In October 2025, I installed a 7.125kW solar system with a 13.34kWh battery at my home in St Peters. It’s a modest suburban house, typical of Sydney’s Inner West — and like many, it faces the challenge of balancing comfort, energy use, and sustainability in a compact footprint.

After comparing several options, I chose Partners in Energy to design and install a system built around Jinko Solar Tiger Neo panels and an Alpha ESS Smile inverter with integrated 13.34kWh battery storage. The system is expected to generate approximately 9,200kWh of electricity per year, enough to offset the majority of household consumption.

Performance and Payback
The installation is projected to reduce grid electricity use by over 80%, bringing average monthly bills down from $122 to about $21. Over twenty years, the system offers a net present value of $16,500, a 158% return on investment, and an internal rate of return of 12.4%. The payback period sits at around eight to nine years, after which it will continue producing free, renewable energy.

Environmental Impact
Each year, the system will avoid approximately 2,766 litres of petrol in equivalent emissions, or about 3.1 tonnes of coal burned — the same as planting 167 trees annually. While these numbers are abstract, they translate into tangible environmental benefits at a household scale.

Reflections
For architects and homeowners alike, the shift to distributed energy isn’t just about technology — it’s about design thinking. Integrating solar and storage requires an understanding of orientation, roof geometry, and daily energy patterns, all of which are familiar considerations in architecture.

Incorporating renewable systems into existing housing stock is one of the most direct ways we can reduce emissions and improve resilience. This installation is a small but meaningful step in aligning the way I live with the values I try to bring to my work.