Making the right decisions for a better future.

Saleem Sheriff and his wife are schoolteachers living in a 2-storey house in The Hills Shire, NSW.

The energy transition process for Saleem’s household happened gradually. First, he started with installing 2.2kWp rooftop solar panels which he soon expanded up to 5.7kWp. It didn’t take much longer for Saleem to realise that he needs to take it one more step further.

“I was losing a lot of energy that my panels were producing. My usage was less than 50% so the majority was going back into the grid. At that time our energy provider reduced the feed-in tariff to only 15 cents per kWh while charging us 35 cents per kWh. So, I said: let’s stop this, it’s time to invest in something that will reduce my bills.”

Saleem decided to take control of his bills.

“I read a lot of literature and asked my friends for advice. Looking back, I can say that it was a very good and smart decision.”

When choosing which battery brand to go for, Saleem was looking at several products available in the market.

“Powerwall was there, then sonnen was available and there was also Enphase. I went for sonnen because not only it is designed in Germany but also made in Australia. Another great thing is that sonnen has local sales and support teams which makes communication very easy, convenient and secure.”

Saleem told us that after having his sonnenBatterie for 1 year he only had a positive experience.

“The technology is there, the quality is there and the system is absolutely transparent. When there are any issues with the system, sonnen support team is calling me, explains what the issue is and fixes it just within a short period of time. That’s pretty amazing.”

Saleem has also managed to achieve some impressive results around reducing his bills.

“My bills went down 60-70% and that’s only the beginning. It all depends on how you use your energy and your lifestyle – the sonnen app helps you to monitor it. For example, we’ve learnt to put the washing machine on in the afternoon when the sun is up. These are the little secrets every household should have. Simply watching the value for the time and the efficiency of your appliances will make you a winner every single day.”

But maximising savings on his bills wasn’t the only reason for Saleem to make a change.

“I think the public needs to open their vision and understand the extreme effects of using fossil fuel-based energy providers. Greenhouse gases and carbon emissions, climate change, bushfires – these are all the results of imbalance between what we’re taking from the earth and what we’re giving back. So, this is my message to everyone. Use your solar energy. There is plenty of it! And maximise your bill savings. You definitely will be happier looking at your electricity bills when they’re less than $60. I am a teacher and I am always telling the children: that is your future so make the right decisions for yourselves and for our beautiful planet.”