Solar, batteries & EVs — explained simply

About 25 to 30 years. They fade only a tiny bit each year, so they still make around 85% of new power even at 30 years.

North makes the most power over the year. East or west lose only 10 to 20%, and can suit you better if you use most of your power in the morning or evening.

About 20 to 30 degrees is ideal, and most roofs are already close enough, so panels usually sit flat on the roof.

One shaded panel can drag a whole row down. If you have a shady spot, we fit little boosters (optimisers or microinverters) so the rest of the roof keeps working.

The product warranty covers the panel if it is faulty. The performance warranty promises it keeps making power. They are two different things, so check both.

It is allowed (up to a third more) and it is smart. Extra panels catch more power in the morning, evening and on cloudy days.

A bit. Tile takes more care than a tin (Colorbond) roof to avoid cracks, so it takes a little longer. Still fine.

Tier 1 is a money ranking, not a quality score. What really matters is that the panel is on the CEC approved list, which is what counts for the rebate.

A popular 6.6kW system is about 15 panels and needs roughly 28 square metres of clear roof.

Yes on cloudy days, just less. Big heat actually trims output a little too, but panels still work.

Most panels pass a hail test. If you are in a hail-prone area, ask for panels rated for bigger hail.

Usually once or twice a year. Rain does most of the work. Dusty or tree-covered homes may need it more often.

Yes, a tiny bit each year (about half a percent). That is why they are still strong after 25 years.

Most of a panel can be recycled, and collection schemes are growing. Try not to send them to landfill.

Only worth it if you fill it with spare solar every day and use that power at night. If it sits half-empty, the extra size never pays.

About 10 to 15 years. Look at the throughput number (next question), not just the 10-year label on the box.

It is the total power a battery can pump over its whole life. Divide it by how much you use a day and you get the real life. It is the honest way to compare batteries.

Only if you buy backup. Many batteries switch off with the grid unless you add backup gear and a backup circuit. Ask for it up front.

Usually just chosen things (fridge, some lights, internet). Backing up the whole house is possible but costs more.

LFP. It is the safer, longer-lasting type, and it is now in most home batteries.

Usable is what you can actually draw. A little is held back to protect the battery. Always compare the usable number.

Sometimes, only if it is a stackable type and the same brand and model. If you might expand, plan the size now.

No. Staying on the grid is best. It is your backup and lets you sell spare solar. Off-grid is only for places with no mains power.

A shaded, cool, airy spot, like a shaded garage wall. Heat is the enemy; it wears a battery out faster.

Yes, when fitted to the rules, from the approved list, and kept away from bedrooms and doorways.

Most keep about 60 to 70% of what they started with. That is normal, not a fault.

With the rebate and high power prices, most homes see about 5 to 8 years. Using your own stored power at night is where the saving comes from.

A little, but usually the income beats the wear. The key question to ask any VPP is whether it ever charges your battery from the grid.

Match how much you use overnight. Most homes use about 8 to 15 units a night, so a 10 to 13 unit battery covers a typical night.

Yes, a shaded, airy garage is one of the best spots, just not blocking a doorway or exit.

Yes. A solar-smart charger sends your spare daytime solar to the car for free instead of selling it cheaply.

For nearly every home, 7kW. A 22kW charger needs 3-phase power most homes do not have, and most cars cannot charge faster at home anyway.

No, not for normal home charging. A 7kW charger covers everyday driving.

Not with load management. A small sensor slows the charger when the oven or aircon are on, then speeds back up.

Usually better to charge straight from solar or the grid. Going through the home battery wastes a bit of power.

About 40 km of range per hour. It fills a normal car overnight.

A charger with WiFi and an app so you can set timers. OCPP just means you are not locked to one company's app.

A card you tap so only approved people can charge. Handy for shared driveways, optional at a private home.

Tethered has the cable attached; untethered means you bring your own. It is personal choice.

Usually about $1,200 to $2,600 all up, depending on the cabling and your switchboard.

No cash rebate right now. But the NSW Home Energy Saver loan (0% interest) can cover one.

It is just starting in 2026, with few cars and chargers so far. Worth watching, not relying on yet.

For light driving, maybe, about 10 to 12 km per hour. For daily driving a proper 7kW charger is far better.

About 10 to 15 years, usually replaced once during the life of the panels.

Usually 5 to 12 years, and you can often pay to extend it. Check the number on your quote.

A hybrid inverter is the usual battery-ready pick. It runs the panels now and takes a battery later.

It means the inverter can add a battery later. It is a loose word, so ask exactly which batteries it takes.

Yes, up to a third more. It is normal and catches more power across the day.

Yes. A 3-phase home can usually have a bigger system and send more to the grid.

In our area (Endeavour) it is about 5kW on a normal single-phase home. You can still fit a bigger system, it just caps what it sends out.

Yes. Ausgrid areas usually allow more, and it depends on your address. We confirm your exact limit before install.

A smart inverter lets the grid raise how much you can send out when there is room, often lifting a home from 5kW up to about 10kW.

A rare safety switch so the grid can turn rooftop solar down for a short time in an emergency. New systems need a smart inverter for it.

