Steven Bell’s electricity bill is now $5 a month. “My direct debit on electricity now is $5 a month, which is the lowest it can go,” he says. He lives in Port Kembla, runs a heavy-usage household, and had solar on the roof well before he added a battery. The solar battery storage savings that got him there are ones he tracked himself, and the numbers speak for themselves.
This is Steven’s story. Here’s what it covers:
what his bills looked like before and after the battery
how buying an EV made his savings stronger, not weaker
why he chose Lenergy while the rebates were in flux
whether the Sigenergy SigenStor was worth it for him
What were Steven’s electricity bills before the battery?
Steven already had solar, and he was not starting from scratch. “I had solar already that had been working well, so my installation was adding a battery to the mix,” he explains. The doubt was whether a battery earned its keep on top of that. “There’s still a lot of hesitation around, was a battery going to be good, was it worth the investment?”
He is careful with his numbers. “I’d done a reasonably good job of tracking my electricity before,” he says. “In the seven months previous, how much I purchased from the grid was $1,350. That’s with solar. So I’m a heavy electricity usage household.” That figure already had solar working in his favour, which shows how much a high-use home still has to draw from the grid once the sun drops.
How much did the solar battery cut his electricity bill?
Then the battery went in, and the second set of numbers landed. “In the seven months since I’ve had the battery put on, my external grid costs have been $120,” Steven says. “So it’s about 10%.” Same house, same heavy usage, a tenth of the grid cost. “I’m stoked. It had massive savings.”
The battery does this by storing his daytime solar and running the house on it through the expensive evening peak, instead of buying that power back at grid rates.
How did buying an ev impact his solar and battery system?
Here is what makes his result stand out. “Not long after I put the battery in, I also purchased an EV,” Steven says, “so that’s just accelerated it.” An EV is a big new load. Charging a car adds a significant amount to a household’s electricity consumption. Steven’s stayed at the floor. His experience shows that a well designed solar and battery system, paired with a smart charger like the Sigenergy Sigen EV Charger he had installed, can be one of the most efficient ways to run a car.
Why did Steven choose Lenergy?
Steven did his homework before committing. What settled it was the manner. “Honestly, they just came across very open and honest,” he says. “Absolutely no pushiness, no over sales pitch.” He valued that they were “happy to talk and go back and forth on what would work best, what size would work best, what kind of electricity plan would work best.”
Steven bought while the battery rebates were unsettled. “Around the time of putting this on, all the rebates were in flux,” he recalls. “There was no rebate, then there was the New South Wales rebate, then there was the federal rebate, and in between all of that there was a lot of doubt around what was going on in the market.” If you are trying to make sense of what is currently happening with battery rebates, our guide on what changed with the battery rebate walks through it.
Even in that noise, he never felt pushed. “There was no push to just, you know, we’ve got to sell something. So I really appreciated that.” He also credits Lenergy for keeping him informed, including flagging “the OVO plan that came online around that time with the free for three,” its free daytime electricity window.
Would Steven recommend Lenergy to others?
Steven’s answer is an easy yes, and he backs it with names. “One of my colleagues at work has just had their battery installed with Lenergy,” he says, and a friend has since done the same. The strongest sign is his father, a solar owner and, by Steven’s own description, the ultimate sceptic. “I’ve convinced my sceptic of a dad to put one in, and he’s seriously considering extending his solar and adding a battery, just based on how it’s performed and how nice Lenergy were to deal with.”
That ease stayed with him the whole way through. He found Lenergy “just really easy to deal with,” crediting the small things: they “always took my call or returned my call in a timely manner,” stayed “very transparent about when it could be done” even when the rebate launch had the team flat out, and followed up afterwards “just checking in to make sure the system was working as expected.”
How much can a home solar battery reduce your electricity bill?
It depends on how much power you use and when. Steven Bell, a heavy-usage household in Port Kembla, tracked his own figures: about $1,350 of grid electricity over the seven months before his battery, and $120 over the seven months after. His current direct debit is $5 a month. Those are his reported results, not a guaranteed outcome. A battery pays off most for homes that use a lot of power in the evening, when grid electricity is dearest, because it lets you run on stored solar instead of buying it back at peak rates.
Is the Sigenergy SigenStor worth the investment?
For Steven it was, and his reasoning was practical. “Was it worth the investment?” was his starting question, and his own numbers answered it. Since installing his SigenStor-15T-24, he has recommended Lenergy to a colleague, a friend and his own father. Whether it is worth it for you comes down to your usage, your tariff, and any rebates available when you buy. A good installer should model that with you before you commit.
Solar panels for landlords never used to make much sense. Now it lifts rent, resale value and your tax position. The catch is the rebates that pay for it shrink every year you wait.
If you own a rental property in NSW, the ACT or Queensland, here’s what solar actually does to the numbers:
Adds resale value, on average more than most renovations
Lifts what tenants are willing to pay in rent
Improves your property’s NatHERS energy rating
Comes with time-limited rebates that get smaller each year
Does solar actually increase a rental property’s value?
Solar-equipped homes sell for an average of 2.7% more than comparable homes without solar, according to Cotality’s 2025 “Watt’s It Worth” report. Nationally that works out to around $23,100, though because the uplift is percentage-based rather than a flat figure, it scales with the property’s value, a $1.2M home could see over $32,000 added. The gain also varies by city, stronger in markets like Hobart and Darwin, more modest in Sydney, so the exact number depends on where the property sits.
For landlords, that means solar isn’t just an operating cost. It’s equity you’re building into the property. For more on this read our article Do Solar Panels Increase Your Home Value?
Will tenants pay more rent for a solar-equipped property?
There’s good evidence they will. A peer-reviewed Australian study, using two large national household surveys, found renters in solar-equipped properties pay around $19 more a week than renters in comparable homes without solar, enough for a landlord to recover the system cost in about five years through rent alone.
It’s one more reason solar isn’t just an expense sitting on the property. With power prices trending upward and tenant demand for lower bills only growing, it’s reasonable to expect that gap to widen rather than close over time.
How does solar affect a property’s NatHERS rating?
NatHERS is the scale used to measure a home’s energy efficiency, out of 10 stars for the building shell, with a second “Whole of Home” score that includes solar and battery output. A well sized system can push that second score well past neutral. The same Cotality research found each additional NatHERS star adds a median 1.3% to a home’s value nationally, around $10,560, with the premium ranging from roughly $3,749 per star in Brisbane up to $32,946 per star in Darwin. Disclosure requirements around energy ratings are expanding across the country too, so a stronger rating now is protection against tighter rules later. You can read more about NatHERS rating’s here.
What government incentives are available for landlords right now?
This is the part that won’t wait. Two schemes matter most if you’re in Lenergy’s service area:
The NSW Home Energy Saver Scheme lets eligible owners, including landlords, borrow up to $15,000 per property toward solar, batteries and other upgrades at zero interest, repaid over as long as ten years. It opened 17 June 2026, and eligibility requires combined household taxable income under $210,000. For a full breakdown of how this works you can read our article here.
Queensland’s Supercharged Solar for Renters rebate pays landlords $2,500 to $3,500 depending on system size (capped at 5kW and above), provided the landlord contributes at least $1,500 and agrees not to raise rent above CPI for 12 months. The current round opened 12 December 2025 and is capped at 6,500 properties statewide. Learn more here.
On top of that, the federal battery rebate reduces every six months. It currently sits at around $252 per usable kWh for the first 14 kWh (May–December 2026), down from $311 earlier in the year, and is scheduled to keep dropping through to 2030. For a full breakdown on the current rebates read our article here.
What about the “split incentive” problem?
The usual objection is that the landlord pays for solar but the tenant gets the bill savings. Rent tends to be based on property value and what people are willing to pay. As more people recognise that energy efficiency in a home is the way to go it and are willing to pay for it. Research backs this up directly, renters in solar homes already pay around $19 more a week on average, which is exactly the kind of arrangement that makes the split incentive work for both sides.
Depreciation and tax
Landlords can generally claim depreciation on a solar system as a rental property asset. This is worth raising with your accountant alongside any rebate you claim, since the two can work together to shorten your payback period further.
If you’re weighing up whether now’s the right time to invest, our guide breaks down how energy ratings are set to reshape the rental market over the next few years.
FAQ
Can a landlord claim the federal solar tax credit on a rental property?
There’s no federal solar tax credit in Australia, that’s a US mechanism. What Australian landlords can access instead is the upfront rebate through STCs (the same mechanism behind the federal battery rebate) plus depreciation on the system as a rental property asset, which is worth raising with your accountant.
