It’s no secret that solar is the cheapest source of electricity in Australia and grid energy is the most expensive that it’s ever been. People are really feeling the pinch. 

The Australian Government confirms that “Australia has the highest uptake of solar globally, with around 30 per cent of homes with rooftop solar PV. As of 31 January 2022, more than 3 million rooftop solar PV systems have been installed across Australia.”

Clearly, people have caught on to the financial benefits of saving on energy bills with solar, but looking after the environment and being more self-reliant are becoming increasingly important. A solar PV and battery storage system offers the potential for complete energy self-sufficiency, as homes can be backed-up in the event of a blackout.

Carolyn Lee, from The Energy Experts in Kiama, has gone the whole hog to achieve complete energy independence. As well as having 10.22kw of solar installed, she and her partner have a 10kWh battery and an electric vehicle (EV) charger to power their BYD Atto 3 electric car. They also have a smart switch, which lets them power their heat pump from surplus solar energy. 

She has become a huge advocate of EVs and has a car charger in her driveway to ‘refuel’ from the sun each day. “EVs do require a significant amount of energy to recharge, but if you have a large enough and good quality solar system and/or battery, this energy is all free,” Carolyn says.

In a recent article, Cars Guide says "According to Australia’s Electric Vehicle Council, powering an EV is around 70 per cent cheaper compared to a car with an internal-combustion engine powered by petrol or diesel, saving EV drivers, on average, $1600 in fuel costs each year."

This is backed up by ‘Rewiring Australia’, which calculated that an electric car costs about 8 cents per km to drive if charged from the grid, compared to a petrol car, which cost about 12 cents per km in fuel (back when petrol was at $1.43/L). Compare this with charging an electric car from rooftop solar and you’re looking at about 1 cent per km.

Many homeowners will be eligible for a Green Loan which makes it more affordable to invest in these technologies. With a Green Loan, the reduction in your bill by having solar and/or batteries installed and using your free power and/or exporting surplus solar energy back to the grid, can outweigh your loan repayments, so you can be in a better financial position than you are now.

“These days, I look forward to receiving my electricity bills,” says Carolyn. “It’s not daunting, like it used to be. We are often in credit.”

You can meet Carolyn Lee, and other EV and solar power enthusiasts, at the upcoming ‘EV Open Day’ at The Pavilion Kiama on Saturday 9 September between 1-4pm. The event is being organised by The Energy Experts - Kiama’s local solar, storage and EV charging experts.

To attend the free 45-minute EV Info Session at 3:15pm, you must register at www.theenergyexperts.com.au/events, as seats are limited.

See you there!