A young Aussie family has avoided paying electricity bills for nearly two years after building their dream home powered entirely by solar and battery storage.
Ryan and Alicia Parsons, from Adelaide‘s inner southwest, decided to build a more energy-efficient home in Forestville after realising their previous house was too costly to upgrade with solar.
Completed in 2022, their new four-bedroom, double-storey home features a 9.1kW solar system and a battery installed in September that cost $14,000 (including a $1,000 government rebate).
Since then, they haven’t paid for electricity and even earned money by exporting excess power to the grid.
Mr Parsons explained their first quarterly electricity bill was about $150 – a drastic saving from the $1,000 they were charged in their previous home.
The solar and battery storage unit powers the home all year round and does not depend on the state’s electricity grid.
‘Whenever the power goes off, the battery just kicks in, and everything keeps working. We do not use any power from the grid – it’s pretty amazing,’ Mr Parsons said.
‘Not having to rely on the grid is one benefit I didn’t realise we would have, but it’s definitely a relief. It doesn’t matter what happens day to day, we don’t have to worry.’
The Parsons family has not paid an electricity bill for almost two years after they built their dream energy efficient home
Mr Parsons estimates the family has saved about $3,000 in electricity bills, and has even made money from their battery storage through feed-in tariffs.
The tariff is a payment made to electricity customers for excess electricity generated from renewable sources and exported to the grid.
Mr Parsons said the family exported electricity to the grid early last week and made $80 in less than an hour.
‘It’s about seven years to pay the battery off, and that’s a lot sooner than many people think. It does not take into account the money we’re earning from it,’ Mr Parsons said.
The home’s energy efficiency has alleviated the family’s cost of living pressures as it has cut out electricity bills and has even earned money from exporting back to the grid.
‘We’re saving two grand a year,’ Mr Parsons said.
Their home home in Adelaide’s inner southwestern suburb of Forestville is powered by solar panels and has a battery storage unit
Mr Parsons explained the double-storey, four-bedroom home, operates off the grid ever since they installed a battery storage unit alongside the solar panels
‘That’s obviously nowhere near what our loan repayments are but the saving is significant in terms of making things more affordable.’
Mr Parsons recommended Aussies across the country to explore solar power and battery storage units for their existing homes or new builds.
He said the initial amount for solar power and battery storage would be a barrier for many Australians, however he urged them to explore the options of ‘green loans’.
Despite 3.2 million Australian households having rooftop solar, only two per cent use battery storage.
South Australia leads the country, with 44 per cent of homes using solar, but fewer than one in 40 have a battery unit.
Across the country, 3.2million households, or 32 per cent, have rooftop solar panels (pictured) but just two per cent of properties have a household battery unit
VoltX Energy Chief Operating Officer David Sedighi (pictured)said demand for battery storage was expected to increase as Aussies have started to realise the numerous benefits
David Sedighi, the CEO of solar and battrey company VoltX said demand for battery storage is expected to rise as Aussies become more aware of its many benefits.
‘Battery storage will be the next frontier with growing awareness among households that solar without a battery system can’t realise its full potential, Mr Sedighi said.
‘Battery storage is essential for Australia’s transition to renewable energy.
‘It allows households to store excess solar power, reducing reliance on the grid and lowering carbon footprints. This is a critical step towards a sustainable future.’
