Question 1 of 3
Do you want backup power when the grid goes out?
Storms, planned outages, rural lines — does your home need to keep running when the grid doesn't?
When does your household use the most power?
Solar generates during the day. A battery lets you store it for nights.
What's the priority?
Both systems pay back — they just optimise for different things.
Recommended
Hybrid (solar + battery) is your best fit
A hybrid system stores your daytime solar so you can use it after sunset — and keeps your essentials running during a power cut.
Why this suits you
- Backup when the grid drops — your battery automatically takes over for essential circuits (lights, fridge, internet) within seconds.
- Use your own solar at night — instead of selling cheap and buying back expensive, you store excess solar for evening use, significantly lifting your self-consumption versus grid-tie. Your virtual proposal will model the exact figures for your household.
- Future-proof — battery-ready inverter means you can stack more storage later or add an EV charger without rewiring.
Typical Solar Hub packageIndicatively $18k–$34k incl GST
Battery storage5.12kWh Pylontech Force (expandable)
Backup during outageYes — essential circuits
Best forEvening-heavy households, rural homes
Recommended
A grid-tie system is your best fit
Grid-tie is the simplest, cheapest way to slash your power bill — no battery, no complexity, fastest payback.
Why this suits you
- Lowest upfront cost — meaningfully cheaper than the equivalent hybrid (you skip the battery), so payback is faster.
- Daytime usage matches solar generation — you'll directly use most of what your panels produce, no battery needed.
- Sell what you don't use — excess solar exports to the grid for credit on your power bill at your retailer's published buy-back rate. Check current rates →
Typical Solar Hub packageIndicatively $10k–$22k incl GST
Battery storageNone — add later if needed
Backup during outageNo (grid required to operate)
Best forDaytime-heavy households, fastest payback
Tip: upgrade to a battery-ready (hybrid) inverter at install time and you can drop in a battery later without replacing the inverter. See Build Your System for our current upgrade pricing.
Side by side
The honest comparison
Grid-tie
Hybrid (battery)
Indicative system cost
$10k–$22k
$18k–$34k
Solar daytime usage
Direct use only
Direct + stored for later
Self-consumption
Lower
Significantly higher
Backup during outage
✗ No
✓ Yes (essentials)
Payback period
Faster
Longer (battery adds capex)
Future battery upgrade
Inverter swap needed (unless battery-ready)
Just add more storage
EV-ready
Add hybrid inverter
Yes, out of the box
Still not sure?
Talk to an engineer — not a salesperson
Get your free virtual proposal and we'll model both systems side-by-side for your specific roof and usage.