Do solar panels increase the value of a rental property?
Yes, by around 2.7% on average nationally, according to Cotality’s 2025 sales data, though the exact uplift depends on the suburb and home value.
Will tenants pay more rent for a solar-equipped rental?
Research shows renters in solar homes pay around $19 more a week on average than comparable non-solar rentals.
Who pays for solar panels in a rental property, the landlord or tenant?
Typically the landlord, with rebates like the NSW Home Energy Saver Scheme and Queensland’s Supercharged Solar for Renters reducing the upfront cost, and a modest rent increase helping recover the rest.
There’s are Solar and Battery systems you can plug straight into a wall socket, No electrician needed. Plug-in Solar is perfect for renters or someone who owns an apartment. It’s called the Sigenergy SigenMate 2700 Ultra which launched in July 2026 and people overseas are already buying them.
Sadly you can’t get one here in Australia.
Now, it’s not the technology. That part’s sorted.
So what’s actually stopping us from getting it?
Let’s have a look at exactly what’s blocking plug-in solar and batteries in this country and what you can legally do about it right now.
What Are Plug-in Solar and Plug-in Battery Storage?
Plug-in solar, also called balcony solar or plug-and-play solar, is a compact panel and battery setup. No roof needed. No hardwiring. You mount a small panel, connect it to a battery-inverter unit, and plug it into a normal power point.
Germany simplified its rules for units up to 800W. Homeowners and renters there can buy one online and set it up themselves. It’s popular because it’s cheap, portable, and gives apartment dwellers a small slice of the solar savings that rooftop owners get.
Plug-in battery storage is a related idea, but it’s not quite the same thing. There’s no panel involved. A standalone battery plugs straight into a wall socket and charges from the grid instead of the sun, then discharges later to cover part of your evening usage or to keep essentials running through a blackout.
In Australia, both are treated the same way if they backfeed power into your home or the grid. Any battery or solar system that pushes power back through a standard power socket is illegal here, whether or not there’s a panel attached. All permanent or grid-connected systems must be hardwired and installed by a licensed electrician, so that they safely disconnect during an outage and don’t put line workers at risk. Grid-connected batteries also need to be Clean Energy Council-approved and installed by an SAA-accredited professional.
Sigenergy’s SigenMate 2700 Ultra: What Plug-and-Play Solar Looks Like Overseas
Sigenergy, the battery brand behind Lenergy’s SigenStor systems, launched the SigenMate 2700 Ultra at its Consumer Product Launch in Düsseldorf, Germany. It’s built to retrofit onto an existing solar system, working with mainstream microinverters, rather than needing a fresh install.
The battery runs in 2.68kWh modules. Stack up to six on one host and you get 18.8kWh. Run units in parallel and total capacity climbs to 56.4kWh. It takes up to 4kW of panel input across four MPPTs, and outputs 800W on-grid, up to 1400W off-grid for backup, and up to 3600W passthrough, with an 1800W burst for ten seconds to cover appliance start-up spikes.
It’s IP66-rated, built for -20°C to 55°C, and switches to backup power in 0 milliseconds, Sigenergy says, against an industry standard of 10 to 20 milliseconds. The mySigen app runs on SigenAgent, Sigenergy’s AI energy management layer, and the system supports VPP participation and dual time-of-use modes.
As of launch, the SigenMate 2700 Ultra is only available for pre-order in Germany, with wider EU pre-orders opening 18 to 31 August 2026. There’s no Australian release, and nothing announced pointing to one, but never say never.
Why Isn’t Plug-in Solar Legal in Australia?
Two standards get in the way. AS/NZS 4777.1 and 4777.2 govern grid-connected inverters, covering things like anti-islanding protection, which stops your system from feeding power into a “dead” line during a blackout and putting linesmen at risk. AS/NZS 5033 governs installation, requiring a SAA-accredited installer, proper cabling, earthing, and isolators.
A unit you plug into a wall socket bypasses all of that. Consequences for unapproved grid connection can include fines, forced removal, voided home insurance, and liability if it causes damage to the grid or a neighbour’s equipment.
The Clean Energy Council’s approved inverter list, which state rebates and network connections rely on, has no plug-in or balcony category at all. Every listed product assumes professional installation. The current governing standard, AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 Amendment 2:2024, took effect on 23 August 2025.
What Are Solar & Battery Options For Renters & Apartments Right Now?
You’ve got three real options while the rules stand as they are.
Renting – Talk to your landlord about a solar and battery system. It’s not as far-fetched as you might think. I have dealt with many landlords that were happy to install solar & battery systems on their tenants property. With the current rebates and incentives available it is a great way for them to add value and future proof their investment property. You can read more about that here.
Apartment Dweller – It can be challenging, however, it is possible for apartments to have a solar & battery system installed right now. There are even more incentives coming specifically for apartments this September, you can read more on that here.
For those who can load shift switching to an offer like the Solar Sharer Offer can get more value out of your electricity plan, solar or not.
None of these are a straight swap for plug-in solar. Each one solves a different piece of the same problem, depending on whether you rent, own, or already have solar and just want a better deal on it.
Could Plug-in Solar Become Legal in Australia?
There’s no clear timeline for that right now. Standards do shift over time, and the Clean Energy Council has flagged upcoming changes to inverter communications and battery product specifications, so the settings that currently rule out plug-in solar aren’t necessarily fixed forever. However, there’s nothing on the table today that points to when, or whether, a compliant plug-in pathway will actually open up here.
Maybe some day we will get to see plug-in solar & batteries in Australian homes, just not today.
FAQ
Is plug-in solar legal in Australia?
No. Grid-connected plug-in units breach AS/NZS 4777.1/4777.2 and AS/NZS 5033, which require type-approved inverters and CEC-accredited installation.
Why can’t I buy a plug-in solar system in Australia?
The standards that govern grid-connected solar don’t have a plug-in category. Every approved product on the Clean Energy Council’s list assumes professional, hardwired installation.
What are the alternatives to plug-in solar for renters in Australia?
The Solar Sharer Offer.
Renting – talk to your landlord, you might be surprised.
Apartment dweller – there increased incentives coming, it could be worth starting the conversation now.
Helen has lived in the same village for close on 40 years. Welby, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. It is her home forever, and she is not moving anywhere. What changed was her power bill. It was a shock every month, and it kept getting worse. So she took action, and a solar and battery system installation is how she did it.
This is her story. Here is what it covers:
why rising bills pushed Helen to act
why she chose a local installer she felt she could trust
how she made the most of her north-facing roof
what the install and the aftercare were actually like
What made Helen decide to install solar and battery storage?
The bills did. “They were quite a shock every month and were getting more so as time went on,” Helen says. “So I had to take some action.”
There was a second reason, and it was sitting right above her head. Helen’s home faces north. “I face north and have all this wonderful free energy streaming in,” she says. “It would have been a total waste not to use that to the best advantage.” A home solar installation turns that free sunshine into power she can actually use, and a battery holds it for later. For Helen, letting it go to waste was not an option.
Why did Helen choose a local solar and battery installer she could trust?
She looked around first. “I did check out a few other places,” she says, “but I kept coming back to Lenergy, mainly being local, and backup and support going forward.”
That was the deciding factor. The confidence that someone nearby would still be there after the install. “I think the ease of dealing with Lenergy and the chaps who run it went across everything with me,” she says. “So I felt confident.” For a decision meant to last decades, knowing who to call mattered more than anything else.
How did Helen make the most of her north-facing roof?
She maximised it. Helen installed the largest system her home could take: a 13.2kW solar array paired with 40.3kWh of battery storage and two 5kW inverters. That is a lot of residential battery storage, and it was a deliberate choice.
“I installed the maximum number of solar panels that was possible for this location, and the same with the battery,” she says. “So I’m maximising what I have, the space that I have, and utilising all this beautiful sunshine that just streams in with the north-facing aspect.”
A north-facing roof is the ideal starting point for solar in Australia, which is worth understanding before you settle on a layout: read more on getting your roof orientation right. Pair a well-oriented array with a battery and you capture the daytime sun and use it after dark, which is where the real savings from solar panels tend to come from.
What was Helen’s experience working with Lenergy?
Straightforward, by her account. “Oh, it was fine,” she says. “I can ring up the office, speak to Aysha, Danielle, Matthew, any of them, and they straight away get on to it. Or I can call in there if I need to, which I think I did once or twice.”
Then the line that says the most about a local installer: “Oh yes. They know me by name.”
