How solar and battery storage gives you energy control
Owning your own home has long been the great Australian dream: a picket fence and a roof over your head, where your hard-earned money stays in your pocket.
Rather than renting and paying off someone else’s mortgage, home ownership gives you greater control, security and can be an asset to your name. The same can apply to electricity use.
Paying for electricity is essentially like paying rent, but rather than renting a house, you’re renting electricity. Your energy provider controls what you pay and when, and you’re at their will in the event of a blackout.
Solar systems and battery storage, however, can offer energy independence from the big providers and help to protect you against rising energy costs. Also, by installing a battery, excess solar energy can be stored and used when the sun isn’t shining or if there’s a blackout.
Many Aussies are already on board with the idea. An International Energy Agency report in 2020 revealed Australia has the highest per capita uptake of solar in the world, with South Australians leading the nation in battery storage.
Your say on solar
A RAA Member Panel survey in 2020 found this percentage of respondents aged 30 and over had solar panels.
What about the costs?
While there are set up costs, this initial outlay can be looked at as an investment, according to RAA Product and Pricing Manager for RAA Solar, Dennis Taarnby.
“Solar can be very affordable when taking up a payment plan”, Dennis says.
“This affordability, coupled with a return-on-investment period of about three for solar, and five to seven years for solar and battery storage, ensures you have a great investment and you’re in control of your electricity generation, storage and consumption.”
RAA is now partnering with green finance provider Plenti to offer new long-term finance options for its solar and battery systems, and home electric vehicle (EV) chargers.
This means RAA is now able to offer members a home energy system with no up-front deposit, and the option to pay off their system in lower monthly instalments in three to 10 years.
For those who can’t afford or don’t want to invest in battery storage, the right-sized solar only system can still reduce your energy bills by 50-60 per cent or more. With a battery, those savings increase to more than 80 per cent and in some cases more than 100 per cent.
RAA members also receive a 10 per cent discount on the recommended retail price for their system, so there’s no better time than right now to invest and take control of those expensive electricity bills.
“It means you’re not having to rely on someone else and pay them for the privilege”, Dennis says.
Even in winter, Dennis says people looking to invest in solar panels shouldn’t be put off.
“With the right-sized system, optional battery storage – and considering Adelaide has fewer than 90 overcast days a year – electricity will still be generated in winter, giving you savings all year round.”
Dennis urged people to research the benefits of installing solar and battery storage systems.
“Every time you use or store the sun’s energy, that’s less energy you’ll have to pay for,” he says.