Solar Panels vs Battery Storage: What Should You Install First?

One of the most common questions we get from homeowners is whether they should install solar panels first, battery storage first, or both at the same time. The answer depends on your specific situation, but here's a general guide.

Start with Solar Panels

For most households, solar panels should be your first investment. Here's why:

• Faster payback: Solar panels typically pay for themselves in 3-5 years, while batteries take 7-10 years.
• Government rebates: STCs provide significant upfront savings on solar panels.
• Immediate savings: You start saving on electricity from day one.
• Lower cost: A solar panel system costs significantly less than adding battery storage.

When to Add Battery Storage

Battery storage makes sense when:

• You already have solar: If your panels are producing more than you use during the day, a battery captures that excess for evening use.
• High evening usage: If most of your electricity consumption happens after sunset, a battery maximises your solar self-consumption.
• Time-of-use tariffs: If your retailer charges higher rates during peak hours, a battery helps you avoid those expensive periods.
• Blackout protection: If power reliability is important to you, batteries provide backup during outages.

Installing Both Together

There are advantages to installing solar and batteries simultaneously:

• Single installation cost: You save on labour by having everything installed at once.
• Hybrid inverter: A hybrid inverter manages both solar and battery from the start, avoiding the need for a separate battery inverter later.
• Optimised system design: The entire system can be designed to work together from day one.

Our Recommendation

For most Brisbane and Gold Coast homeowners, we recommend starting with a quality solar panel system and a hybrid inverter. This gives you immediate savings while making it easy and cost-effective to add battery storage later when prices continue to drop.

Contact RJ Solar for personalised advice on the best approach for your home.