That is the backup and support Helen was after in the first place. A real person who picks up, and a name she can put to the voice.
Would Helen recommend going solar with Lenergy?
She already does, without being asked. “I already have, to many of my friends,” she says. “Having lived here for so long, I know a lot of people who are going down this path, so I always mention it.”
For a homeowner weighing up whether a battery earns its keep, Helen’s answer is a lived one: she went as big as her roof allowed. If you are still deciding, it helps to work through whether a home battery is worth the investment for your own place, and to understand why solar homes can still receive a bill before you size a system.
How much can a solar and battery system reduce my electricity bill?
It depends on your usage, your roof, and the size of your system. A well-sized solar and battery setup lets you run on your own stored sunshine through the expensive evening peak instead of drawing from the grid, which is where most of the reduction comes from. Helen’s own driver was a bill that was “quite a shock every month,” and her response was to install the largest system her home could fit so she could make the most of the free energy hitting her north-facing roof.
How long does it take to install a home solar and battery system?
For most homes the physical install is completed in a day or two, depending on system size and roof access. The full process, from first quote to switch-on, usually runs a few weeks once approvals and scheduling are sorted. A larger system like Helen’s, with a 13.2kW array and 40.3kWh of storage, sits at the bigger end, so it is worth asking your installer for a timeline for your specific home.
Is a home battery storage system worth the investment?
For many homeowners, yes, and it comes down to how much of your own solar you can use rather than export. A battery stores your daytime generation for use at night, when grid power costs the most. Helen chose to install the maximum battery capacity her home could take for exactly that reason. Whether it suits you depends on your usage pattern and budget, which a local installer can work through with you.
There’s no single best electricity retailer in Australia, only the best one for how your home actually uses power. We review bills every day, and this is exactly how we’d pick, situation by situation.
One thing before we start. Every rate in this article is based on a typical Sydney home on the Ausgrid network, using plans available in mid 2026. Rates vary significantly from area to area, and they change over time. So treat these as worked examples, not gospel. The best way to check what’s available at your exact address is the government’s free Energy Made Easy tool. It can provide information on every plan for your postcode in one place.
Start with your bill. It has four moving parts: your usage rate (what you pay per kilowatt hour), your daily supply charge (a fixed fee just for being connected), your feed-in tariff if you have solar, and any conditional credits or discounts. If any of that reads like another language, our guide on Understanding Your Electricity Bill: What You’re Really Paying For, breaks it all down.
A couple of weeks ago supply charges had a crazy jump. Most plans’ supply charges were sitting between 80 cents to $1.20, now $1.70 has become common, and some sit north of $2. That’s money you pay before you switch on a single light, and no solar or battery system offsets it. It stings, there’s no way around that. All you can do is get smart about which plan you pick.
So when you compare plans, look at the estimated annual cost for your actual usage, not the headline rate. A cheap rate with a fat supply charge can cost more than the reverse. Check for exit fees and lock-in terms. If you’ve got a battery, check the plan actually works with it.
Right. Let’s go situation by situation.
What’s the best electricity retailer if I have solar, a battery and surplus power?
If your battery is full most days and you’re still exporting these recent changes to daily supply charges have likely hit you the hardest. Despite this you’re actually in the strongest position of anyone reading this. The question stops being “how do I cut my bill” and becomes “how do I earn from my system to offset my supply charge.” That’s where a Virtual Power Plant comes in. A VPP is a network of home batteries that sells stored power back to the grid when demand spikes, and pays you for it. Instead of feeding surplus in for pennies on the dollar, you’re selling it when it’s worth the most.
Amber’s numbers deserve context. That 36.2c average export rate isn’t a fixed tariff. Their usual feed-in sits around 16c, but occasional wholesale spikes up to $20/kWh lift the yearly average. On the modelled quote we reviewed (8kW solar, roughly 30kWh battery), the estimated bill came out around $74 a month, about 37% below the AER comparison price. Now here’s the catch: wholesale pricing cuts both ways. When prices spike, you’re exposed too, and it’s your battery and smart software doing the protecting. It suits people comfortable with variability. If you’d rather set and forget, it’s not for you, and that’s fine.
The honest concession on WHOLESAVE. It only wins if you can genuinely shift usage into cheap windows. This can be complicated to achieve, but if done right it can be a great choice for lowering your bills as much as possible. If you are looking for a set and forget the other two options are probably the way to go.
What if I have solar and a battery but not enough surplus?
This is common, especially in winter. Your battery isn’t filling every day, so you’re still buying from the grid. The play here is a Solar Sharer Offer, which gives you a free power window in the middle of the day. If your solar can’t fill the battery, the free window can. Charge the battery from the grid at midday for nothing, then run the evening off stored power. If you’re not sure your setup allows that, our guide on Can You Force-Charge a Battery from the Grid? covers it, and for an update on how these offers work, see Free Daytime Electricity Is Coming. Here’s How It Actually Works.
See the pattern? The free window comes with steep peak rates and high supply charges. These plans only work if you genuinely shift load into the free window and stay off the grid at peak. With a battery doing the heavy lifting, that’s achievable. Without discipline, that 60c-plus peak rate eats the free power savings whole.
What’s the best electricity retailer if I have solar but no battery?
No battery means no storage, so your exports are your main lever. You want the highest feed-in tariff you can find, and you need to read the fine print on caps. Most high FIT plans pay the headline rate on the first 8 to 10kWh exported per day, then drop to a standard rate around 3c.
Notice GloBird’s trade-off: the best FIT and lowest supply charge, paired with the highest usage rate. If you export a lot and buy little, that maths works. If you’re home during the day using your own solar and buying heavily at night, a lower usage rate beats a higher FIT. Self consumption always beats exporting; using your own power saves you 30c-plus while exporting earns you 10c at best. Which is the whole argument for a battery, but that’s a conversation for another day.
What’s the best electricity retailer if I don’t have solar?
No solar means the whole game is the balance between your usage rate and your daily supply charge. Which side you favour depends on how much power you use, and this is a line you have to walk for your own home.
High usage household? Chase the lowest rate per kilowatt hour and accept a higher supply charge. The supply charge is fixed, so the more you use, the less it matters proportionally. Low usage household? Flip it. A high supply charge punishes you hardest because it’s the same $600-plus a year whether you use 5kWh a day or 50. Take a low supply charge even if the usage rate runs a little higher.
Here are some plans we found that looked good, at both ends:
Look at Sumo against 1st Energy. Sumo’s rate is nearly 8c/kWh higher, but its supply charge is about 42c a day lower. For a home using 5kWh a day, Sumo wins. At 15kWh a day, 1st Energy wins comfortably. Run your own average daily kWh (it’s printed on your bill) through both and the answer falls out. This is exactly why we keep saying: your situation decides, not the headline number. When in doubt, plug your details into Energy Made Easy and let the annual estimate settle it.
What is the best electricity retailer for a home with solar and a battery?
If you have regular surplus, a VPP-enabled plan like Amber SmartShift or GloBird ZEROHERO typically returns the most. If your surplus is limited, a Solar Sharer Offer that lets you charge the battery free at midday is usually the better fit.
Which electricity retailer offers the highest feed-in tariff in Australia?
Among the plans we reviewed for the Ausgrid network, GloBird’s SOLARPLUS paid up to 10c/kWh, capped. High FIT plans almost always cap the top rate at the first 8 to 10kWh per day, so check the fine print before switching.
Is it worth joining a Virtual Power Plant with my home battery?
For most battery owners with surplus, yes. It does mean the retailer cycles your battery more. We usually say get your system first, live with it, then decide. More in Best VPPs for Solar Batteries.
What electricity plan is best if I have no solar and low power usage?
Prioritise the lowest daily supply charge you can find, even if the usage rate is slightly higher. Of the plans we reviewed, Sumo Local’s 91.3c/day supply charge was the standout for light users.
How do I compare electricity retailers on my bill?
Find your average daily kWh on your bill, then compare estimated annual costs (not headline rates) on the government’s Energy Made Easy tool. Recheck every 6 to 12 months, because plans move constantly.
You open the mySigen app and there is no data. The system shows as offline. Before you worry, know this: your battery is almost certainly fine, and you can reconnect your Sigenergy SigenStor to Wi-Fi yourself in a few minutes.
A dropout usually follows a change to your home network, not a fault with the battery. The fix is a short process in the app, with a simple power reset as a backup if the first try does not take.
