How to choose a home battery in the Penrith and the Blue Mountain regions.

As demand for solar energy rises among homeowners and businesses the inclusion of solar batteries for Penrith and the Blue Mountains regions specifically has begun to gain traction.

Nowadays home storage batteries offer invaluable energy storage, safeguarding homes against power interruptions often caused by Australia’s unpredictable weather, especially in the mountain regions. Fallen trees can cause issues with powerlines and for that reason, homeowners from Lithgow to Blackheath are going more and more for solar and a battery backup.

At E-Smart Solar we are seeing about 30% of customers opt for a solar and battery combo and often the battery of choice is a Tesla Powerwall. The installation of a Tesla Powerwall ensures an uninterrupted power supply, a valuable asset during neighbourhood outages, and it also looks great.
Curious about harnessing excess solar energy with a solar battery?

Wondering if your solar setup works during blackouts in Penrith and Emu Plans? Our expertise as one of the Blue Mountains’ seasoned solar installers has taught us the importance of reliable components for optimal system performance. That’s why we do not recommend cheap and nasty gear, but only manufacturers with a proven track record.

Partner with E-Smart Solar for a high-performing solar and battery system tailored to your needs. To aid your selection process, we’ve narrowed down the top solar batteries for Penrith or Blue Mountains property going forward into 2024.

Factors to consider when choosing solar batteries for Penrith and the Blue Mountains

1. Capacity (kWh)

Understanding a battery’s capacity, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), is crucial. The size of your home storage battery determines the available power during a blackout or at night. Choosing the right type and size of battery hinges on how you plan to utilise your system.

There are 2 factors to consider when it comes to this subject. The size of the battery is kWh, meaning how much power it can store the capacity of the battery to release this power, and by how many kW peak.

If you have a large solar system and aim to power most of your appliances during a blackout and if blackouts are not that frequent and relatively short in and around Emu Plains for example, a battery with high power output but medium capacity (below 10 kWh) will suffice. Alternatively, a high-capacity residential battery (above 15 kWh), but with low-power release capacity will run select appliances such as lights and heating for longer periods.

In regards to battery technology development and advancement, there is good news! Many battery brands such as BYD or Alpha ESS can now be stacked meaning you can add modules to the system. This capability for adjustment allows home batteries to gain future expansions in homes and businesses to meet bigger energy needs.

Overall when it comes to expansion one would want to do it not too long after the initial system was installed, as batteries do deteriorate over time and one would like to match battery modules of similar age and deterioration factors.

2. Lifespan and warranty

Solar batteries for Penrith and the Blue Mountains provide energy to your home, but their ability to hold a charge decreases over time. Although a battery might have a lifespan of 10 years, it may not retain its original capacity throughout this period. So year after year they will deteriorate a little, just like the battery in your phone. For this reason, we at E-Smart recommend going a little bit bigger with the initial home battery sizing, so that in future years everything works well.

Given the geography of the Blue Mountains with windy roads and sometimes difficult access for remote properties, having a sufficient power backup can be important, and even life-saving especially for water pumps during bushfire season.

A reliable solar battery typically comes with a warranty. This warranty ensures that the battery will function effectively for a certain number of cycles or years. Reputable manufacturers often guarantee a minimum capacity retention throughout the warranty period. For instance, Tesla’s Powerwall 2 offers a warranty ensuring 70% energy retention after 10 years from the installation date.

We are happy to discuss with you a range of batteries which vary in budget and sizing and explain your battery’s expected lifespan and necessary maintenance. Moreover, a well-designed system minimises the impact of external temperatures on the battery, prolonging its lifespan.

In selecting the best battery location in your home that’s where experience comes in. We have been installing solar and batteries, including off-grid since 2011. Some of our original residential installs in the Penrith area still produce renewable energy 20 years later.

While the Blue Mountains took a little longer to move into solar – when it comes to off-grid we installed sophisticated solar & battery off-grid systems in many regions and towns such as the Lower Mountains, the Megalong Valley, Blackheath and Mt Victoria.

3. Round-trip efficiency

Round-trip efficiency measures the energy that has been stored in your battery against the power available to use. These numbers will never be the same, because during the battery charging process, some energy might dissipate due to heat or inefficiencies.

For instance, if 2kWh of electricity is input into your battery, yielding 1.8kWh of usable energy, your solar battery has a 90% round-trip efficiency. It’s crucial to verify the round-trip efficiency of your selected battery to ensure its competitiveness in the market.

So how big of a solar system do I need?

Before we go into details as to the best batteries for the Penrith and Blue Mountains region here is some data to show you the available local kWh generation from various size solar systems. This will give you an idea as to the solar system size required, as long as you know the daily, monthly and annual electricity consumption for your home or business. You can get this information from your electricity bill.

Per Day

Per Month

Per Year

4. So how big of a battery do I need?

Let’s say your average daily electricity consumption is 28 kWh. Given that most of us will down the track own an Electric Vecicle we should allow another 10kWh plus as a future consumption. Therefore with a likely consumption of 40kWh on average per day and if you live in Lithgow a 10 kW solar system would be an appropriate size.

We also via checking your consumption data worked out that you use currently 10 kWh of electricity at night. In such a scenario the 13 kWh Tesla Powerwall 2 might be an excellent solution. Then when the EV arrives we could consider adding a 2nd Powerwall if you want to use the excess solar to power your vehicle.

Maximising your solar batteries for Penrith and the Blue Mountains 

Choosing solar system components tailored to your property’s unique requirements and performance objectives is important to maximising your investment. Finding the “best” solar battery varies based on your power consumption patterns, your financial expectations and your available budget.

To discover the right fit, undertaking proper research and consulting with a certified solar installer such as E-Smart is crucial. We can help identify the perfect battery for your setup, so please contact us for advice or a free quote. Our battery and solar-trained friendly staff can assist in your selection process.