Going partially off the grid is a smart alternative for homes who want to become completely energy self-sufficient. A partial off-grid solar system is one that runs a few essential electrical loads – for example, the refrigerator, lights and television – on a separate electrical circuit that has no physical connection to the grid mains. The rest of the devices in the home run using grid power and/or a grid-connect solar system.
Why go partially off-grid?
Going completely off-grid requires extra-special dedication
Plenty of Australian homeowners dream about going off the grid with solar panels and home battery storage. But for the average, grid-connected Aussie home – which consumes between 20 and 30 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy per day – installing a system large enough to keep the lights (and everything else) on throughout the year just isn’t worth it.
If they rely solely on solar and batteries, such a home would need enough capacity to carry them through 3-4 days of gloomy weather. Right away, this is a significant financial commitment, especially when compared to the relative affordability of grid-connected solar systems, whose prices sit at historic lows in Australia.
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As a result, it can be difficult for a home to reduce its energy consumption dramatically without causing inconvenience or discomfort for at least one of the occupants (e.g. the one who keeps the electric hot water heater on its toes with their marathon showers). Another hurdle is occasional usage spikes – when multiple devices (vacuum, washing machine, dishwasher) are all turned on at once. While the grid can handle such events with ease, a home relying on batteries and solar could quite easily trip the switch unless the system has been specifically designed for these occasions (which a good system should be).
So in summary, for those who just want to go about their daily lives without thinking too much about how they are using energy throughout the day, completely disconnecting from the grid may not be particularly appealing. Installing a partial off-grid system might be a good option instead.
Partial off-grid living vs full off-grid living
For most homes, electricity usage patterns for certain things is completely regular and predictable. Refrigerators, lighting and chargers for smartphones & laptops, for example, all consume minimal amounts of electricity at a given time, making them ‘low risk’ devices to target for removal from a grid-connected electricity circuit. Imagine if you could use them 24/7 knowing that they’re running on your home-grown solar energy – making you largely independent of the grid, but also resting comfortably with grid access whenever you need it for the rest of your home. This is the promise of a partial off-grid solar system.
Illustration of a partial off-grid solar system. (Image via Giant Power.)
The main benefits of a partial off-grid solar-plus-storage setup are:
- Smaller up-front costs compared to taking your home fully off the grid (less money needs to be invested in surplus solar & battery capacity)
- Preserve existing solar feed-in tariff entitlements (expanding an existing grid-connected solar system could void eligibility for a feed-in tariff you currently receive – check with your installer for details)
- Greater level of energy independence for the home (relying on the grid only for heavier & more unpredictable loads)
- No need to worry about battery state of charge (the system will be sized to meet only predictable loads)
- Your essential loads stay on even when the grid is down (you may also plug additional devices into your off-grid circuit)
- Grid power available when needed (it’s also possible to have a grid-connected solar system in addition to the off-grid system)
- Save money on your power bills – you will never see a bill for the energy supplied to you by your solar + batteries
The main disadvantages of a partial off-grid system:
- You still have an electricity bill (with a completely off-grid system, you’d have no energy bill)
- You’ll still pay daily ‘supply charges’ (as long as you have a grid connection, you’ll have to pay flat supply charges regardless of whether you purchase any energy from the grid on a given day)
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Top image: Giant Power lead carbon battery by Narada
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the most power usage we have used is 6kwh per day, service fee is more than power bill. trying to decide to go off grid or partially so.also we are at the end of power lines and we have the power drop out often. also ergon is power supplier and they pay virtually nothing for solar feed into grid.we are in s/e qld.
Hi Errol,
Thanks for the comment. 6kWh/day is very low usage, indeed. That makes you a prime candidate for going off the grid, but keep in mind that one of the key considerations with regard to going off grid is that you will not be able to fall back on the grid in the event that your system goes down (for whatever reason).
Given your situation, I’d advise that a partial off-grid system (as described in the article above) is probably not what you’re after, but instead a full-fledged off-grid system. As long as you have a grid connection, you will need to pay the daily supply charges – even if you draw nothing from the grid on a daily basis.
Let us know if we can be of further assistance.
I have just under 6kw solar panels, my highest kw usage a day was 12.9kw I was wondering about going partial off the grid instead of full on the grid. Can I do this? & how much would it cost. I live in Gladstone. Who would be the best one to go though for installing batteries.
Hi Marion,
Thank you for your comment.
You can install storage so that the excess energy normally sent to the grid would be stored for your own consumption in the evening hours.
If you would like to see the installers offerings in your area, simply fill in the form on our home page for battery storage only to receive a quote comparison with a full break down of products, warranties and indicative cost