This guide covers:
why your SigenStor drops off Wi-Fi
how to tell if your system is still working
the step-by-step reconnection process in the mySigen app
what to do if your phone will not connect to the battery
how to refit the covers once you are done
a link at the end to our how to Reconnect Your Sigenergy SigenStor to Wi-Fi video
Why did my SigenStor drop off Wi-Fi?
A SigenStor goes offline when it loses the link to your home network. The most common causes are simple:
you changed your Wi-Fi password
you changed your Wi-Fi network name
you replaced your Wi-Fi router
Any one of these breaks the saved connection. The battery keeps running. It just stops talking to the app, so you lose your live monitoring in the mySigen app until you reconnect it.
Is my battery still working while it is offline?
Yes. While your system is offline it is still working. It is just not uploading data to the app, so what you have lost is the monitoring, not the power.
You can check the light in the 12 o’clock position on the battery. When your system has an active internet connection, that light is lit green. If it is not green, the system does not have an active internet connection.
That is your sign to run the reconnection steps below.
How do I reconnect my SigenStor to Wi-Fi?
Reconnecting happens through the mySigen app, but first you need to reach the QR code on the inverter.
Start by removing two covers:
Remove the top plastic cover on the inverter. Get your fingers into the groove, place your palms on the front of the inverter, and pull towards you.
Remove the right-hand side top plastic cover. You can pull it straight up, firmly and sharply. If that does not shift it, slide a screwdriver or butter knife into the gap and gently pry it upwards.
Now open the app and connect:
Open the mySigen app.
Tap Settings at the bottom.
Select Local Connection.
Scan the QR code on the battery. Scan the larger top QR code, not the smaller one below it.
The app shows all available networks. Tap your home network.
Enter your Wi-Fi password and tap Join.
Wait a few seconds. Once it connects, tap Finished.
After a few minutes, your system should show as online in the app again.
What if my phone will not connect to the battery?
Sometimes you get an error saying your phone failed to connect to the battery system’s hotspot.
If that happens, you power cycle the battery, which means shutting it off and back on again. This clears most connection errors.
Turn the system off in this order:
Turn off the AC grid supply. If you have an inverter AC isolator, switch it off
If you do not have one, open the gateway,
find the battery system circuit breaker labelled inverter 1, 2 or 3, and switch that off.
Remove the plastic covers on the left-hand side of the inverter. They lift straight up.
Find the PV array DC isolator, also called the DC switch, and move it to off. It is stiff, but it will move. If it is already off, leave it off.
Find the red on/off switch and hold it in for 3 seconds. The system shuts down fully. You know it is off when all the lights on the front of the inverter go dark.
Turn the system back on by reversing those steps:
Press and hold the red button for 3 seconds.
Turn the DC switch back on.
Turn the battery system circuit breaker, or AC isolator, back on.
Wait one minute, then run the reconnection process again.
How do I put the covers back on?
Once your system is back online, refit the covers. Each one uses plastic forks that locate onto metal screw heads.
Right-hand side cover: line the forks up on the screw heads and push down.
Left-hand side covers: both go back the same way, forks onto screw heads.
Top cover: locate the forks onto the screw heads, sit the cover on top, sit it forward slightly, then push it to the rear.
That is the whole job. If you are unsure or get stuck on any of these steps, watch the video below or feel free to give our customer support team a call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my Sigenergy SigenStor disconnect from Wi-Fi?
The usual cause is a change to your home network rather than a problem with the battery. Changing your Wi-Fi password, renaming your network, or replacing your router all break the saved connection. Your SigenStor keeps working the whole time. It simply stops sending data to the app until you reconnect it.
How do I reset the Wi-Fi settings on my SigenStor?
Open the mySigen app, tap Settings, then select Local Connection. Scan the larger top QR code on the battery, choose your home network from the list, enter your Wi-Fi password and tap Join. When it connects, tap Finished. Your system should show as online again within a few minutes.
What should I do if my SigenStor won’t reconnect to Wi-Fi after following the steps?
If your phone reports it failed to connect to the battery’s hotspot, power cycle the system: turn off the AC supply, the DC switch and the red on/off switch, then reverse the order to turn it back on. Wait one minute and try again. If it still will not connect and you suspect a fault rather than a network issue, then call our customer support team for a hand.
About $50 a month. That is what it costs Kim Leevers to run his electric car. He charges it at home in Renwick, in the Southern Highlands, using solar powered EV charging from his own roof and battery. No petrol station. No fuel bill. Just a steady, low running cost he can count on.
Kim installed solar & a battery to his roof. Now his car runs on the power he makes during the day. This is how he got there, in his own words.
Here is what this story covers:
how solar powered EV charging brought Kim’s car running cost down to about $50 a month
why Kim never hesitated about going solar
what it was like working with Lenergy
whether solar can really power an electric vehicle
Can solar really power an electric vehicle?
Yes. Kim is proof of it. His rooftop solar makes electricity through the day. His home battery stores what the house does not use straight away. When his car is home, the charger draws on that stored solar energy instead of grid power.
The result is simple. Kim fuels his car from his own roof, not from a petrol pump. On most days the sun does the work.
Getting the mix right matters here. The solar makes the energy, the battery holds it, and the charger puts it into the car at the right time. If you are weighing up storage for a setup like this read more about how it works in our article on EV’s and Solar here.
Why did Kim go solar in the first place?
For Kim, the planet came first. Money came second.
“Carbon footprint reduction was the primary goal, and economic advantage was the other,” he says. “Firstly it was about reducing my impact on the planet.”
He had wanted solar for a long time. The hold-up was never doubt. It was timing.
“I’ve been pursuing this solar journey for a considerable time, and I never had hesitation once the technology was there for the batteries,” Kim says. “It was just a question of waiting until I could afford it.”
Once he understood what solar could do, the decision felt easy. “As soon as I understood I could get that energy, it just seemed to be an absolute no-brainer,” he says. For Kim, more solar and more EVs on the road add up to something bigger. “The more solar we can get, the more EVs we can get on the road, the better off we’ll be economically, but security-wise and things like that for the future.”
Plenty of homeowners reach the same point. If you already have panels, there are practical reasons to add a battery to your solar that go beyond the bill.
What was it like working with Lenergy?
Kim wanted to be heard, not sold to.
“I can talk to them,” he says. “I can say, look, if that’s not what I want, I want something else. They take the time to listen and understand and figure out what you’re trying to achieve. Whereas a lot of others just want to give you what their package is.”
His results reflect that. Kim’s setup was specially sized to suit how he lives and drives which is why it works so well for him.
How much does it cost Kim to charge his EV?
About $50 a month, by Kim’s own account.
His system has not gone unnoticed on his street. Kim was an early adopter, and his neighbours have taken note.
“They see me now with my charger charging my EV,” he says. “They’re always asking, oh, how much is it costing, are you using the power off the roof?” His answer. “It costs me about $50 a month to run my car.”
His story shows how a well designed solar & battery system helps the environment and provides security against rising energy and fuel prices. Kim’s running cost stays low and steady, because most of the energy comes off his own roof. For anyone watching pump prices climb, that is worth thinking about.
Here at Lenergy, we design solar, battery and EV setups for homes across NSW and the ACT. If you want to know what solar powered EV charging could look like at your place, we can work through the numbers with you and tell you straight. Get in touch for a free, no-pressure solar and battery quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can solar panels really power an electric vehicle?
Yes. Solar panels make electricity during the day, and a home battery stores what you do not use straight away. When your car is home, the charger draws on that solar energy instead of grid power. Kim runs his EV this way in the Southern Highlands and pays about $50 a month to do it. On sunny days, most of the energy your car uses can come straight off your roof.
How much can you save on EV charging costs with a home solar system?
It depends on how much you drive and how much sun your roof gets, so there is no single number. Kim estimates it costs him about $50 a month to run his car on solar powered EV charging. The saving comes from swapping petrol, or grid power, for energy you make yourself. The more of your charging you can do during the day, or from a battery charged by the sun, the lower your running cost.
What size solar and battery system do you need to charge an EV?
There is no one-size answer. It depends on your daily driving, your other energy use, and how much roof space you have. The right size for you comes down to matching storage to how you live and drive, which is worth working through with an installer before you buy.
The NSW battery rebate, the PDRS, just got easier to claim.
Bigger batteries qualify. No solar requirement. Apartments and businesses, finally in.
From July 1st, 2026. If you already own a battery or are still crunching the numbers on installing a new one? This one’s for you.
The Peak Demand Reduction Scheme, or PDRS is a rebate scheme. It rewards you for helping cut electricity demand at peak times. For batteries, that mostly means joining a virtual power plant, or VPP.
