How a sonnen battery helped the Sheraton family from Grafton, NSW

“To minimise our retirement expenses and our carbon footprint, we examined the possibilities of going off-grid, but decided to get a battery to minimise grid purchase and maximise our solar usage, rather than giving it to retailers and buying it back at 3 times the price.”

With electricity prices rising exponentially and no sign of easing in sight, John and Beverley Sheraton are now on the verge of energy independence with their sonnenBatterie Evo at their retirement property near Grafton, NSW.  

“It seems that the current electrical power crisis may continue for some time, and has the potential to get worse. We appear to have got our battery at a good time.” 

The Sheratons have used solar energy at their retirement property since purchasing it in 2008 and have made several upgrades over the years to increase its efficiency. 

“When NSW offered a feed-in tariff of 60 cents/kWh we were happy to install a 3 kWh solar panel system there as planned. However, the price of solar systems reduced substantially, as did feed in tariffs, and in 2017 we installed another 5.6 kWh PV system shared between the East and West sides of the main roof. Since that extra installation, we closely monitored our electrical usage, switching between a few retailers to take advantage of different tariffs. Our usage measured over that 5-year period was <11 kWh/day with export to the grid being > 18 kWh/day.”

Why the Sheratons chose sonnen

The Sheratons looked at several different battery systems to see which one would be the best fit for their needs, looking at things like safety, longevity, local suitability and payback times, along with supply and economics. They used online tools, like WattEver and Solar Choice, to compare the different options and make an informed choice, and after all that research, decided to go with the sonnenBatterie EVO, as it seemed like a solid choice with good stats and management system, and appealing potential economics.

 “It seems likely that, allowing for the different solar capture over the seasons, the annual savings on our electricity bills will be substantial, at least minimal cost, so the return on investment is probably 100% over 11 years or so. It all depends on future costs of power, but that isn’t likely to go down soon.”

Making the most of your system with the right energy retailer

“We are currently with Powershop, who we find efficient and contactable. Our current charges are in credit, and we project future total annual costs to be just in credit at about $168/annum. Without the new battery, our charges would be about $802 annually, which is a saving of $970 a year. There are other retailers available in our rather expensive electrical area, but the potential increased savings of $269 annually would be taxable income, and the potential retailer would not be as secure as Powershop.” 

Our thoughts on what we’d do differently… if there were a next time

In retrospect, while the Sheratons are pleased with their sonneBatterie Evo that’s made their “retirement lifestyle comfortable and energy efficient”, there are a few things that they would do differently, such as:

Put up as much solar PV as one can as soon as possible

To make a solar PV installation as cost-effective as possible, factor in your future plans when selecting the right system and the number of solar panels for your household’s energy usage needs. By doing so, you’ll reduce the costs involved, have a system that meets your energy requirements right from the start and also ensure that all your panels are the same type. This means everything matches aesthetically – an important consideration for homeowners concerned about the visual impact of their solar installation – and all the panels have the same power outputs and efficiencies. This is important, for when different types of solar panels are used, it can lead to imbalances and reduce the overall efficiency of the system.

Insulate the house to the maximum extent possible

Insulation is a key factor in regulating home temperature by minimising heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. This means a well-insulated home requires less energy to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature, resulting in lower heating and cooling bills. What’s more, by reducing your energy consumption, you’re helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which lowers your carbon footprint. A well-insulated home can provide year-round comfort, energy savings and environmental benefits. 

“Since all systems were fully connected our battery has met our expectations. Slight changes in our use of power, maximising day time use, have enabled us to minimise grid purchase, and since 7th August our grid purchase has been < 1 kWh/day and the export has been > 14 kWh/day.” 

Like to see how a sonnenBatterie could help you save on electricity bills? 

With the energy price rises unlikely to end anytime soon, now’s the time to empower yourself to store and manage the energy your rooftop solar PV system generates. Contact us here to connect with a sonnen partner installer near you or learn more about our home batteries.