Do you need a battery with solar panels?
You don't need one — but it changes the economics. Here's whether it's right for you.
Solar panels work fine without a battery. But a battery changes how much value you get from them, so it's worth understanding the trade-off.
Without a battery
You use solar electricity as it's generated, and export the surplus for a small per-unit payment via the Smart Export Guarantee. Fine if you're home and using power during the day.
With a battery
Surplus daytime generation is stored instead of exported, then used in the evening when you'd otherwise pay peak grid prices. For most households — who use most power in the evening — this captures far more value.
The deciding factor
Out during the day? A battery is usually worth it — it shifts your free solar to when you're actually home. Home and using power all day? The case is weaker.
Register interest in solar and battery.
Batteries without solar
You don't even need solar to benefit from a battery. On a time-of-use tariff, you can charge the battery overnight on cheap off-peak electricity and run your home from it during expensive peak hours — effectively buying all your power at the cheap rate. Paired with solar, a battery does both: stores your free daytime generation and tops up cheaply overnight.
Sizing it right
A battery that's too small won't capture all your surplus; too big and you're paying for capacity you never fill. The right size depends on your daily usage and how much solar you generate — which is why proper sizing at survey matters more than buying the biggest battery you can.