Here’s what’s in this article:
What changed under PDRS on 1 July 2026
Why existing battery owners come out ahead
New options for apartments, small businesses and larger commercial sites
Where new home battery buyers stand
What’s next for EVs
What actually is the PDRS?
PDRS is a NSW government scheme. It rewards you for helping cut electricity use at peak times, like a hot summer afternoon. It works through something called Peak Reduction Certificates, or PRCs. Your installer or VPP provider creates these certificates and sells them. The value gets passed back to you.
One thing to know. PDRS only works in NSW. Your home has to be connected to the NSW electricity grid.
Existing battery owners: the incentive just got better.
If you already own a battery, this update is good news.
The rule that applies to you is called BESS2. It rewards you for connecting your battery to a VPP.
Three things changed on 1 July 2026:
Bigger batteries can now join, up to 50 kWh, up from 28 kWh
You no longer need solar panels to qualify
You can now sign your paperwork within 90 days of joining, instead of before you join
One thing to know. Batteries up to 50 kWh can now join. But the payment is still worked out using only the first 28 kWh. So a bigger battery can join the scheme. It just won’t earn extra payment for the part above 28 kWh. If your battery isn’t connected to a VPP yet, now is a good time to look into it. Read more about the Best VPPs for Solar Batteries.
How much can you earn?
This depends on your VPP provider and the certificate price at the time.
As a guide, the government gives one example. In this example the owner of a 42 kWh battery joined the scheme. Only 28 kWh of that counted toward the payment. It would earn 616 certificates, worth $2,156 at a certificate price of $3.50. Exactly how you receive this payment varies depending on the provider, some give you credits on your bills and others provide cash payments.
Treat any number a provider quotes you as a rough guide, not a promise. Certificate prices change, and every provider charges a different fee.
Apartments, small businesses and larger sites can now access PDRS too.
Three new categories start on 1 September 2026. Together, they open the scheme to buildings that couldn’t use it before.
How does the new apartment battery incentive (BESS3) work?
BESS3 lets an apartment building share one large battery. Before this, each unit would have needed its own battery to take part.
To qualify:
The building needs at least 4 apartments
There can’t already be a battery on site
The battery needs to be sized between 20 kWh and 200 kWh
An SAA accredited installer has to fit it outdoors
It must be installed on or after 1 September 2026
The more apartments in the building, the bigger the payment can be. Certificates are capped at 5 kWh per apartment. Adding new solar alongside the battery also increases the payment.
Here’s an example the government gives, for a 50 kWh shared battery:
How does the new small business battery incentive (BESS4) work?
BESS4 is for small and medium businesses. It doesn’t apply to homes or data centres.
To qualify:
The site can’t have already used BESS4 or BESS5
The battery needs to be sized between 20 kWh and 200 kWh
An SAA accredited installer has to do the work
It must be installed on or after 1 September 2026
The government’s example uses the biggest battery this category allows, 200 kWh:
With new solar
Battery only
System size
100kW solar and 200kWh battery
200kWh battery
Total cost pre-incentives
$190,000
$125,000
STC incentive value
$21,528
$0
PRC incentive value
$65,800
$44,100
Total cost post-incentives
$102,672
$80,900
Payback period post-incentives
3.8 years
5.8 years
How does the new commercial and industrial battery incentive (BESS5) work?
BESS5 is for even bigger batteries, from 200 kWh up to 30 MWh. This one is built for large commercial and industrial sites, not homes.
To qualify:
The site can’t be a home or a data centre
The site can’t have already used BESS4 or BESS5
The battery needs to pass a safety test called UL9540A
It must be installed on or after 1 September 2026
Even if the battery is bigger, the payment only counts up to 10 MWh. The government’s example uses a 5 MWh system:
With new solar
Battery only
System size
2.5MW solar and 5MWh battery
5MWh battery
Total cost pre-incentives
$6,080,000
$3,135,000
PRC incentive value
$1,646,000
$1,103,000
Total cost post-incentives
$4,434,000
$2,032,000
Payback period post-incentives
5.1 years
6.5 years
This size of battery is well beyond what a home would ever need. It’s included here so the article covers everything that changed.
Where do new home battery buyers stand?
One thing hasn’t changed. The rule for brand new home batteries, called BESS1, is still on hold. It’s been paused since 30 June 2025, when the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program took over that role. However, the updates to this scheme do open it up to those considering larger batteries as they are now able to take advantage of the BESS2 as well.
BESS1 currently only applies to government-owned buildings and a few approved programs. For most homes, the federal rebate is the one that applies when you buy a new battery. The rebate is still around you can learn more in our article Have I Missed the Battery Rebate? What Changed in May.
What’s next for EVs?
There’s also a new rule called V2G1. It’s for connecting an electric vehicle to a VPP. It isn’t active yet. It’s waiting on car warranties and technical standards to catch up first. Once it does start, the estimated payment is around $1,700 per vehicle. Read more about how EV’s and solar here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PDRS and how does it affect solar battery rebates?
PDRS is a NSW government scheme. It pays you for helping reduce electricity demand at peak times. For batteries, that mainly means joining a VPP.
Am I eligible for a PDRS rebate on a new home battery?
Not through the state rebate. That part of the scheme, BESS1, is on hold for regular households. If you’re buying a new battery, look at the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program instead.
How much can I save with the updated PDRS incentives?
It depends on your VPP provider and the certificate price at the time. As a guide, a government example showed a battery earning around $2,156 in certificate value, before fees.
Do apartment buildings qualify for a battery incentive now?
Yes, from 1 September 2026. Buildings with at least 4 apartments can share one larger battery, under a new rule called BESS3.
Can small or medium businesses get a battery incentive?
Yes, from 1 September 2026, under a new rule called BESS4. It applies as long as the site isn’t a home or data centre.
Free electricity between 11am and 2pm. The plan was to have all energy retailers providing the solar sharer offer by now but it’s all gotten very complicated and here’s why.
AGL and Origin have both launched Solar Sharer plans this year. Energy Australia hasn’t yet. The actual rate cards from AGL and Origin show a trade-off worth understanding before you switch. The free midday window comes with a peak rate around a third higher than their standard solar plans. That’s not automatically a bad deal, it depends entirely on whether your household can shift its biggest energy use into the middle of the day. If it can’t, you could end up paying more, not less.
There’s another factor worth knowing before you look at the numbers below. Supply charges across AGL, Origin and Energy Australia have all just gone up, with many customers reporting increases of around 30% in the past week or so. This has happened across standard plans and Solar Sharer plans alike, so it isn’t something switching to the free hours caused. The rates in this guide are current as of now, but treat them as a snapshot rather than a guarantee, and compare your own recent bill before switching plans.
Disclaimer: All the rates in this article a based on a household in Sydney. Rates can vary significantly according to location.
This guide covers:
What the Solar Sharer Offer actually is
Where it applies, and where it doesn’t yet
How AGL and Origin’s Solar Sharer rates compare to their own standard solar plans
What Energy Australia customers are paying right now, with no Solar Sharer plan live
Whether the free hours are actually worth it for your household
What is the Solar Sharer Offer?
The Solar Sharer Offer (SSO) is part of the Default Market Offer (DMO) reforms. Retailers with more than 1,000 customers in DMO areas are legally required to provide it.
The core rules are the same everywhere it applies:
Three hours of free daytime electricity, capped at 24 kWh per day
Requires a smart meter
No rooftop solar needed to qualify
Open to renters, not just homeowners
Not available on embedded networks (most apartment blocks and retirement villages)
The free window is fixed year round and doesn’t move with daylight saving.
Where does the free energy offer apply?
The SSO only applies in the states covered by the DMO: New South Wales, South Australia and South East Queensland.
NSW and South East Queensland: free electricity from 11am to 2pm
South Australia: free electricity from 12pm to 3pm
It doesn’t currently extend to the ACT, which sits outside the DMO framework and runs its own separate market arrangement. If you’re in the ACT, or in Queensland outside the South East corner, check with your retailer directly, as the standard SSO rules may not apply to you yet.
AGL: Solar Sharer vs its standard solar plan
AGL’s Solar Sharer plan gives you free power for the first 24 kWh used between 11am and 2pm. Peak rates apply 3pm to 9pm daily, but only during summer (1 November to 31 March) and winter (1 June to 31 August). Outside those hours and months, off-peak rates apply.
