Air Conditioning + Solar + Battery: Comfort Powered by Your Own Energy

Once a home installs solar, the natural question becomes: “How do I make the most of the energy I’m generating?”

With feed-in tariffs trending lower and daytime electricity production peaking exactly when we want cooling, air conditioning is one of the smartest ways to use excess solar. Instead of exporting power back to the grid for a few cents per kWh, homeowners can redirect that energy into comfort at near-zero cost.

In summer, solar output peaks between late morning and late afternoon. That is exactly when air conditioners are being used the most. For households with solar, daytime cooling becomes extremely inexpensive — in many cases effectively free.

Heating is the bigger financial win. Gas prices and fixed gas supply charges continue to rise. A reverse-cycle system running on solar in the middle of the day allows homeowners to pre-heat spaces at very low cost. When paired with a battery, heating loads can be shifted into the night at much lower running cost than grid electricity or gas.

Solar alone is good. Solar + reverse-cycle aircon is better. Solar + reverse-cycle + battery is a full energy strategy.

This is called home electrification — and it works because each component increases the value of the others:

The end result is a home that is:

And importantly — making the most of the money already spent on solar.