The Straight-Up Solar Guide
No jargon. No sales pitch. Everything you need to understand solar energy and decide if it’s right for you, written by people who install it every day.
Battery Storage — Do You Need One?
A battery stores the energy your panels generate during the day so you can use it at night, during peak tariff hours, or when the grid goes down. Here’s what you need to know before deciding.
WITHOUT A BATTERY
Solar saves you money when the sun shines
Any surplus generation exports to the grid at the feed-in tariff rate — typically 5–10c/kWh. You then buy that same power back at night for 28–35c/kWh. That gap is money left on the table.
WITHOUT A BATTERY
You capture that surplus and use it yourself
Instead of selling cheap and buying expensive, you store at zero cost and use it when it's worth most. A well-sized battery can push selfconsumption above 90%, slashing grid dependency almost entirely.
ZOOM BATTERY TIERS
Three tiers to match your needs and budget
Every home is different. Zoom offers three battery tiers — from cost-effective entry storage through to AI-powered whole-home systems — all backed
by our ZoomCare+ aftercare.
SILVER TIER
Cost Effective Storage
Entry-level reliability
LIB ESS & FOX ESS
An affordable, reliable battery ideal for
homeowners new to solar storage. Simple, effective and built to last.
- LFP chemistry — safe, stable
- Ideal for smaller households
- ZoomCare+ 10-year aftercare
GOLD TIER
Premium Storage
Enhanced capacity & smart monitoring
Alpha ESS & GoodWe
Premium solutions for growing energy needs. Enhanced capacity, smart monitoring, and
built for the modern solar home.
- Higher capacity options available
- Smart monitoring built-in
- ZoomCare+ 10-year aftercare
- Most Popular
DIAMOND TIER
Diamond Performance
Ultimate whole-home storage
Anker & SIG Energy
Top-tier AI-powered performance — the
ultimate whole-home battery solution for
maximum energy independence.
- AI-powered energy management
- Maximum grid independence
- ZoomCare+ 10-year aftercare
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
The specs that actually matter
Capacity (kWh)
How much energy it can store.
Average Australian home
uses 16–20kWh/day. A 10–
13.5kWh battery covers most
evening loads comfortably.
Power Output (kW)
How much it can deliver at
once. Low output means
some appliances may exceed
what the battery can supply
simultaneously.
Round-Trip Efficiency
Energy recovered vs energy
stored. Look for 90%+. Lower
efficiency means 10–15% of
every stored kWh is lost as
heat.
Cycle Life
How many charge/discharge
cycles before significant
degradation. LFP at 6,000+
cycles = ~16 years of daily use
before hitting 80% capacity.
BATTERY QUESTIONS
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast
Inverters — The Brain of Your System
Your panels generate DC power. Your home runs on AC. The inverter bridges that gap — and it’s one of the few components where quality genuinely separates good systems from bad ones.
Most Common
String Inverter
All panels connect in series to a single
central unit. Cost-effective and proven.
Best for simple roofs with no shading
issues. One unit means one point of failure,
but also one thing to monitor and maintain.
Output is limited by the weakest panel in
the string.
Shading Solutions
Microinverters
One inverter per panel. Each panel
operates independently, so shading on one
doesn’t drag down the rest. Higher upfront
cost, but worth it on complex roofs or
homes with partial shading. Excellent
panel-level monitoring out of the box.
Battery Ready
Hybrid Inverter
Manages both solar panels and battery
storage in one unit. Essential if you plan to
add a battery — now or later. More
expensive than a standard string inverter,
but avoids the cost of replacing your
inverter when you upgrade. This is what
Zoom typically installs for new builds.
EV Charging Integration
Some hybrid inverters include built-in EV charge management, letting your car charge preferentially from solar rather than the grid. Zoom installs EV chargers as part of a full solar package — if you drive electric or plan to, integrating your charger at installation time is significantly cheaper than retrofitting later.
Zoom's Inverter Range
Three brands we install and stand behind
Every inverter Zoom fits is CEC-approved, warranty-backed, and supported by genuine Australian service infrastructure. No grey imports, no unknown brands.
ZOOM RECOMMENDS
Sungrow
The world's most deployed solar inverter brand. High-performance with advanced monitoring, covering 5kW to 110kW — suitable for everything from a family home to a commercial rooftop.
- 5kW–110kW range (residential & commercial)
- Advanced monitoring platform
- 10-year standard warranty
- Trusted globally, serviced locally
ZOOM RECOMMENDS
SMA
German-engineered inverters with a reputation built over 40+ years. Excellent reliability and innovative features, with coverage from 1.5kW to 60kW for residential and light commercial use.
- 1.5kW–60kW range
- 5-year standard warranty, extendable to 10yr
- Industry-leading reliability record
- Trusted German engineering
ZOOM RECOMMENDS
GoodWe
High-quality, versatile inverters with built-in smart monitoring. Covers 0.7kW to 100kW, with a strong hybrid range that makes battery integration seamless. 10-year warranty as standard.
- 0.7kW–100kW range
- Smart monitoring built in
- 10-year standard warranty
- Strong hybrid inverter lineup
Accreditations & Certifications
What backs every Zoom installation
SIG ENERGY
Approved Reseller
Zoom Energy is an approved SIG Energy reseller — authorised to supply, install and warrant SIG battery systems with full manufacturer backing.
NETCC
Network Certified
National Electrical and Communications Technology Contractor certification — ensuring every installation meets the highest industry safety and compliance standards.
AER
Energy Retailing Exemption
Zoom Energy holds an Energy Retailing Exemption with the Australian Energy Regulator — authorising us to sell energy-related products and services across applicable states.
What to Check
CEC Approval
The Clean Energy Council maintains a list of approved inverters for Australian government rebates. If an inverter isn't on it, you won't receive the STC rebate. Always verify before purchasing.
Efficiency Rating
Quality inverters convert at 97–99% efficiency. Budget models can drop to 93–95%. Over 25 years, that 4–5% gap adds up to thousands of kilowatt-hours in lost generation.
Warranty Period
10 years is the industry standard for quality brands. Some offer 12. Avoid anything under 5 years — the inverter is the component most likely to need replacement in a system's lifetime.
Inverter Questions
Yes — more than almost any other component. Cheap inverters with poor warranties are the leading cause of underperforming solar systems in Australia. Stick to CEC-approved products from brands with a genuine Australian support presence. If something goes wrong with an unknown-brand inverter, you may find there's no local warranty service to call.
All modern quality inverters transmit data to a cloud platform accessible via a phone app. You'll be able to see live generation, historic production, and any fault alerts. Zoom configures your monitoring app at installation and ensures it's sending data correctly before we leave the site.
Your system stops producing solar power, but your home continues drawing from the grid normally — it won't lose power. Zoom's quarterly monitoring reviews catch generation drops early, including inverter faults. Under our aftercare, Zoom will diagnose the issue and coordinate warranty repair or replacement.
Generally yes — if you have any intention of adding storage in the next 5–10 years. The cost difference between a standard and hybrid inverter is typically $400–$800. Replacing a standard inverter later to add battery capability costs $800–$1,500 in additional labour and equipment. Future-proofing is almost always cheaper at installation time.
The Straight-Up Solar Guide
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