Older technology
Lead-acid
An established battery technology, still used in some applications.
Townsville & North Queensland
Home batteries.
Your questions, answered.
Rebates, savings, size and backup. Understand what matters before choosing a battery for your home.
12 simple questions. Practical advice from your local installer.
01 / BATTERY GUIDE
Can the Government Help Pay for My Battery?
Eligible home batteries can receive an upfront government discount. The amount depends on the battery size, installation date and eligibility requirements.
How the federal battery discount works
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program uses small-scale technology certificates (STCs), usually assigned to an agent in return for an upfront discount. Eligible batteries must meet product, installation and solar-connection requirements.
For May–December 2026, the base STC factor is 6.8. It applies at 100% to the first 14 kWh of usable capacity, 60% to the next 14 kWh, and 15% above 28 kWh up to 50 kWh. These percentages apply to the certificate calculation, not the purchase price.
The dollar discount depends on certificate value and your installation. Your quote should show the discount and eligibility clearly.
Checked 3 October 2026. Check the current federal rules .
02 / BATTERY GUIDE
Will a Battery Save Me Money?
During the day
Solar → Home → Battery → Grid
At night
Battery → Home
Instead of selling all your excess solar cheaply during the day and buying electricity back later, a battery lets you store some of that energy and use it yourself.
Payback depends on:
- Electricity price
- Battery cost after rebate
- Solar production
- Night-time electricity use
- How often the battery cycles
What goes into the savings estimate?
We compare the grid electricity you avoid buying with the solar feed-in income you give up, allowing for battery losses, tariffs and battery ageing. Backup reserve also leaves less energy available for everyday savings. Savings and payback are specific to your home.
03 / BATTERY GUIDE
What Size Battery Do I Need?
Bigger isn't automatically better. The best battery is one you can regularly charge and actually use.
kWh = stored energy
How much energy the battery stores.
kW = available power
How much power it can supply at one time.
kWh is the size of the water tank.
kW is how quickly the water can come out of the tap.
We consider:
- Night-time consumption
- Solar system size
- Excess solar
- Air-conditioning
- Pool
- EV
- Future electricity use
- Desired blackout reserve
04 / BATTERY GUIDE
Will My Battery Work in a Blackout?
Having a battery does not automatically mean your whole house works during a blackout.
Essential backup
Fridge + lights + internet + selected power points.
Whole-home backup
Potentially much larger loads, depending on the inverter and battery design.
Some systems can continue using the panels to recharge the battery during a blackout, while others have limitations.
The circuits, backup equipment, available power and battery reserve all need to be planned. Even whole-home backup does not mean every appliance can run at once.
05 / BATTERY GUIDE
What Is the Battery Made Of?
What's actually inside a home battery?
Modern battery family
Lithium-ion
A family of rechargeable batteries with different chemistries. LFP and NMC both belong to this family.
Our main focus
LFP / LiFePO₄
Lithium Iron Phosphate. Known for long cycle life and good thermal stability, and well suited to stationary home batteries.
What about other battery types?
NMC is another lithium-ion chemistry. Sodium-ion uses sodium-based chemistry, while flow batteries store energy in liquid electrolytes. Product suitability, availability and support matter more than the chemistry label alone. No battery chemistry is free of risk.
06 / BATTERY GUIDE
Are Home Batteries Safe?
A home battery stores a large amount of energy, so where and how it is installed matters.
Australian installation requirements include AS/NZS 5139 , applicable amendments, electrical safety rules and the manufacturer's instructions.
- Location
- Windows and doors
- Wall construction
- Mechanical protection
- Manufacturer clearances
- Heat and weather exposure
We don't choose the battery location simply because it's the easiest wall to use.
07 / BATTERY GUIDE
Can I Add a Battery to My Existing Solar?
New solar + battery
A compatible hybrid inverter can connect the panels and battery on the DC side.
DC coupled
Existing solar
A separate battery inverter can connect to the home's AC supply alongside the existing solar inverter.
AC coupled
You don't necessarily need to throw away a perfectly good solar inverter just because you're adding a battery.
Sunnyville can check:
- Inverter age
- Compatibility
- Warranty
- Existing solar size
- Backup requirements
- Network restrictions
08 / BATTERY GUIDE
How Long Will My Battery Last?
