20/07/2026
Sometimes the right solar and battery advice is: “I need more information before I recommend anything.”
I recently reviewed a homeowner’s electricity bill and existing 6.6 kW solar system.
The initial figures looked encouraging:
☀️ Average solar exported: 12.1 kWh per day
⚡ Average electricity purchased: 10.88 kWh per day
💰 Export rate: only 3¢ per kWh
📈 Purchase rate: approximately 32.9¢ per kWh
At first glance, a battery may make good sense. The home is selling surplus solar cheaply during the day and buying electricity back later at more than ten times the price.
But just the electricity bill doesn’t tell the whole story.
Before recommending a battery or deciding what size it should be I’ve asked for 12 months of interval data, solar-production history, inverter details, switchboard photos and information about the home’s major electrical loads.
Just as importantly, I need to understand exactly what the client wants the system to achieve. That may include:
• Lower electricity bills and the best financial return
• Greater energy independence
• Blackout backup for essential circuits or the entire home
• Additional solar generation
• Preparing for future EV charging
• Accommodating increased use from air conditioning, a pool or other major appliances
• A combination of these objectives
The right system can look very different depending on the client’s priorities. Battery design isn’t simply about how much equipment will fit it’s about what outcome the customer actually wants.
I also want to investigate whether the electric hot-water system can be shifted into the middle of the day. Using surplus solar directly may provide a worthwhile saving before asking the customer to spend money storing that energy in a battery.
Only after reviewing the complete picture can we properly determine:
• Whether a battery provides good value
• What battery size actually suits the home
• Whether the existing inverter can be retained
• Whether additional solar panels are worthwhile
• Which loads can be moved into solar-production hours
• What level of blackout backup is practical
At Reefcosa Electrical Air & Solar, our aim isn’t simply to sell the biggest solar and battery system we can.
It’s to understand how your home uses electricity and recommend the system, or sometimes the simple adjustment that delivers the best result for you.
Good solar and battery advice begins with evidence, not assumptions.