Fox ESS Home Battery Solution
HEG™ have installed thousands of rooftop solar systems around Tasmania since our inception in 2009. Until now, an investment in home batteries has been relatively cost-prohibitive. All that has changed with newer battery technologies, competition, economies of scale and government-backed financing options. We are pleased to announce the HEG™ Solar & Home Battery Spring Promo featuring the Fox ESS Battery & Inverter range, where we are able to pass on savings to customers due to our enhanced purchasing power.
The Fox ESS home energy storage battery system can provide backup emergency power, power load shifting to allow you to use solar-generated power at night-time and Off-Grid Mode so that you can have power over consecutive days of grid power outages (allowing your solar to recharge the battery).
The uptake of home batteries is surging
The uptake of batteries is experiencing a huge surge in Australia during 2023 and 2024. This is driven due to households wishing to maximise returns from their solar panel investment, mitigate against a trend towards lower feed-in tariffs nationally and a desire to have higher levels of energy independence. This is especially salient given the recent weather events and resultant multi-day power outages, and general trend towards more extreme weather events.
Do you have an existing Rooftop Solar system?
If you have an existing rooftop solar system, HEG can either add a home battery, or extend your existing solar system and/or add a home battery.
If you don't currently have a solar system, we can install a solar and battery combination using a hybrid inverter (which can manage the solar and battery all in one unit).
Emergency Power & Off-Grid Mode Functionality
When there are power outages, the Fox ESS emergency back-up battery power automatically kicks in, even without you knowing it!
If there is a major black-out, such as the 30,000 customers that lost grid power recently over several days in Tasmania following some extreme weather events, then Fox ESS give you peace of mind with Off Grid Mode. This is where the solar system is able to recharge the batteries even when the grid is down.
What size battery should you get?
As a general rule of thumb, the larger the household (or energy consumption), the larger the capacity of battery storage as it will need to be able to cope with a high energy demand. You will also need an appropriate solar capacity that allows you to charge up the panels batteries.
A home battery can optimise your energy consumption, provide energy security for your home, and future-proof your home, e.g. power price rises, electric vehicle charging, etc.
HEG™ are Fox ESS Certified Installers and Tesla Powerwall Installers. We will assess your power bills, make a note of your heating, cooling, hot water and cooking appliances, then assist you to select the appropriately size system for your current and near-future requirements.
Fox ESS EP11 Battery and Fox ESS H1 Hybrid Single Phase Inverter
The Fox ESS EP11 battery provides 10.36kWh of useable battery capacity and, when the hybrid inverter also is managing your solar PV system, it has full Off Grid Mode functionality to sustain you through extended grid power outages, even over several days or weeks (assuming solar PV is DC coupled & there is sufficient UV light and storage capacity).
Bundle up to 4 * EP5 or EP11 batteries together!
This picture shows the smaller Fox ESS battery, the EP5 (5.18kWh useable battery capacity) in a three module configuration, all controlled by the one H1 hybrid inverter in conjunction with the Fox ESS HV junction box. The EP5 and EP11 batteries cannot be combined together - all 4 modules need to be all of one type.
EP11 (10.38kWh capacity per battery module)
Available in 10.38kWh, 20.76kWh, 31.14kWh and 41.52kWh (max) capacities.
EP5 (5.18kWh capacity per battery module)
Available in 5.18kWh, 10.36kWh, 15.54kWh or 20.72kWh (max) capacities.
Power load shifting & tariff optimisation
Lower power bills by shifting solar power generated during the day to night time use. With time of use tariffs, such as Tasmania’s Tariff 93, power use is charged at different rates at different times of the day. Power is generally more expensive in the evenings, so solar power that can be used at night time is able to offset 35.84¢.
Higher Energy Independence
Power bills are a significant household utility bill, and our reliance on electricity is increasing, especially with the uptake of electric vehicles, induction cooking, heat pump hot water and reverse cycle air conditioning (aka heat pumps). By having a solar-battery combination and a focus on an all-electric home, households can generate, store and consume electricity.
Optimise your rooftop solar investment
A rooftop solar investment is a logical first step prior to a battery. However, with reducing feed-in tariffs and a generous supply of grid-wide solar available during the day, it is becoming more imperative to store power for use during peak power tariff periods. Rooftop solar and home batteries are the ultimate “tag team”, allowing power from the sun to be used at night.
Safeguard your home appliances
An uninterruptible power supply mitigates against power flickering (brown outs) and some network spikes that can damage appliances or substantially shorten their lifespan. Many cases of damage to compressors in reverse cycle air conditioners (heat pumps) and other similar appliances were reported by householders & insurance companies during Tasmania’s recent severe weather events.
Off-Grid Mode Functionality
Off-Grid Mode, also known as Armageddon Mode, is the ability to still keep your rooftop solar system operating safely even when the main grid power grid is down, which then allows the solar power to recharge your battery system ongoing (even over multiple days or longer), as well as to provide power to the house.
Contrary to popular customer assumptions, this feature does not come standard with most battery systems which are more designed for short term emergency power only, and provide no benefit after the battery is depleted. Most home batteries can't be recharged until the grid power is reconnected!
or context, it is important to realise that in Australia, when the grid power goes down, rooftop solar inverters must automatically shut down for safety reasons (to ensure network repair tradespeople don’t get zapped). This is a mandated government regulation. The main battery systems that HEG™ utilises, Fox ESS and Tesla Powerwall, both have Off-Grid Mode that isolates the house from the main grid during a grid outage, and uses a special configuration to allow your rooftop solar to continue to operate, and therefore providing power to charge up the battery, which in turn provides power to the house.
Often called Armageddon Mode, you can use your HEG™ battery system in off-grid mode for days or even weeks if the grid is down, assuming that solar panels are producing power during the day to charge up the battery, and you don't totally exhaust your battery by excessive use overnight.
Protection for peace of mind
Whether you are experiencing minor power outages and flickering, extended power outages, or just want to safeguard against unknown future weather events that can affect your home over multiple days (as has happened recently to many Tasmanian households!) a home battery gives security and peace of mind.
