Installing solar at your home can be a very effective way to cut your electricity costs. By generating your own power, you can lower your bills, protect yourself from rising energy prices, and reduce your reliance on the grid.
Below we’ll break down what a typical Perth household saves with solar, how solar can save you money, and the key factors that influence how much you save.
Kleenheat Spark will recommend three tailored solar packages that provide you with the best payback on your solar investment. When you use our online tool, we’ll ask you about your electricity consumption, so we can tell you what you could expect to save on your electricity bills with each package we recommend.
How does solar reduce my energy costs?
A well-sized solar system can dramatically reduce your electricity costs because your solar panels will generate your own electricity during the day, and you’ll use less power from the grid as a result.
If your solar system generates more electricity than you use, the excess will be sent to the grid and earn feed-in tariff credits. These credits are applied to your electricity bill, helping reduce your overall costs.
If you add a battery to your system, you’ll also be able to store energy for your own nighttime use.
The actual savings you earn following your solar installation are dependent on a few factors including:
- system size: bigger systems generate more power but cost more upfront
- energy habits: households that use more power during the day can save on their electricity bills with solar alone, while those that use more power in the evening will benefit most from adding a battery.
- roof orientation: north-facing panels perform best in Perth, because they receive the most direct sunlight throughout the day.
- shading and tilt: trees, chimneys, or poor angles can impede the penetration of the sun, reducing the energy produced.
- electricity rates: the higher your tariff, the more you save by offsetting it.
- whether you have a battery: Adding a battery increases your upfront cost but can boost your savings, especially if you use a lot of power in the evening
What does a typical Perth household save with solar?
Below are indicative bill savings on a 6.6 kW solar system, which is a popular size for Perth households. The estimates assume an energy profile of a typical WA household (using 20kWh per day), split evenly between day and night. Your actual savings will depend on your household’s energy consumption and habits, and the other factors outlined above.
Solar only
- Cost of 6.6kW solar system (after STCs and rebates): Between $3,000 and $7,500
- Daily solar output: Approximately 30kWh per day, assuming 4.5 daytime hours.
- Daily electricity consumption: Approximately 20kWh per day for a typical Western Australian household. Assume 10kWh is used during the day, and 10kWh at night.
- Cost of electricity: Approximately $0.30/kWh for Synergy’s grid tariff.
- Feed-in tariff: Approximately $0.03/kWh for surplus solar exported to the grid during the day.
- Savings: Approximately $3.60 per day, or $1,300 per year. This reflects 10kWh of daytime consumption saved through solar generation, and the remaining 20kWh exported to the grid, earning feed-in credits.
- Payback: This implies a payback of between 2.2 to 5.7 years.
If you add a battery:
- Cost of 10kWh battery, with both State and Federal rebates: Between $5,000 and $7,000
- Nighttime electricity consumption: 10kWh
- Battery charge: 10kWh
- Daily savings: Approximately $3 per day, or $1,095 per year, assuming even distribution of evening consumption and no inverter bottlenecking.
- Payback: This implies a battery payback of between 4.6 to 6.4 years.
Adding a battery to your solar system
Adding a battery increases your upfront cost but can boost your savings, especially if you use a lot of power in the evening or at night. Batteries help you avoid buying expensive peak-time electricity, and some can help keep your lights and appliances on during outages.
Home batteries typically cost between $5,000 and $20,000 depending on their size and brand. There are currently both state and federal rebates available on home battery purchases for eligible households. You can read a breakdown of these rebates here.
Find out how much you could save
When you request a quote from Kleenheat Spark through our online tool we’ll use the information you provide about your home and energy usage to recommend three tailored solar and/or battery packages that meet your home and energy needs. We’ll tell you the package costs, show you the government rebates we’ve applied, and give you an idea of what you could expect to save on your electricity bills with each package.