How This Solar System Slashed the Power Bill – Even with a Heated Pool and Heat Pumps!

Achieving Energy Independence with Smart Solar Design

For many homeowners, the idea of dramatically reducing their power bill and achieving energy independence is a dream. With the right solar setup, that dream is becoming a reality.

One of our recent installations has proven just how powerful a well-designed solar system can be. Not only does it handle high energy loads like a heated pool and multiple heat pumps, but it also exports enough energy to cover winter shortfalls—drastically reducing electricity costs over the year!

⚠️ Note: This home runs on a two-phase system. All figures shown are per phase.

The Numbers: How Much Power Did This System Generate?

Annual Performance (2024):

• ✅ Total Solar Production: 7,234 kWh 

• ✅ Total Household Load Consumption: 4,848 kWh

• ✅ Self-Consumption (Direct Solar Use): 3,532 kWh

• ✅ Power Exported to Grid: 3,702 kWh

• ✅ Power Imported from Grid: 1,315 kWh

This hybrid solar system in New Zealand generates far more energy than the household consumes, significantly reducing grid reliance and costs.

The Financial Breakdown: How Solar Covered the Power Bill

💰 Energy Export Revenue:

3,702 kWh exported at $0.12/kWh = $444.24 earned

🔌 Grid Power Costs:

1,315 kWh imported at $0.28/kWh = $368.20 spent

📊 Energy Costs Covered:

The exported power completely paid for the imported power!

What’s Left? The Daily Supply Charge

Even though the household paid nothing for energy usage, there is still a fixed daily supply charge for grid connection.

💲 Daily Supply Charge in New Zealand:
Most providers charge between $0.90 to $1.20 per day
That adds up to $328 to $438 per year

So while their usage bill is gone, they’re still paying about $1 a day just to stay connected to the grid.

Winter Power Use – Did the System Handle Seasonal Changes?

A common concern with solar is how well it performs in winter when sunlight hours decrease and household energy needs increase. Here’s how this system tackled that challenge:

• ☀️ Summer Production Was High – Excess energy was exported to the grid, generating $444.24 in credits over the year.

• ❄️ Winter Grid Imports Were Covered – During low-production months, the homeowner imported 1,315 kWh from the grid, costing $368.20.

• 📊 Result? The summer export earnings completely covered the winter imports, keeping the electricity usage cost at $0!

Even in winter, this system fully balanced out grid energy costs thanks to smart solar exports during high-production months.

Could This Home Go 100% Off-Grid?

While this system still relies on the grid for some winter power and the daily supply charge, it is effectively financially off-grid because all energy costs are covered by solar exports.

If the homeowner wanted to completely eliminate their power bill, here’s what would help:

🔹 More Battery Storage – Instead of exporting excess energy at 12c/kWh, storing it for winter use would reduce grid reliance even further.
🔹 Additional Solar Panels – Increasing solar capacity would provide more winter generation.
🔹 Off-Grid Setup – Disconnecting from the grid entirely would remove the daily supply charge, but that requires significant battery storage and backup generation.

System Overview: What Was Installed?

🔹 Inverters: 2 x Growatt 6kW Hybrid inverters (1 per phase)
🔹 Battery Storage: 1 x 10kWh Dyness Powerwall battery per phase
🔹 Solar Panels: 11 x 550W Canadian Solar panels per inverter

✅ Final Verdict: A Solar Success Story!

• ✅ Zero cost for electricity usage – solar exports fully covered imported energy

• ✅ Handles high loads, including a heated pool and heat pumps

• ✅ Winter shortfalls were completely offset by summer energy credits

• ✅ Small remaining cost ($328–$438/year) due to the grid supply charge

• ✅ Could go fully off-grid with battery and solar upgrades

This setup is a perfect example of how a smart solar system with battery storage can eliminate energy usage costs—even for homes with high power demands. With the right setup, you can generate enough clean energy to power your home year-round and possibly only pay the daily supply charge.

🚀 Curious how solar could transform your power bill?
💬 Book a free consult or send us your latest power bill — and we’ll show you what’s possible with a smart solar setup.