Newcastle's Leading Residential & Commercial Solar Installers
Newcastle's Leading Residential & Commercial Solar Installers
Posted 3 Sep
Want the latest in energy, solar, and savings?Subscribe to our newsletter – we don’t spam!
When looking into solar system sizing and battery storage capacity separately, you’ve probably asked yourself the frequent question – “which battery goes with what solar system?”. Let’s breakdown how solar and battery sizes pair up in the real world and what battery storage brands are compatible with what solar systems.
Every household throughout Newcastle & Maitland has its own energy consumption habits and requirements which determine the right sized solar system or battery capacity.
When installing both solar and battery as a package, a bigger solar system won’t always need a bigger battery, and a bigger battery doesn’t always perform better with more solar. Both solar and battery systems are connected by one thing: how much surplus solar energy you produce during the day to cover your home’s energy usage.
A 6.6kW solar system on a home that uses more of its power during the evening will generate a good amount of excess solar power, but when pairing it with a large battery like 30kWh often means that the battery won’t fully charge resulting in unused capacity that you’ve paid for.
Going the other way, having a larger solar system like 13.3kW paired with a small battery means that you’ll be generating far more than the battery can store, where the excess is fed into the grid for cheap. Both system combinations would be inefficient and more expensive than it would need to be.
In general, there are preset solar and battery packages that can suit most homes, based on Newcastle’s usage patterns. Here are common solar and battery system sizes that suit real-world homes across NSW:
|
6.6kW Solar + 10kWh Battery: Suits smaller homes with reduced evening energy consumption. The 6.6kW solar system generates a good amount of solar energy, which is enough to fill a 10kWh battery on most sunny days with minimal excess production. |
8kW Solar + 13-16kWh Battery: Around the average system sizes over the Newcastle and Hunter areas for households. The larger solar production can support the increased capacity throughout the year without it being out of balance. |
|
10kW Solar + 16-20kWh Battery: Designed for larger households with more people and usage, supporting day, evening, and night usage. Can also support EV charging and higher-consumption appliances like air-conditioning. |
13.3kW Solar + 20kWh Battery: Typically suits larger households with increase consumption habits, suiting those who want maximum energy independence, or those looking to futureproof their property’s electrification. |
The combinations previously mentioned are typical household sizes which are usually tailored to the home’s energy consumption habits and requirements.
If you’re wanting more detail on how solar system sizing works, panel counts, roof requirements and system costs by size, our Solar System Size Guide covers that well. Sizing a battery can be difficult for those who are new to the world of energy storage, so we’ve also made a dedicated Battery Sizing Guide with explainers around capacity, usage goals, futureproofing, and the best kWh range for homes.
A properly sized solar and battery system should benefit you without sending significant amounts back into the grid for little return.
When comparing system sizes, it’s tempting to think bigger is always better when looking into solar power and energy storage, but solar and battery both tackle different problems which won’t always get solved with expansions.
More solar capacity increases how much electricity you can generate. If your daytime usage is growing with appliance additions like EVs, heat pumps, and home expansions, your existing solar system may not be able to keep up with demand. This is when a solar-only upgrade would be beneficial - to keep your home’s demand met with renewable energy.
A bigger battery upgrade increases the amount of renewable energy you can consume later. It’s the right call if your solar produces more electricity than you consume. By storing it, you can avoid using costly peak demand grid power.
For those comparing whether it’s better to upgrade or replace solar, or add a battery, check out our detailed guide.
Sizing a solar and battery system for off-grid properties is a little different as that system is typically the sole source of energy for the home.
Where a typical solar system is sized to meet general demand, an off-grid solar system is designed to exceed the average amount to ensure the property still has electricity if they surpass their 1–3-day average kWh, even if there’s multiple days of bad weather.
Finding the right off-grid solar and battery system really comes down to the specific property’s energy needs as many remote homes will need to power various appliances, as well as the desired backup days required.
Households throughout the Hunter region consume around 15-18kWh per day, an 8kW off-grid solar system paired with a 35-40kWh battery would be enough to sustain around two days of backup power during events of reduced sunlight.
Chasing the biggest solar and battery package isn't always the right option, it's all about matching your system to how YOU use your electricity and when. Whichever direction fits your situation, getting the right combination right the first time means you can maximise your benefits and payback times.
Find available rebates & subsidies for solar systems, battery storage, and VPPs in NSW. Explore eligibility and maximise live incentives today.
Read moreNot sure which battery matches your solar system? Compare solar & battery size combinations, from 6.6kW to 13.3kW+, & find the right fit in Newcastle.
Read moreSee exactly what solar system size you need, from panel dimensions to 3kW-13.3kW+ pricing, based on your household size and daily usage in NSW.
Read moreRenewable News Articles
Sign up for new article updates - we don't spam.
We've invested in becoming fully-licenced and qualified installers to ensure Newcastle homes and businesses
get the best solar, battery, and electrical systems available. We want to assist Newcastle's renewable energy revolution with quality
installations for maximum customer satisfaction.
Certified solar system installers near you.
Get CEC-Approved Battery Installations.
Fully-licenced electricians in Newcastle.
Convenient EV charging stations for properties.
Leave a Comment