Yes, approval comes first. Never let anyone install before the written approval is in hand.

It cannot. Your inverter is set so it never sends more than allowed. The extra is used in your home instead.

The street voltage got too high (common at midday with lots of solar). The right settings and cabling fix it.

You let an energy company use a little of your battery when the grid is stretched, and they pay you. You still own the battery.

Three common ways: a sign-up credit, a payment each time they use your battery, or a better sell-back price. Always read the plan.

A little, but the income usually beats it. Ask whether it ever charges your battery from the grid, that is the thing to avoid.

Yes. The VPP payment and the battery rebate stack together.

There is no fixed number, it depends on the provider. Treat any quoted amount as an estimate, not a promise.

A plan that gives you 3 hours of free power in the middle of the day (from July 2026). You need a smart meter and have to opt in.

Prices are usually higher at other times to pay for the free bit. You only win if you actually use that midday window.

So many homes send solar out at midday that the grid is flooded, so you get paid very little for it.

Time-of-use is cheap late at night and dear in the evening. A battery lets you skip the dear evening price.

An extra charge based on your single biggest power spike. A battery smooths the spike, so it helps.

A small charge for sending solar to the grid at busy midday times, above a free daily amount, with a reward for sending it out in the evening. Only a few dollars a year, and a battery avoids it.

Using your own power is worth far more than selling it. Aim to use your solar, not export it.

Look at the whole bill, the usage price, the daily charge and the evening price, not just a big sell-back number that hides higher charges.

Yes, run it in the middle of the day on free solar, using a timer. It is one of the best things to shift to daytime.

Yes, it can save around $700 to $1,200 a year and usually pays for itself in a year or two.

Running cost is close. The real win is dropping the gas connection and its daily charge, and midday cooking is nearly free on solar.

A heat pump is much cheaper to run. It uses far less power than an old electric tank.

Yes, put it on a midday timer. It is one of the biggest ways to use your own solar.

A split system is much cheaper to run. Both work well off solar in the day.

Those are big loads, so you will want a bigger battery and plenty of panels. We check your real usage and size it.

For most homes, yes. Going all-electric saves money and drops the gas daily charge. Best when you are already replacing a gas appliance.

Rough guide: kettle about 2kW, oven 2 to 3.6kW, split aircon about 1kW, ducted aircon 3 to 7kW, EV charger up to 7kW.

A little gadget that pushes your spare solar into the hot water tank instead of selling it, so you get free hot water, automatically.

In order: hot water, then EV charging, the pool pump, aircon, then the dishwasher and washing.

You get paid very little to sell solar, but pay a lot to buy power back at night, so using your own is worth far more.

Three: the maker's warranty on the gear, a performance warranty on the panels, and our own workmanship warranty on the install.

A 5-year workmanship warranty, in writing, plus your rights under Australian Consumer Law.

Automatic rights that sit on top of any written warranty. They cannot be signed away or removed by fine print.

You are still covered. The law makes the business that sold and installed it responsible too, and that is us.

Us. We cannot just point you to the maker, we handle the whole claim for you.

Yes. A licensed NSW electrician does the wiring, and the install is accredited, which is what the rebate requires.

A national good-conduct code for solar sellers. Buying from an Approved Seller gives you extra protection.

No. The federal battery rebate just needs an accredited installer and approved gear.

It is mains power and can be dangerous. In NSW it must be done by a licensed electrician, it is the law.

Quote, then get grid approval, then install (usually 1 to 2 days), then the safety certificate and meter, then switch on. Usually about 4 to 10 weeks all up.

Before, always. Do not let anyone install before you have seen the written approval.

Usually yes. Your power company arranges it, with no upfront charge just to have it fitted.

The electrician's signed safety certificate. It is required in NSW and you get a copy, so keep it.

Very little, a yearly look and a proper check every few years. A free app shows how it is going.

Watch for door-knockers, today-only deals and big deposits. Ask: licensed? approved gear? all warranties in writing? Then get it all in writing.

Yes. The federal rebate takes about 30% off a home battery, and we take it straight off your quote.

Roughly a few thousand dollars off, depending on the battery size. We show you the real number for the size you are looking at.

Yes. The full rate is on the first 14 units, then it drops for the bigger sizes.

Yes. It steps down every 6 months, so sooner means a bigger discount. No false 'ending soon' pressure — we just quote the current figure.

Yes, a discount off a typical system, also taken off your quote. We confirm the current figure in writing.

Yes, a little smaller every January, until the scheme ends in 2030.

Yes, the NSW Home Energy Saver loan: up to $15,000 at 0% interest. Ask us if you qualify.

Solar, a battery, an EV charger or heat pump hot water, through approved lenders. It pays the installer, not cash to you.

A discount for lower-income homes is due later in 2026, not open yet.

The old one ended, but there is a NSW payment for joining a VPP, and it stacks on top of the federal rebate.

We do. It comes off your quote as an upfront discount, you just sign one form. No cheque to chase.

Yes, 10% on the installed price. We show it clearly on the quote.

Yes, approved battery and inverter, and an accredited install. No approval, no rebate.

No EV purchase rebate right now. Heat pump hot water does get a discount.