How a Moss Vale Homeowner Went Fully Self-Sufficient with Solar and Battery
Harry Coomans’s Moss Vale home makes more power than it uses. He’s self sufficient, sitting in credit, and charging an electric car for next to nothing on a system that grew with his home. This is one homeowner’s honest Moss Vale solar review, and a look at what a solar and battery installation in Moss Vale can do once it is built around how a house actually uses energy.
Harry’s system did not arrive all at once. He started with solar, added a battery, then more panels, and ended up covering almost everything, including his car.
This article covers:
- what Harry bought, and why he kept adding to his system
- the results he has seen, in his own words
- what the Lenergy install team was like
- his honest take on price, value and getting the most from solar
Why did Harry choose Lenergy for solar in Moss Vale?
It started small. “I first found Winston because I needed some solar panels for a little solar project I was doing in my backyard,” Harry says. “He was happy to help me with that, and that led to a relationship now for the last two years.”
Harry’s first solar system went in back in 2019, so he was not new to it. What he wanted for the next step was someone local he could trust. “It’s good to support somebody in the local area,” he says. That mattered to him more than finding the cheapest quote.
What did Harry buy, and why did he keep adding to it?
Harry already had good solar and good data. Through his monitoring he could see one clear problem. “The most wasteful thing was that I couldn’t use everything I was generating,” he says. Plenty of power, nowhere for it to go.
That is what led him to storage. A battery let him keep the surplus instead of losing it. From there he added more panels and, later, an electric car. Read more about Buying a Solar Battery here.
The result is a home that stands on its own. “We’ve got two solar systems, we’ve got the battery, we’ve got the whole thing, and we’re self-sufficient, which is just fantastic,” Harry says. He still has spare energy on top of that.
What results has Harry seen since going solar?
The headline result is simple. “We’re self-sufficient, so we’re now in credit,” Harry says. His bills went from a cost to a small return.
The electric car is where it really shows. “I’ve had the Tesla car now since April, and in all those months I’ve done 8,000 kilometres,” he says. “I wouldn’t have spent any more than $100 on electricity just to keep the car charged.”
There was a knock-on effect too. With the extra panels in, Harry says he cut his gas use over the colder months. “I’ve been able to reduce my gas bill over this winter by about 25 per cent.”
What was the Lenergy installation team like?
Harry likes to understand how things work, and the install gave him room to. “We had Ziad, who was an installer, a young guy,” he says. “Because I was a bit of a sponge, I wanted to know stuff.” He got his answers on the day.
The basics were handled well too. “The boys went up, put the panels on and cleaned up after themselves,” Harry says. For him, that came back to the kind of company he was dealing with.
Was it worth paying a bit more?
Harry was upfront that Lenergy was not the cheapest option. “We did get a couple of quotes,” he says. “Lenergy wasn’t the most competitive price, but the confidence I had in them, I didn’t mind paying a little bit extra.”
Looking back, he counts it as money well spent. “If I look at the amount we’ve invested in the battery, the solar system and the electric car, I’m earning a better rate of return than I was with my money on term deposits,” Harry says.
What is Harry’s advice for other Moss Vale homeowners?
Harry’s tip is about effort, not gear. “You don’t have to get totally involved. Once you put a solar system in, it sort of takes care of itself,” he says. His one tip: “If you really want to maximise what it offers, spend a little time to understand your house and how you use your energy. It’s very worthwhile.”
That is what took his own setup from good solar to fully self-sufficient.
Read next: 5 Things To Do If You Are Considering Solar
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lenergy a reputable solar installer in Moss Vale?
Harry’s experience says yes. He chose Lenergy partly to support a local business, found the team easy to deal with, and rated the workmanship, noting the installers cleaned up after themselves. He also valued being able to ask questions and get straight answers on install day. He was clear that Lenergy was not the cheapest quote he received, but he felt the confidence he had in them was worth a little extra. As with any installer, check they are accredited with Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) and ask for references before you commit.
How much can I save with solar and battery storage in Moss Vale?
It depends on your home, your usage and your current bills, so there is no single figure. Harry’s own results give a sense of what is possible: his home is now in credit, he has charged an electric car for close to nothing over about 8,000 kilometres, and he cut his winter gas use by about 25 per cent after adding more panels. Those are his numbers, not a guaranteed outcome. The biggest gains tend to come when you store your surplus solar and shift more of your usage into the times your system is producing or your battery is full.
What is the best solar battery system for homes in the Southern Highlands?
The right battery depends on how much power you use and when you use it. For Southern Highlands homes, Lenergy recommends the Sigenergy SigenStor, which combines storage and solar management in one system and scales as your needs grow. It suits households like Harry’s that want to store surplus solar, run an electric car, and lean less on the grid over time. The best size and setup is worth working through with your installer rather than guessing.
