Guides
Answers to the questions people ask before they buy. No brand pays to appear in any of them.
Start here, 7 min read
How to compare solar and battery quotes
Get more than one written quote, then line up the exact products, usable battery capacity, warranties, rebate and extra charges before you sign anything.
Read the guideBuying and quotes
Your solar installer has closed. Who can fix a faulty system or honour a warranty?
An installer closing does not mean every product warranty disappears. Identify the business you contracted with, secure the system records and choose the right route for faults, unfinished work or a lost deposit.
5 min read
Solar installation handover checklist for Australian households
Check the installed equipment, monitoring, safety paperwork, meter status and support route before you call a solar job finished.
5 min read
Questions to ask a solar or battery installer
The questions worth asking before you sign, grouped by the company, the system, install day, rebates and paperwork, and warranty, with why each one matters.
6 min read
Solar and battery sales tactics to walk away from
Rushed deadlines, today-only prices, vague free offers and claims the government sent them are signs to walk away. Here is how to check, and how to report it.
6 min read
Batteries
Adding a battery to existing solar: can you keep your inverter?
Many existing solar systems can accept an AC-coupled battery without replacing the solar inverter. The right answer depends on equipment condition, network approval, backup goals and the total installed price.
6 min read
Is a home battery worth it in 2026?
A battery can make sense if you use power in the evening, get a low feed-in tariff and qualify for the rebate. Here is how to judge it for your own home.
7 min read
Virtual power plants explained: should you join one?
What a virtual power plant does with your home battery, what you give up and might get, the NSW and WA incentives, and the questions to ask before you sign.
6 min read
What size home battery do you need?
How to size a home battery from your evening and overnight use, what your solar can refill, and why the rebate taper means bigger is not always better value.
6 min read
Will a battery keep the lights on in a blackout?
Why a home battery does not always work in a power cut, the difference between whole-home and essential-circuits backup, and what to ask your installer.
6 min read
Solar panels
Is a shaded roof still worth using for solar?
Trees and nearby buildings can reduce solar output. Before you buy, ask for a roof-specific layout, shade estimate and bill calculation.
5 min read
Your solar app says zero generation. Is the system broken?
A zero reading can mean darkness, lost monitoring, a misread export value or a real fault. Check the evidence safely before calling your installer.
5 min read
NSW's solar emergency backstop: what changes when you install or upgrade
NSW's solar backstop is a last-resort grid safety measure. Existing systems need no action, but new or upgraded installations should meet the current network rules.
5 min read
Bigger solar and batteries in south-west WA: what the 2026 connection rules actually allow
WA's updated connection rules give many south-west households a route to larger solar and battery systems, but a bigger inverter does not mean unlimited exports.
5 min read
How much does solar cost in Australia in 2026?
Average 2026 solar prices by capital city for 6 kW and 10 kW systems, what a quote should include, what adds cost and why the cheapest quote is not always the best.
6 min read
Solar feed-in tariffs in 2026: what you will be paid
What you may be paid for exported solar in 2026-27, state by state, plus time-of-use rates, the new Solar Sharer Offer and why using your own solar matters more.
6 min read
What size solar system do you need?
How to size a home solar system from your bills, daytime use, roof and local sunshine, with average output per kW for each capital city.
6 min read
Rebates
NSW Home Energy Saver loan: how to apply for solar or a battery
A practical guide to the NSW zero-interest Home Energy Saver loan: who can apply, how to get an eligible quote, and when to wait for the separate discount.
5 min read
How the federal battery rebate works in 2026
How the Cheaper Home Batteries discount is worked out: STCs, the factor, the size taper, who claims it, and why the date on your compliance certificate matters.
6 min read
The solar panel rebate (STCs) explained
How the federal solar panel rebate really works: what STCs are, how many your system earns, why the discount falls each year and how to check it on a quote.
6 min read