Here’s how it compares to AGL’s standard time-of-use plan for solar households, Solar Savers:
Charge
AGL Solar Sharer
AGL Solar Savers (standard)
Midday window
Free, first 24 kWh/day
Not offered
Peak (3pm–9pm, summer/winter)
63.7 c/kWh
46.6 c/kWh (summer) / 47.1 c/kWh (winter)
Off-peak
27.6 c/kWh
35.7 c/kWh
Shoulder
Not applicable
12.3 c/kWh
Supply charge
176.2 c/day (~$1.76)
185.1 c/day (~$1.85)
Solar feed-in tariff
0.0 c/kWh
8 c/kWh (first 8 kWh/day), 3 c/kWh after
The free window looks great on paper. The catch is the peak rate. It’s around 37% higher on the Solar Sharer plan than on AGL’s standard solar plan. If your household uses a lot of power during the 3pm to 9pm peak, the Solar Sharer plan could end up costing more overall, even with three free hours included. It does have a lower off-peak rate and a slightly lower supply charge than the standard plan, so if most of your remaining usage falls off-peak or inside the free window, you may still come out ahead.
AGL’s Solar Sharer plan pays a 0 c/kWh feed-in tariff. If your household exports solar power, you won’t be paid for it at all on this plan, compared to up to 8 c/kWh on Solar Savers. For homes with solar panels, that’s a real cost stacked on top of the higher peak rate, and it’s worth weighing carefully before switching.
Origin: Solar Sharer vs its standard solar plan
Origin’s Solar Sharer plan follows the same shape. Free usage for the first 24 kWh in the midday window, then standard rates apply above that.
Charge
Origin Solar Sharer
Origin Solar Soaker (standard)
Midday window
Free, first 24 kWh/day
12.4 c/kWh, discounted but not free
Usage above 24 kWh in the window
27.6 c/kWh
Not applicable
Peak
63.7 c/kWh
46.6 c/kWh (summer) / 47.1 c/kWh (winter)
Off-peak
27.6 c/kWh
35.7 c/kWh
Supply charge
176.4 c/day (~$1.76), plus 4.7 c/day if on a controlled load
185.1 c/day (~$1.85)
Solar credit
3.0 c/kWh
8.0 c/kWh
The pattern is almost identical to AGL. Origin has opted to continue to provide some credit for exported energy, however, with a notably higher peak rate on the Solar Sharer plan, offset by a lower off-peak rate and a slightly lower supply charge. If you’re on a controlled load circuit, such as a separately metered hot water system, the Solar Sharer plan adds a small daily charge for that too.
Energy Australia: what you’re paying now, with no Solar Sharer offer yet
Energy Australia: what you’re paying now, with no Solar Sharer plan yet
Energy Australia hasn’t launched its Solar Sharer offer, but its own website confirms several details for anyone waiting on it. It’ll be a standalone plan, you’ll need to actively opt in and switch, it won’t happen automatically. The free window matches AGL and Origin: 11am to 2pm in NSW and QLD, and 12pm to 3pm in SA. A smart meter is required, and the daily supply charge and any controlled load charges will still apply on top of the free usage.
One detail is worth flagging now. Energy Australia’s 24 kWh cap won’t reset strictly every day, it’s averaged across your whole billing period. Its own example: using 14 kWh one day and 34 kWh the next still averages to 24 kWh a day, so both days stay within the cap.
Energy Australia hasn’t published usage rates for the plan itself, it says these will be available closer to launch. Here’s what its current standard rates look like, for context:
Charge
Rate
Supply charge
170.2 c/day (~$1.70)
Peak (summer Nov–Mar, winter Jun–Aug)
55.6 c/kWh
Peak/shoulder (autumn Apr–May, spring Sep–Oct)
27.5 c/kWh
Off-peak (year round)
23.5 c/kWh
Dedicated circuit
18.2 c/kWh
Solar feed-in tariff
3.0 c/kWh (excl GST)
Reports suggest Energy Australia’s launch may not happen until September 2026. Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen has said he’s disappointed by the delay and reminded affected customers they have the right to switch to a retailer that already complies.
Should you switch, or wait and see?
Proceed with care rather than switching on the headline alone.
Compare the full rate card, not just the free hours. On the plans above, the peak rate is the real cost driver, not the supply charge.
Work out how much of your usage actually happens in the 11am to 2pm window right now, and how much happens during the evening peak. If your household is out at work all day and cooking dinner at 6pm, a higher peak rate could outweigh the free hours.
A home battery changes the maths. Charging a battery, like the SigenStor, for free during the midday window and drawing on it during the expensive evening peak avoids the higher peak rate altogether, rather than paying it.
If you already have solar panels, check the feed-in tariff too. AGL’s Solar Sharer plan pays 0 c/kWh for exported solar, against up to 8 c/kWh on its standard plan. That’s a genuine loss for solar-owning households, on top of the higher peak rate.
Rates can move again, and recently already have. Supply charges rose across the board about a week ago. Treat today’s numbers as a snapshot, and recheck the current rate card before committing.
Read more on how to take advantage of this offer here.
Am I eligible? Common blockers explained
Renting? You’re still eligible. Solar Sharer doesn’t require you to own your home or your panels.
No solar panels? That’s fine too. The offer isn’t tied to having rooftop solar.
Basic electricity meter? You’ll need to upgrade to a smart meter first. Contact your retailer to arrange this.
Living in an apartment or retirement village? If your building is on an embedded network (a private internal grid), you’re not eligible unless you have your own direct smart meter connection.
How do I sign up to the Solar Sharer Offer?
Confirm you’re in an eligible area: NSW, South East Queensland or South Australia.
Check you have a smart meter. If not, ask your retailer to arrange one.
Get the full rate card for the Solar Sharer plan, not just the headline, and compare it against your current plan.
Work out how much of your usage you can realistically shift into the free window.
Opt in only if the numbers work in your favour. Some retailers apply the offer automatically, others need you to switch plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Solar Sharer offer and how does it work?
It’s a government mandated offer giving eligible customers three hours of free daytime electricity, capped at 24 kWh, in exchange for shifting usage away from the evening peak.
Am I eligible for the 3 free hours of energy offer with AGL, Origin, or Energy Australia?
You need to be in NSW, South East Queensland or South Australia, on a smart meter, and not on an embedded network. Solar panels and homeownership aren’t required.
When are the free energy hours available under the Solar Sharer program?
11am to 2pm in NSW and South East Queensland, and 12pm to 3pm in South Australia. AGL’s own plan currently runs the same hours but priced differently outside the window.
Will the Solar Sharer offer actually save me money?
It depends on your usage. On AGL and Origin’s current plans, the peak rate is around a third higher than their standard solar plans. If you can shift meaningful usage into the free window, or you have a battery to store it, you’re likely to come out ahead. If most of your usage happens during the evening peak and can’t move, you could end up paying more overall. Compare the full rate card before switching.
Peter Dymond has had solar for years. He never had a solar battery. The maths never worked.
He lives at Lakesland, near Picton, right at the end of the power line. Storms roll through and his street is often one of the first to lose power and one of the last to get it back.
For years he ran the numbers on a home battery and kept getting the same answer. Too expensive. Payback well over ten years. Then a recent solar battery rebate changed the sums, and his payback dropped to around eight years. Peter finally said yes.
This article covers:
Why Peter started looking at a home battery after years of saying no
How the solar battery rebate changed his payback period
Why he chose Lenergy over a bigger name provider
What his SigenStor battery system actually looks like
Why Did Peter Start Looking at a Home Battery?
“I’ve had solar for many, many years,” Peter says. He upgraded his existing system about two years ago, and a battery was always the next question. The answer kept being no.
“They were just too expensive for a long time,” he says. “The recent government rebate made it a lot more affordable, and the payback sort of worked.”
Cost wasn’t the only reason. “Where we are is the end of a power line, and it’s a little bit unreliable,” he says. “I was really looking for that extra bit of security on the power supply.”
What Was the Real Problem a Battery Needed to Solve?
Peter names two goals, and neither one alone would have been enough.
“We regularly get blackouts in a storm here,” he says. That’s the reliability side. The other is money. “In years gone by, I looked at it and couldn’t get it to be worthwhile. It wouldn’t pay back under ten years,” he says.
He needed backup power that also made financial sense. The rebate is what finally delivered both.
How Did the Solar Battery Rebate Change Peter’s Payback Period?
This is the detail that moved Peter from years of hesitation to a signed job.
“With the recent rebates, when they cut the numbers, the payback period was looking at around eight years,” he says. “I certainly seem to be on track for that with the experience I’ve had so far.”
It’s worth understanding how the current battery rebate works before you run your own numbers, since the details shift as programs change. Read more about that here.
