8.55 kW Jinko Solar and a 27 kWh Sigenergy Battery in East Ballina: Case Study

A 27 kWh Sigenergy battery and 8.55 kW of new Jinko panels added to an East Ballina home that already had solar, with a Gateway for whole-home blackout backup.

Our own in-house team designed and installed the upgrade, and brought the home’s older solar arrays up to current standards as part of the same job.

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★★★★★ Rated 5.0 from 60 Google reviews · read them on Google · read them on our reviews page

The job

This single-phase home in East Ballina already had solar on the roof. The goal was more daytime generation and enough storage to carry the house through the evening and overnight, with backup when the grid goes down. Rather than rip out the existing panels, we kept them working, added a new array of Jinko panels and put a Sigenergy battery system at the centre of it all. It’s a good example of adding a battery to existing solar while topping up the panels at the same time.

What we installed

• Extra solar: 18 Jinko Tiger Neo III panels (475 W each), 8.55 kW in total
• Battery and inverter: a Sigenergy SigenStor with a 10 kW single-phase hybrid inverter and three battery modules, about 27 kWh of storage (27.12 kWh in the design)
• Home battery backup: a Sigenergy Gateway, which switches the home over when the grid drops out and has a generator input
• Existing arrays upgraded: the older panel strings re-wired to current standards, with the old rooftop isolators removed
• Smart load control that works with the Sigenergy app to run a high-load appliance, such as hot water, on surplus solar, plus consumption monitoring and app training

How it went

Before install day we did a face-to-face site visit to agree the battery position, check the switchboard and RCBOs, and confirm which circuits stay on in a blackout, so there were no surprises on the day. The SigenStor stands on the floor against a brick wall, with two protective bollards in front of it, the cabling run in conduit and the safety signage fitted. We finished with monitoring set-up, grid connection and a sign-off call, and the customer was happy enough to leave us a 5-star Google review, photo included.

Why keep the old panels?

Plenty of Northern Rivers homes have a solar system that still works but is too small for a battery to make the most of. If the panels are in good order, keeping them and adding new ones is often the sensible path. The catch is that older systems can have rooftop isolators and wiring that no longer meet current rules, so we check and upgrade that work as part of the design, rather than leaving it as a problem for later.

How every job like this runs

1. Free energy assessment from one or two recent power bills, or a quick phone call on 0483 903 020.

2. Custom design sized from the household’s real usage, with the federal Cheaper Home Batteries rebate and solar STCs taken off at point of sale. We handle the paperwork. See your rebates or try the battery rebate calculator.

3. Face-to-face site visit before install day: compliant battery position, switchboard and RCBO check, and agreement on what stays on in a blackout. No surprises on the day.

4. Install, usually one day, by our own electricians. No subcontractors. Then monitoring set-up, grid connection and a sign-off call.

Warranties

10-year battery, 10-year inverter replacement, 25-year panel performance and our 25-year workmanship warranty on our installation work. Equipment is covered by the manufacturer warranties.

The federal battery rebate steps down on 1 January 2027 and again on 1 July 2027, based on install date. If a battery is on your list, it’s worth getting your assessment done early.

Thinking about a battery in Ballina?

We install across the Northern Rivers, including solar and batteries in Ballina and Lennox Head. Compare Sigenergy, GoodWe and Sungrow, Solax and Tesla, or see adding a battery to existing solar.

Get a free energy assessment · or call 0483 903 020

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More from Sun Connect Solar: your rebates; battery rebate calculator; customer reviews; FAQ; recent installs: 6.65 kW solar and 9 kWh Sigenergy battery, Mullumbimby · Solar and a 24 kWh Sigenergy battery, Mullumbimby area · 8.4 kW Jinko solar and 24 kWh Sigenergy battery, Ocean Shores · all recent installs.