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Is My Solar Battery-Ready? Free Checker for Existing Solar Systems
Checked and updated by our licensed electricians: October 2026
Can you add a battery to the solar you already have? Answer seven quick questions (your inverter brand and age, system size, phase, roof space and switchboard) and the answer is on your screen: whether the battery sits alongside your inverter or replaces it, whether your roof can fill it in winter, what your switchboard will need and what we check before you buy. Honest, free, and no details needed to see the result.
How the checker works
The checker is built on the same questions our electricians ask on the first call, and it uses these rules of thumb, so you can see what sits behind the answer:
- Compatibility. Nearly every grid-connected solar inverter can have a battery added. A quality string inverter under about 10 years old can stay, with the battery AC-coupled alongside it. An inverter over 10 years old is near the end of its normal life, so a hybrid all-in-one that replaces it (Sigenergy, GoodWe ESA) usually avoids paying twice. Microinverters (Enphase and similar) are always AC-coupled, because they stay on the roof.
- Filling the battery. About 3.8 kWh per kW of panels on an average Northern Rivers day (the Clean Energy Regulator rates our zone at 1.382 MWh per kW a year), about 30 per cent less in winter, and roughly 45 per cent of a household’s use in daylight hours. What is left is spare to charge a battery, which is why the checker asks your system size and why your bill’s export figure is the real answer.
- Phase. Single-phase homes get whole-home backup simply. Three-phase homes can back up one phase with a single-phase battery, or all three with a three-phase system.
- Switchboard. Current standards call for RCBO safety switches on the circuits involved; older boards usually need work before a battery can be connected compliantly.
Read the long version in can I add a battery to my old solar system? and adding a battery to existing solar, and the full Northern Rivers home battery buyer’s guide.
AC-coupled or hybrid: the difference in plain words
AC-coupled means the battery system has its own inverter and connects to your home’s AC wiring next to your existing solar inverter, which keeps doing its job. It is the least disruptive route for a young inverter or for microinverters. Hybrid (all-in-one) means one inverter handles the panels and the battery together; it replaces your old inverter, which suits ageing or small inverters and gives the simplest whole-home backup. Both the Sigenergy and the GoodWe ESA can work either way. The design also decides whether your panels keep recharging the battery during an outage, because some batteries limit how much AC-coupled solar can sit on the backup side.
What a battery-ready home looks like on real jobs
- Lennox Head: 8.6 kW of Jinko solar designed together with a GoodWe ESA 16 kWh battery, two modules sized to the bills. Case study.
- Byron Bay: 10.5 kW of AIKO solar with a Sigenergy 16 kWh battery, enough roof to fill it through winter. Case study.
- Mullumbimby: 6.7 kW of solar with a single Sigenergy 9 kWh module, the honest size for the roof and the household. Case study.
- East Ballina: 8.6 kW of Jinko solar with a Sigenergy 27 kWh battery for a bigger evening load. Case study.
More at recent installs and case studies and our install map by town.
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Questions we get asked
Is my solar system battery-ready?
Nearly every grid-connected solar system can take a battery. The real questions are how (a battery with its own inverter alongside yours, or a hybrid that replaces your inverter), whether your solar is big enough to fill the battery in winter, and whether your switchboard needs safety-switch upgrades first. This checker gives a first answer from your inverter brand and age, system size, phase, roof space and switchboard; we confirm it at a free site visit.
Can I add a battery to my Fronius, SMA, Sungrow or GoodWe inverter?
Yes. A quality string inverter in good condition can stay, with the battery AC-coupled alongside it. If the inverter is 10 years old or more, replacing it with a hybrid all-in-one such as the Sigenergy or GoodWe ESA usually makes more sense than paying for two inverters. Sungrow and GoodWe owners sometimes have a hybrid already; we check the model.
Can I add a battery to Enphase microinverters?
Yes, AC-coupled. The microinverters stay on the roof and the battery system has its own inverter. Some batteries limit how much AC-coupled solar can sit on the backup side of the system, so the design decides whether the panels keep recharging the battery during an outage. We work that out before you buy.
How big does my solar need to be to charge a battery?
As a rule of thumb, a 6.6 kW system on an average Northern Rivers day makes about 25 kWh, and about 30 per cent less in winter. After the house uses its daytime share, that typically fills an 8 to 9 kWh battery through winter and a 16 to 18 kWh battery through the warmer months. If you want a bigger battery than the roof can fill, we design extra panels or a smaller battery. The exact answer comes from your bills, which show your export.
Does a three-phase home need a three-phase battery?
Not always. Many three-phase homes have a single-phase battery on the phase that carries the essentials, which backs up that phase in an outage. Whole-home backup across all three phases needs a three-phase battery system; Sigenergy offers one. We check which phase your circuits are on at the site visit.
Will my switchboard need upgrading for a battery?
Often, yes. Current standards call for RCBO safety switches on the circuits involved, and boards with ceramic fuses or a single safety switch usually need work before a battery can be connected compliantly. We check the board on the site visit and the work is priced in the quote up front, never added on the day.
Does the battery rebate apply to a battery added to existing solar?
Yes. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries rebate applies to a battery added to existing solar as long as the battery is on the approved list, VPP-capable and installed by an SAA-accredited installer. It is taken off at the point of sale and steps down for installs from 1 January 2027.
Do I have to give my details to see the result?
No. The result shows on screen as soon as you answer the questions. Leaving your first name and mobile afterwards is optional: it gets the result texted to you and lets our team offer a short call to go through your bills, with no price talk by text.