Why Did Peter Choose Lenergy?
“I actually got a referral from a cousin of mine who’d recently installed one,” Peter says. From there he looked around at local providers.
“Previously with the solar I had a bigger name provider, but I was unhappy with their service,” he says. “So I thought I’d go with a local provider.”
What Was It Like Working With Lenergy?
“I was really impressed with the team,” Peter says. Matthew handled the initial engagement.
“He was very informative,” Peter says. “He was verifying everything my cousin had told me, and he gave me some really good information in what I thought was an unbiased way.”
What Battery System Did Peter Install?
Peter’s system is a single Sigenergy SigenStor, a 48.36kWh LiFePO4 battery with 46.8kWh usable, paired with a Sigen Hybrid inverter running 12kW on a single phase connection. It sits alongside his existing solar array rather than replacing it.
If you’re weighing up how to size a battery for your own home, inverter capacity matters as much as battery size.
Would you recommend Lenergy to others? “I definitely would. I don’t often give referrals or endorsements,” Peter says. “But after the job was installed here, I was impressed with the team.”
Government battery rebates generally reduce the upfront cost of an eligible battery system, which shortens the payback period. Eligibility, amounts and included brands change over time, so check the current rules before assuming a specific figure applies to you.
How long is the payback period for a solar battery with the rebate?
It depends on your system size, usage and the rebate available when you install. Peter’s own estimate, based on his experience so far, is around eight years with the current rebate applied, down from an unworkable ten-plus years before it.
Can a solar battery protect my home from blackouts?
Yes. A battery stores power so your home can keep running when the grid goes down, which matters most for properties like Peter’s at the end of a power line where outages are more frequent.
Do I need new solar panels to add a battery?
No. A battery can usually be added to an existing solar system, provided the inverter and battery are correctly sized to work with what you already have.
On the coldest mornings, a solar battery can lose up to half its usable energy. It isn’t broken. That’s cold weather at work.
Cold slows the chemistry, slows charging, and trims what you can actually use. It rarely damages a good battery. It can leave a cheaper one stalling when you need it most. The fix comes down to two things. Pick a battery built for the cold. Put it in the right spot.
This article covers:
Why cold weather affects solar battery performance
What happens to charging when temperatures drop
Whether it really matters in NSW and the ACT
How to protect your battery through winter
How the SigenStor is built to handle it
Why does cold weather affect solar battery performance?
It comes down to chemistry.
A lithium battery holds an electrolyte that lets lithium ions move between the electrodes. That movement is how it charges and discharges. Cold lowers the electrolyte’s conductivity. The ions move slower. Internal resistance climbs.
The result is a temporary drop in capacity. Your battery still works. It just can’t deliver as much for a while. Batteries perform best at around 21°C. Below that, output starts to ease off.
Some figures put the drop at 20 to 50 per cent once it falls below freezing, though Australian conditions are usually milder than that.
Here’s the part most people miss. Discharging in the cold is mostly fine. Charging is the real problem.
What happens to charging when it gets cold?
Lithium batteries don’t like charging in the cold.
Below about 0°C, charging can make lithium build up on the cell surface instead of storing properly. This is called lithium plating. It can permanently damage the battery, and in bad cases it becomes a safety risk.
So the battery protects itself. The Battery Management System (the BMS) slows or stops charging until the cells warm up. Discharging usually keeps working at lower temperatures.
That’s a sensible safeguard. It also creates a catch. A cheaper battery with no heater just waits for the day to warm up. In a cold snap, it might not charge fast enough, or at all.
Temperature
What your battery does
Around 21°C
Performs at its best
5 to 10°C
Charges and discharges a little slower, slight dip in usable capacity
Near 0°C
Charging limited or paused to protect the cells, discharge still works
Well below 0°C, no heater
Charging may stop until the battery warms up
Does cold weather actually matter for batteries in NSW and the ACT?
Australian winters are mild next to Canada or the northern United States. Cold alone rarely damages a quality battery here.
That doesn’t mean it’s a non-issue.
The ACT and the NSW highlands get real frosts. Mornings near or below zero are normal in winter. Outdoor and garage installs feel it most.
There’s a second problem stacked on top. Winter solar generation drops sharply. One Australian example saw a system make 2,256 kWh in December and just 1,002 kWh the following June, less than half. Shorter days. Lower sun. More cloud.
So two things happen at once. Your panels make less. Your battery may charge slower. Meanwhile your home draws more power for heating and hot water. A battery that can’t fill in winter is a real cost, not just an annoyance.
How do you protect a solar battery from the cold?
Good news. Most of this is solved at the design stage.
Choose a battery built for the cold. Look for active heating and a wide operating temperature range. This is the single biggest factor.
Site it well. A garage or sheltered spot beats a fully exposed wall. Any battery installed outdoors needs an IP rating of at least IP65. Most clear that comfortably but it is worth checking.
Don’t wrap it yourself. DIY blankets or covers can trap heat and cause overheating or faster wear. Manufacturers warn against it.
Size for winter, not summer. Use winter sun hours, not annual averages. A large battery needs enough solar to actually fill it.
Check your charging options. Some systems can top up from the grid in cheap off-peak windows, which helps when solar is short.
Get these right and a cold morning becomes a non-event.
It uses LFP (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry, which is stable and handles temperature well. Each battery module has a built-in heating pad. When the cells get too cold, the heater switches on, warms them to a safe level, usually in under two hours, then charging carries on. It runs automatically in the background, and you can set your own heating times if you want to. You don’t lift a finger.
Its rated operating range runs from -20°C to 55°C. That covers an Australian winter comfortably, including frosty mornings in the ACT and southern NSW. For outdoor installs, it carries an IP66 weatherproof rating.
The numbers back it up. Storage is rated down to -25°C. The battery and energy controller each carry a 10-year warranty.
Want to keep reading? Learn about how to take advantage of the three free hours of power here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does cold weather affect solar battery performance?
Cold slows the chemistry inside the battery. Capacity dips for a while, and charging slows or pauses to protect the cells. Discharging usually keeps working. A battery with active heating avoids most of this.
What temperature is too cold for a solar battery?
Charging becomes a problem at around 0°C and below, which is when a good battery’s heater steps in. Discharging tolerates lower temperatures. Exact limits vary by battery, so check the datasheet.
Can the SigenStor solar battery operate in freezing temperatures?
Yes. Its built-in heating pad and -20°C to 55°C operating range are made for sub-zero mornings, so it keeps charging when many batteries would pause.
Most Australian homes with solar go dark during a blackout. Even on a sunny day. Even with panels on the roof. Here’s why that happens, and exactly what it takes to keep your power on when the grid fails.
The short answer: standard solar alone will not save you.
This article walks through what your solar system actually does during a power outage, why it shuts off, what types of systems can keep running, and what you should be asking before your next upgrade.
Do Solar Panels Still Generate Power During a Blackout?
Yes, and this is the part that surprises most people. Your solar panels are generating DC electricity whenever there is enough sunlight.
The problem is not the panels. It is what happens next. That DC electricity has to pass through your inverter before it becomes usable AC power for your home. During a blackout, most inverters in Australia shut themselves off completely. The energy your panels are generating has nowhere to go.
So yes, your panels are working. No, that does not mean you have power.
Why Does My Solar System Turn Off When the Grid Goes Down?
The vast majority of solar systems installed in Australian homes are grid-tied. When the grid fails, these systems shut down immediately.
This is called anti-islanding protection or backfeed protection, and it is required by Australian Standard AS/NZS 4777.2. Every grid-connected inverter sold in Australia must comply with it.
Why the Shutdown Exists
When there is a blackout, the power lines running down your street are de-energised. Network crews go out to work on those lines to restore supply. If your solar system kept pushing electricity back into those lines while someone was on them, it could kill them.
Your inverter detects the loss of grid power and cuts the connection automatically.
The result: even on a bright sunny day, your panels keep generating and your inverter does nothing with it. Lights out, appliances off, same as your neighbours who have no solar at all.
When Can Solar Keep Working During a Power Outage?
There are certain inverters that are capable of what is called islanding. Islanding is when an inverter safely disconnects from the grid, forms a self-contained power network just for your home, and keeps supplying power from solar and battery.
Grid-Following vs Grid-Forming: The Core Difference
A standard grid-tied inverter is what engineers call grid-following. It needs the grid’s AC signal as a reference to operate. When that signal disappears, the inverter has nothing to follow and shuts itself down. It is both a hardware and a software limitation, not a setting you can change.