A “10-year warranty” isn't enough information by itself. A warranty is a set of conditions, not a promise that performance stays unchanged.
Time and use
Warranty years, cycle limits and energy throughput — the total energy the battery is allowed to deliver under the warranty.
Remaining capacity
How much storage capacity is guaranteed to remain, and when.
Conditions and support
Operating conditions, labour cover and Australian support.
Two batteries can both advertise a 10-year warranty and still have very different warranty conditions.
09 / BATTERY GUIDE
How Much of My Battery Can I Actually Use?
Nominal capacity
The total battery capacity.
Usable capacity
What you're allowed to regularly use.
Then there is your backup reserve.
You may choose to keep part of the battery charged so there is energy available if the grid fails.
A larger reserve can provide more backup energy, but leaves less available for everyday bill savings. The reserve setting and available capacity depend on the system.
10 / BATTERY GUIDE
How Much Can My Battery Power at Once?
A 20 kWh battery does not automatically mean “that can run everything in my house”.
Battery size and battery power are different things.
A battery can have a lot of stored energy but still have a limit on how much electricity the inverter can deliver at once.
For example, some systems may have an output around 43 A .
43 A × 230 V ≈ 9.9 kW
Illustrative single-phase output, at a power factor of 1.
43 A is only an example. The actual limit depends on the specific inverter/battery system and whether the house is operating normally or in backup mode.
Battery current ratings on the DC side are different from the inverter's AC output current. Three-phase systems also need to be assessed per phase.
What do everyday appliances use?
| Appliance | Approx. power | Approx. current |
|---|---|---|
| LED light | 10 W | 0.04 A |
| TV | 100 W | 0.4 A |
| Fridge running | 200 W | 0.9 A |
| Pool pump | 1,000 W | 4.3 A |
| Microwave | 1,500 W | 6.5 A |
| Toaster | 1,800 W | 7.8 A |
| Kettle | 2,400 W | 10.4 A |
| Oven | 3,000 W | 13 A |
| Hot-water element | 3,600 W | 15.7 A |
| 7 kW EV charger | 7,000 W | about 30 A |
Illustrative figures, not exact values for every appliance. Currents assume a power factor near 1; actual running and starting currents vary. Use electrical input ratings, not an air-conditioner's cooling capacity.
A simple example
EV charger 30 A + kettle 10 A + pool pump 4 A
Already around 44 A.
Before the fridge, lights, air-conditioning or anything else.
That is why battery inverter power matters . When the grid is available, it may supply the difference within the installation's limits. In backup mode, exceeding the system's limit may shut down the backup supply.
Motors and compressors such as air-conditioners, pumps and fridges can briefly require considerably more power when starting.
11 / BATTERY GUIDE
Can My Battery Buy Cheap Power and Sell It Later?
Smart tariffs
Some battery systems can charge from cheap grid electricity, avoid expensive peak periods and use solar intelligently.
VPP = Virtual Power Plant
A VPP can allow an electricity provider or aggregator to use some battery capacity under an agreed program.
Whether this works for you depends on the battery, electricity plan, network connection and offers available at your address. Compare fees, export payments, battery use and control of your backup reserve. Buying cheap and selling later does not guarantee a profit.
12 / BATTERY GUIDE
Where Should the Battery Go?
In Townsville, the right location needs to account for North Queensland heat, weather and the practical needs of your home.
- Direct sunlight
- North Queensland heat
- Weather
- Flood exposure
- Physical protection
- Distance from switchboard / inverter
- Service access
- Australian Standards
- Manufacturer requirements
The prettiest location isn't always the best location — and neither is the easiest location for the installer.
Putting it all together
A Good Battery System Is More Than Just a Big Battery
The right battery needs to match your solar system, electricity use, inverter, backup requirements and future plans.
We look at how much energy you use, when you use it, how much solar you produce, how much power your home needs at once, rebate eligibility, safety requirements and where the equipment can be installed before recommending a battery.
That way, you're not simply buying more kWh — you're getting a battery system designed around your home.
Let's talk about your home
Find the Right Battery for My Home
Tell us about your solar system, electricity use and what you want your battery to do.