Keen to make the most of his self-generated solar energy, Plico member Leigh retrofitted his existing solar panel system with a solar battery.
Investing in a solar battery made perfect sense for Leigh, who wanted to get more value from the solar energy he was generating on his rooftop. With feed-in tariffs at an all-time low, Leigh wasn’t satisfied with paying more for his grid electricity than what he was getting in return.
“I wanted to get a battery because of the rebates. I pay 28 cents for every kilowatt, but I only get seven back. So I thought, if I can keep as much as I can for myself before sending it back to the grid, it just makes sense.”
And he hasn’t looked back. His solar battery stores his excess solar energy during the day to run his Harrisdale home at night.
“It's been good because our home basically runs off the battery in the evenings. There are times when we draw from the grid, but mostly the battery is running the household.”
Leigh is a FIFO (fly-in fly-out) worker, so having support and peace of mind is important to him and his young family. While like most Aussie families today, price was the number one factor in his decision making, he was also looking for service he could rely on.
“We went with Plico because one, the price was good, and you pay it over ten years, but you also get the support. So any issues or problems I have with the system. I just give the guys a call and they can come sort it out for me.”
Since installing a solar battery, Leigh says his energy bills have “dropped quite a bit”. He’s considering adding another battery to his system so he can use less electricity from the grid and save even more on his bills.
Being part of the Plico Virtual Power Plant is another way Leigh has added value to his solar battery investment. During grid emergencies, the power in Leigh’s battery has been used to give a boost to the grid, and to his hip pocket. Earlier this year he received a payment of $50 on top of the credits he received for his energy.
Leigh is one of thousands of WA homeowners embracing clean energy technology through solar batteries and electric vehicles, moving away from a reliance on traditional energy sources to a state of greater self-sufficiency. As Leigh says, ‘you simply can’t go wrong” with a Plico solar battery.
The technical bits
System: Solar Battery
Capacity: 10.08 kWh battery storage with 3 kVA inverter
Location: Harrisdale, Western Australia
Installed: January 2023
Plico instalment: $26/week
Annual VPP revenue: $50
Household occupants: Leigh, his partner and their two children
If you want to be less reliant on the grid and save big on your energy bills like Leigh has, reach out to our switched-on team on 1300 175 426 or ask us a question below. We have solar + battery, battery only and solar only systems to suit any household. We'd love to hear from you!
Have a question about solar + battery?
