Is a battery worth it, or should I just add more panels?

For most Canberra homes, adding more panels pays back faster than a battery — the panel economics are simply stronger. A battery earns its place when you use a lot of power in the evening, want blackout backup, or are maximising self-sufficiency. We give you the honest numbers rather than a blanket upsell.

Who connects my solar to the grid in the ACT?

Evoenergy is the network in the ACT. We handle the metering, application and connection, and design the system to sit within the network's export limits.

What rebates and incentives are available?

Federal small-scale certificates (STCs) reduce the upfront cost, and the ACT's Sustainable Household Scheme offers zero-interest loans for solar and batteries. Incentives change, so we confirm what currently applies as part of the quote.

Can solar be designed into a new build?

Absolutely — that's our preference. Planning the array, inverter location, cable runs and battery position during the build keeps the wiring clean and the panels placed for both yield and looks.

Solar

The energy layer.

Design-integrated solar and storage, placed with the same care as the lighting plan — and sized honestly around how your home actually uses power, so it pays back instead of just looking the part.

Get a solar assessment

How it works

Watch your home run on sunlight

Solar

0.0 kW

Generating

Home

0.0 kW

Live load

Battery

0 %

Charging

Grid

0.0 kW

Exporting

Daytime — the sun runs your home, tops up the battery, and the surplus is sold back to the grid.

Make.

Design-integrated panels turn your roof into the home's power station.

Use.

Run the house — including hot water, climate and the car — off your own sun.

Save.

Shift load off peak tariffs and stop buying power you could have made.

Sell.

Export your surplus back to the grid for a feed-in credit on the bill.

Clean all-black solar array flush on a dark roof, Canberra bushland beyond at dusk

Design-integrated

An array that belongs to the architecture.

Sizing it right

More solar, the smarter dollar

For most Canberra homes, a bigger array almost always beats adding a battery — so we oversize to the CEC maximum and make your roof do as much work as it can. The payback stays strong even as the system grows.

	10 kW	13 kW	20 kWWHERE WE LEAN
Daily output	34–44 kWh	44–55 kWh	70–85 kWh
Suits	4–5 people	5+ / large home	EV / pool / electrified
Annual saving	~$1,560	~$1,820	~$2,450
Payback	~5.5 yrs	~6.3 yrs	~7 yrs
Bill offset	80–95%	90%+	to ~$0 *

* Run the dishwasher, washing and AC on solar timers and a 20 kW system can take a typical bill close to zero. Indicative ranges for Canberra homes (2026); your exact figures come from a site-specific assessment of your roof, usage and tariff.

The 25-cent gap

Using your own power beats selling it

Buy from the grid~30c / kWh

Sell back (export)~5c / kWh

In the ACT, feed-in tariffs are voluntary and unregulated — exporting pays little. Every kWh you use yourself instead is worth about 25 cents. That’s why we design around using your own sun, not selling it.

The honest numbers

More panels, not more battery

Most solar is sold by the kilowatt. We run the economics honestly — and for most Canberra homes, the bar that matters looks like this:

Bigger solar array

~4–7 yrs

Strong economics — the panels typically pay for themselves well inside their life. For most homes, this is the better next dollar.

Adding a battery

~12–25 yrs

A battery earns its place for evening-heavy use or blackout backup — but on payback alone, the incremental case is long. We'll tell you the truth before you spend.

A battery is a lifestyle and backup choice — not usually a payback choice. We’ll show you your real numbers either way.

What brings it down

ACT & federal incentives

Federal

STC rebate (solar)~$2,400–3,200

Upfront discount on a 6.6 kW system

Cheaper Home Batteries~$300 / kWh

≈ $3,000 on a 10 kWh battery — rate steps down each year

ACT

Sustainable Household Schemeup to $20,000

Low-interest loan (3%, 10 yrs) — batteries, AC, EV, heat pumps

Home Energy Support0% interest

Solar loan for eligible concession-card holders

Indicative and current as of 2026 — incentives change and some step down over time. We confirm exactly what applies to your build as part of the quote, and we’re happy to handle the Sustainable Household Scheme paperwork for you.

Clean all-black solar array on a luxury home roof at dusk

Design-integrated

Most solar is an eyesore bolted to a beautiful home. We design it to disappear.

Flush black-on-black panels, hidden conduit, the battery mounted like it belongs. The same care as the lighting plan — because the array is part of the architecture, not an add-on to it.

Solar questions

Good to know.

For most homes, yes — Canberra gets strong sun and solar typically pays for itself in a handful of years, well inside the life of the panels. The exact payback depends on your roof, your usage and your system size.