An islanding-capable inverter is grid-forming. It generates its own stable voltage and frequency without needing the grid as a reference. When the grid drops, it disconnects from the street, forms its own micro-grid for your home, and keeps solar running through it.
How fast this transition happens depends on the inverter. Most hybrid systems switch over in under 30 milliseconds, which most people will not even notice. Some brands are considerably slower. Fronius, for example, can take up to 30 seconds to switch over, which is enough time for lights to go out and electronics to reset. Sigenergy is on the other end of the scale, with a changeover described as instant, effectively 0ms, so there is no interruption at all.
This is one of the reasons switchover speed is worth asking about directly when comparing systems. A 30 second gap is the difference between an unnoticed blip and your fridge resetting, your router dropping out, and anything running off a small motor needing to restart from scratch.
What Types of Inverter Can Do This?
Not all inverters are equal when it comes to blackout capability. Here is how the main options stack up:
Inverter Type
Can Island?
Notes
Standard grid-tied string inverter
No
Cannot island under any circumstances. Hardware limitation, no workaround. Covers most Australian homes.
Hybrid inverter (integrated)
Yes
Most common solution. Built-in automatic changeover switch, or a separate gateway that handles the changeover. Grid-forming capability. Switchover speed varies by brand, from instant (0ms) to as long as 30 seconds.
AC-coupled battery inverter (retrofit)
Yes, with conditions
A hybrid (multi-mode) system on the backup side can island, and your existing solar inverter often keeps running through it. Compatibility must be confirmed. See below for how this works.
Enphase IQ8 microinverter
Yes, with system controller
Can island on solar alone during daylight hours without a battery. Requires IQ System Controller to enable backup mode.
The takeaway: it is the inverter, not the panels, that determines whether your solar system can keep you powered during a blackout. Your panels are fine either way. The electronics managing them are what matter.
Adding a Battery Without Replacing Your Solar Inverter
If you already have solar, you can often get blackout protection without replacing your existing inverter. A hybrid (or multi-mode) battery system handles this on the backup side, and your original solar inverter keeps contributing during the outage. The short version:
When the grid drops, the hybrid inverter grid-forms its own clean AC signal for your home
Your existing solar inverter cannot tell this apart from the real grid, so it keeps running or switches back on automatically
As the battery nears full charge, the hybrid throttles your solar inverter back via frequency shifting, so the battery is not overloaded
Whether this works smoothly depends on the specific hybrid and solar inverter combination, so compatibility needs to be confirmed before you commit. For the full explanation of how this works, we go into it in detail in our other article on How a Solar Battery Protects You During a Blackout.
What Are the Practical Realities for Australian Homes?
Three-Phase Homes
Three-phase power is common in Australian homes, particularly newer builds and properties with large appliances, ducted air conditioning, or EV chargers. Many backup systems only protect a single phase during an outage, which means two-thirds of your home stays dark regardless of what solar or battery you have.
If your home runs on three-phase power, you need a system that supports three-phase islanding. The Sigenergy SigenStorhandles this. It supports both single-phase and three-phase homes and maintains backup across all phases during an outage.
Do You Need a Battery for Solar to Keep Running?
In most practical setups, yes. A small number of advanced inverters can operate on solar alone during daylight without a battery, but they are the exception. Without storage, your solar output has to match your home’s demand in real time, and any variation in generation or load can cause the system to become unstable.
A battery absorbs that variation and gives you a buffer to draw from at night or when cloud cover reduces generation. Most homes that want reliable emergency backup power pair an islanding-capable inverter with battery storage to cover both day and night. Not all solar & battery systems have this capability.
How a Solar Battery Keeps Your Home Running
A battery is what makes solar battery blackout protection possible. Here is how a well-configured system handles a blackout from start to finish:
The grid drops. The inverter detects this in milliseconds and disconnects your home from the street network
The system switches to island mode. This experience varies significantly according to the battery system installed, some are instantaneous and some have to be manually switched over.
During the day, solar panels continue generating and power your home directly
Excess solar charges the battery in real time
At night, or during cloud cover, the battery takes over and supplies the home
When the grid returns, the system reconnects automatically and returns to normal operation
The Sigenergy SigenStor
The SigenStor combines a hybrid inverter, battery storage, and an Energy Gateway into a single integrated system. During a blackout it detects grid failure automatically, switches to island mode, and keeps solar generating and charging the battery throughout the outage. Capacity is scalable, so the system can be sized to cover just your critical circuits or your whole home depending on what you need.
The three-phase support is worth highlighting again here. A lot of batteries on the market back up one phase. The SigenStor can back up all three, which is the difference between your fridge and a few lights staying on versus your whole home running normally.
What Should You Actually Do?
Start by finding out what inverter you have. If you already have solar, look at the unit on your wall, find the model number, and check whether it has islanding or backup capability. If you are not sure, call your installer and ask directly: does my system allow solar generation to continue in island mode during a blackout? The answer tells you exactly where you stand.
If you are getting solar for the first time, build blackout protection into the brief from day one. Tell your installer it matters to you and ask which inverter makes it possible. It is a much simpler conversation before equipment is selected than after.
Work Out Your Critical Loads First
Think about which appliances matter most during an outage and group them into these categories:
Critical loads: fridge, lights, phone charging, medical equipment, internet router
Comfort loads: air conditioning, electric cooking, hot water
High-draw loads: EV charging, pool pumps, workshop equipment
A system sized around critical loads is considerably smaller and cheaper than one designed to run the whole home. Knowing your priority upfront makes the design conversation much simpler and keeps the quote realistic.
Once your system is installed, use the manufacturer app to monitor it. During an outage, real-time visibility tells you how much battery you have left, whether solar is topping it up, and how long your supply will last at current usage.
Talk to Lenergy
Here at Lenergy we design solar, battery and EV setups for Aussie homes. If you want to know whether your current system has any blackout protection, or you want to understand what a battery upgrade would actually give you, we can walk you through it. Send us a message and we’ll give it to you straight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my solar system turn off during a blackout if the sun is still shining?
Your inverter shuts down automatically because of a safety requirement called anti-islanding protection or backfeed protection, mandated under Australian Standard AS/NZS 4777.2. When the grid goes down, the power lines in your street are de-energised and network crews go out to work on them. If your solar system kept pushing electricity into those lines, it would be dangerous for anyone working on the network. The inverter detects the loss of grid power in fractions of a second and disconnects. It is not a fault in your system. It is the law.
Can I add a battery to my existing solar system to get blackout protection?
In many cases yes. Whether you get genuine blackout protection depends on the hybrid, or multi-mode, inverter you choose. When the grid drops, a multi-mode inverter switches to off-grid mode and grid-forms, meaning it generates its own clean AC signal for your home. Your existing solar inverter has no way of knowing this isn’t the real grid, so it typically keeps running or restarts on its own. This means you can often keep your existing solar inverter and still get blackout power, without replacing it.
There is a catch. With no grid to export excess power into, the battery will eventually approach full charge, and something needs to stop your solar inverter from overproducing at that point. The hybrid inverter handles this through frequency shifting, sometimes called frequency curtailment, where it nudges the AC frequency slightly out of range to signal your solar inverter to throttle down. Not every hybrid and solar inverter combination supports this cleanly, so compatibility needs to be confirmed before you commit. If you are starting fresh or replacing your inverter anyway, an integrated hybrid inverter gives you everything in one unit and is the simpler path to full blackout protection.
What size battery do I need to power my home during a blackout?
It depends on which appliances you need to run and for how long. A fridge, some lights, phone charging, and your internet router can typically be covered by a 10 kWh battery for 12 to 24 hours. If you want to run air conditioning, electric cooking, or an EV charger during an outage, you will need considerably more capacity. The right approach is to work out your critical loads first, then size the battery and solar system around that. Lenergy can work through this with you based on your actual energy usage.
Is now a good time to add a battery for blackout protection?
Battery prices have come down considerably over the last few years and continue to drop. State-based rebate programs in some parts of Australia also reduce the upfront cost. That said, the right timing depends more on your situation than the market. If you are in a high-risk area for outages, rely on power for medical or work reasons, or simply want to stop being dependent on the grid, the case for acting sooner is clear. Getting a quote now at least gives you a baseline to work from.
Does a solar battery work during a blackout when it is cloudy?
Yes. Once the battery is charged, it supplies power to your home independently of what the sun is doing. Your panels will still generate some electricity on cloudy days, though at reduced output, and that continues to top up the battery when it can. A well-sized system will get you through overnight and into the next day on stored energy alone. The battery does not need sunshine to discharge.
