Solar Battery Install Forest Lake, Brisbane: Storage Upgrade

Maximising Your Energy: Solar Battery Install in Forest Lake

Is there anything more frustrating than sending your hard-earned solar power back to the grid for pennies during the day, only to buy it back at a premium price the moment the sun goes down? For many solar owners, this is a daily reality that cuts deep into their potential savings.

Solar panels are fantastic, but they have one major limitation: they only work when the sun is shining. Recently, Fallon Solutions visited a forward-thinking homeowner in Forest Lake who was ready to take the next step in their energy journey. They had installed a quality solar system earlier in the year but realised that to truly conquer their electricity bills, they needed to store that power for the evening.

If you already have panels on your roof, adding a battery is the ultimate upgrade. Here is how we integrated storage into this local home.

The Problem: Great Generation, Wasted Potential

The homeowner in Forest Lake was in a good position but wasn’t fully optimised. They had a modern 5kW system installed earlier in the year, which was generating plenty of clean, free energy during the day.

The problem? Most families aren’t home at midday to use that power.

Without a home solar battery, any excess energy generated by the 5kW system was being exported to the grid. While feed-in tariffs offer some return, they are a fraction of what you pay to import electricity in the evening. Essentially, the customer was acting as a power station for the energy company, rather than for themselves.

They decided to retrofit a battery to capture that surplus energy. However, the existing setup presented a logistical challenge: the original inverter was mounted in a spot that left no room for the new battery unit.

The Solution: Strategic Relocation and Integration

Adding a battery to an existing system isn’t always “plug and play.” It requires careful electrical design to ensure the inverter and battery communicate correctly and are housed safely.

Here is the step-by-step process our CEC-accredited electricians followed for this solar battery install:

1. Site Assessment and Isolation: First, we isolated the DC power from the roof and the AC power from the switchboard to ensure the system was safe to work on.
2. Inverter Relocation: The original inverter location was too cramped. To make space for the new solar battery system, we carefully disconnected and relocated the existing inverter to a nearby wall. This required re-running the DC cabling from the roof isolator and extending the AC connection to the switchboard.
3. Battery Mounting: Once the wall space was cleared, we mounted the new battery unit securely. Batteries are heavy and require structural support, so we ensured the mounting bracket was fixed into the studs.

1. Electrical Integration: We wired the battery into the inverter. Modern hybrid systems (or AC-coupled retrofits) allow the battery to “talk” to the inverter, telling it when to charge (when there is excess solar) and when to discharge (when the house needs power at night).
2. Commissioning: We powered the system back up and configured the software. We set the charging profiles to prioritise self-consumption, ensuring the battery fills up before any energy is sent to the grid.

By relocating the inverter, we created a neat, dedicated “energy hub” on the customer’s wall, ready to power their evenings.

The Benefits for the Homeowner

Upgrading a standard solar install with battery storage transforms how a household uses energy:

• 24/7 Free Power: The most obvious benefit. The customer can now run their lights, TV, and fridge in the evening using sunshine captured hours earlier.
• Protection Against Rates: As electricity prices rise, the homeowner is insulated from peak-hour tariffs because they are drawing from their battery, not the grid.
• Increased Self-Sufficiency: The home relies less on external infrastructure.

Maximised ROI: By using 100% of the energy they generate (rather than selling it cheap), the payback period for the entire system improves.

Why Choose Fallon Solutions?

Retrofitting batteries is a specialised field. You need an electrician who understands the compatibility between different inverters and battery chemistries. A poor installation can lead to a battery that never charges fully or an inverter that trips constantly.

When you search for a “solar and battery install” provider in Forest Lake, you need a team with a track record. At Fallon Solutions, we are accredited Master Electricians and solar specialists. We don’t just install new systems; we are experts at upgrading and expanding existing ones. We handle the tricky jobs—like relocating inverters and re-wiring switchboards—to ensure your energy system is neat, safe, and efficient. Want to learn more about our solar services, visit our solar trade area.

Maximise On Your Solar Output

Your solar panels are working hard, but are you getting the full benefit? Don’t let your free energy disappear back into the grid. A battery upgrade puts the power back in your hands—literally.

If you are considering a solar battery install or want to expand your existing system in Forest Lake, don’t wait for the next bill shock. Contact the experts at Fallon Solutions today to discuss your storage options! Call us on 1300 054 488 or send us an enquiry here.