Australia’s love affair with rooftop solar shows no sign of slowing, but many households are realising that simply sending excess power back to the grid isn’t as rewarding as it once was. Feed-in tariffs (FiTs) — the credits you earn for exporting solar—have been steadily falling across most states, leaving families wondering how to squeeze more value from their systems.
The obvious solution is a home battery, but the upfront cost still puts this option out of reach for many. The good news is that there are other ways to “store” your solar energy without having to invest thousands of dollars in a physical battery. By thinking creatively about how energy can be redirected, timed, or absorbed into your home, you can capture more of your sunshine and rely less on grid electricity.
From heating water with excess solar to charging an EV in the driveway, there are practical, low-cost strategies already available to most households. These hidden forms of storage can help you reduce bills, cut emissions, and make the most of every kilowatt your panels produce, all without waiting for battery prices to fall.
Store energy in your hot water system
One of the simplest ways to keep more of your solar power at home is by turning your hot water tank into a storage unit. Most Australian households already rely on an electric hot water system, or electric-boosted heat pump, which makes it a perfect candidate for soaking up excess solar. By installing a hot water diverter, surplus electricity from your panels is automatically redirected to heat water instead of being exported to the grid for only a few cents per kilowatt-hour.
This effectively transforms your tank into a “thermal battery.” The water heated during the day stays hot for hours, ready to be used at night when you’d otherwise be drawing expensive electricity from the grid. For families, hot water accounts for a significant share of energy use — often 20 to 30 per cent of the household bill. Using solar for this daily demand can cut hundreds of dollars a year from energy costs.
State conditions also make a difference. In Queensland and New South Wales, where sunshine is abundant, a diverter can cover nearly all of a family’s hot water needs. In cooler southern states, it can dramatically reduce reliance on off-peak tariffs. Either way, it’s a straightforward and relatively low-cost way to store solar power you’d otherwise be giving away.
Use your home itself as a thermal store
Your house can act as a storage system in its own right. By running heating or cooling during the middle of the day, you effectively store solar energy in the building’s thermal mass. Pre-cooling your home in summer or pre-heating it in winter means the temperature remains comfortable well into the evening, reducing the need to draw power from the grid after the sun has set.
This approach is particularly useful in Australia’s varied climates. In Queensland and Western Australia, where hot afternoons push air conditioning bills sky-high, running cooling systems on excess solar can make a real dent in evening demand. In Victoria, Tasmania, and the ACT, using solar to pre-heat during the day helps homes retain warmth overnight.
Smart thermostats and timers make the process even easier by allowing systems to automatically switch on during peak solar production hours. Even small adjustments, such as lowering indoor temperatures by a few degrees in summer, can translate into significant evening savings. The best part is you’re using the energy when it’s at its cleanest and cheapest—straight from your roof.
Put your pool to work
If you have a swimming pool, it can double as one of the best storage solutions for your solar energy. Pool pumps, filters, and heaters use a steady amount of electricity, and they don’t need to run at night. By scheduling them to operate during the sunniest part of the day, you can soak up excess solar power that would otherwise flow back to the grid.
In many Australian states, pool ownership is common, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales, where warm weather makes them a year-round feature. A typical pool pump can account for up to 20 per cent of a household’s electricity bill, so shifting that load to daytime solar has a noticeable impact on running costs. Adding a heat pump into the mix makes the opportunity even greater, as you can use surplus solar to extend the swimming season without the guilt of hefty electricity bills.
Timers and smart controllers make this process seamless. Once set, the system takes care of itself, ensuring your pool is clean, filtered, and even heated while your panels are at peak production. It’s a straightforward way to turn a lifestyle feature into an energy-saving asset.
Charge your car with sunshine
As EVs become more popular in Australia, they’re opening up a new way to store excess solar power. Instead of exporting surplus energy to the grid, you can direct it straight into your car’s battery during the day. Even without advanced vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, this turns your EV into a rolling energy store that makes full use of your solar investment.
Daytime charging can significantly cut your transport costs. For households that commute shorter distances or have a second car at home, plugging in during peak solar hours means those daily kilometres are powered almost entirely by sunshine. Over time, this can save thousands of dollars compared to filling up at the bowser or relying on grid electricity during the evening.
The opportunity will only grow as V2G and vehicle-to-home (V2H) technologies mature. Trials are already underway in NSW, SA, and the ACT, where EV batteries can send electricity back into homes to the grid. For now, even a simple solar-smart charging setup gives you a way to keep more of your generation onsite, while future-proofing your home for the next wave of energy innovation.
Smart appliances and timers
Everyday appliances can become quiet storage tools when used at the right time. Dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers don’t care when they run—but your energy bill does. By shifting these tasks into the middle of the day, when your solar system is producing at its peak, you effectively store your energy in clean clothes and finished chores instead of exporting it for a low return.
Timers make this process effortless. Most modern appliances include delay-start features, and inexpensive plug-in timers can do the job for older models. Smart home technology takes it further, allowing you to automate appliances so they sync directly with your solar output. This way, when the sun is shining and generation is high, your home automatically converts that energy to good use.
For many households, the savings add up surprisingly quickly. Running a dishwasher or washing machine cycle on solar instead of evening grid power might only save a few dollars at a time, but over a year, those cycles add up. Combined with other strategies like host water diverters or EV charging, smart appliance use helps squeeze every bit of value from your roof system without spending thousands on a battery.
Batteries may be the most obvious way to hold onto your solar energy, but they’re not the only option. By thinking creatively about how energy can be stored in different forms — from hot water tanks and pre-cooled rooms to pools, EVs, and even everyday appliances — Australian households can capture far more value from the power they generate. These hidden storage methods are practical, affordable, and often available right now, without the need for a major new investment.
With falling feed-in tariffs across the country, keeping more of your solar at home is one of the smartest steps you can take to cut bills and boost energy independence. Whether you’re ready for a battery or not, these strategies show that every household has options for making the most of its sunshine.
Energy Matters has been in the solar industry since 2005 and has helped over 40,000 Australian households in their journey to energy independence.
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