generate ~18.5kWh of electricity in a day. The McDonald's will save ~2kWh due to the Energy Management System giving them the control to slightly reduce their usage. They will import a little energy - about ~3.5kWh and they will be able to fill their battery with ~4.32kWh of energy to get them through their night time usage. They may be able to still feed in about ~4kWh per day which will help in offsetting the costs of the daily charge that is charged by the electricity retailer.
So with this system, the McDonald's will see a 71% reduction in their bill saving more than $23,000 over fifteen years. This means they are cash flow positive from the start and will have paid off their system between 7.4 years. The battery comes with a ten year warranty and the panels have a 25 year warranty.
Their total investment would be around $14,500 including GST and the estimated STC rebate of $1,700. You can also talk to us about finance options.
Now let's introduce you to the Campbell family, their quarterly bills are usually over the $1,000 mark meaning they are high energy users. They use an average of 45kWh per day and their ideal system is 8.1kW of solar and 12kWh of battery storage. Since their daytime energy use is also 50%, their battery storage would store the ~10.8kWh needed during the night. Whilst they would still have a small amount of import and export, all their own needs would be fulfilled.
This Solar + Battery investment would be roughly $23,000 (including GST and a STC rebate of $3,800) however would pay off in 5.2 years. They would save a massive $72,000 over the next fifteen years with a reduction of 81% in their energy bills - making this investment very worthwhile!
The batteries and panels have a ten year warranty which means after the first 5 years, the system would be paid off and their energy would be free for at least the next five years! Also, when the power goes out, the Campbell's will still have the lights on!
Both these families would now also be part of the Virtual Power Plant and have complete control over their own energy consumption and generation through a nifty app on their phone too.
Every system is very different and it is important that you speak to us about the system that ideally suits you. Take the easy first step by booking an Energy Assessment with us today!