Solar upgrades & battery storage
Solar & Battery Installation in Heathridge
Whether you’re installing solar for the first time or getting more from a system you already have, Westcoast Energy plans it around your Heathridge home and how you use power.
Solar installation and upgrades
Making older solar work harder.
Heathridge has been developed since the late 1970s, so plenty of its homes have had solar for years, often early systems that were sized small. If that sounds like yours, there are several ways to improve it.
Upgrading an older system
Replacing ageing panels, adding more generation or reconfiguring the array, subject to your inverter, roof and network rules.
Learn more →Inverter replacement
Inverters generally wear out before panels do. We replace failed or ageing units with equipment matched to your array.
Learn more →Solar health checks
If output seems low, a check of the panels, wiring and inverter can show whether something has gone wrong.
Learn more →New solar installations
A new system sized around your usage and roof, with equipment chosen to suit a battery later.
System sizing
Capacity based on how you use electricity now, and on what you may add, such as an EV or air conditioning.
Battery-ready design
Hybrid-ready equipment and layouts that make adding storage straightforward.
See also:Solar Health ChecksInverter ReplacementsElectrician in HeathridgeAreas we service
Battery storage
Adding storage to the solar you already have.
A battery can use solar your home generates but doesn’t use at the time. Whether it suits a home with an existing system depends mainly on the inverter you have and how you use power.
Working with your existing inverter
Some inverters can be paired with a battery, and some can’t. We check yours first and explain the options.
AC-coupled or hybrid
A battery can be added alongside an existing inverter, or a hybrid inverter can manage solar and storage together. The best choice depends on your system’s age and condition.
Sizing from your usage
Capacity is chosen from your evening use and how much surplus solar your array actually produces.
Backup power considerations
Not every battery provides backup during an outage. If it matters to you, the equipment and wiring must be designed for it.
Switchboard capacity
Older homes may need a switchboard check or upgrade before a battery can be installed safely.
Why Westcoast
Upgrades advised by the people who install them.
Westcoast Energy is led by Matthew Wellstead and Mark Porges. Both hold Solar Accreditation Australia accreditation for PV and battery work, and both are qualified electrical professionals.
We look at what you already have before recommending anything. Sometimes the right answer is a replacement inverter or a battery, not a whole new system.
Founder-led business
The directors advise you and run the job.
Solar Accreditation Australia accreditation
Both directors are accredited for PV and battery work.
Honest about existing equipment
We tell you what’s worth keeping, as well as what’s worth changing.
Practical upgrade experience
Including replacing an older array, as in the Kallaroo project below.
Solar and electrical under one roof
Switchboard and wiring work can be handled alongside the solar work.
Featured project
An older system, replaced and expanded.
This Kallaroo home had a 5.32 kW system made up of 28 panels. We removed it and installed 40 new panels across three roof faces, taking the array to approximately 18.6 kW.
The home already had a hybrid inverter and battery storage, which were kept in place. The new array was designed to work with them. Array size describes capacity, not how much electricity it will produce.
- Location
- Kallaroo, Western Australia
- Original system
- 28 panels, 5.32 kW
- New solar array
- Approx. 18.6 kW
- Panels
- 40 × AIKO NeoStar 465 W
- Existing equipment
- Fox ESS hybrid inverter and approx. 42 kWh battery, retained
Free Home Energy Assessment
Wondering if your system could do more?
Tell us about your home and how you use power, and the free Home Energy Assessment helps you explore solar and battery options, with the choice to request a personalised proposal.
How it works
- 1Tell us about your home
- 2See what suits your usage
- 3Talk through next steps with us
FAQs
Upgrading solar questions
Quick answers to common questions. If yours isn't here, give us a call.
Low production compared with similar days, error messages on the inverter or monitoring app, or an inverter that has stopped are all signs. A solar health check looks at the panels, wiring and inverter to find the cause. Weather and shading also affect output, so a check is better than guessing.
Often the panels are fine and the inverter is the part that has failed or is nearing the end of its life. We inspect the system before recommending, and tell you honestly whether replacing the inverter makes sense.
Sometimes. It depends on your inverter’s capacity, the available roof space, your electrical supply and network requirements. We assess these before confirming what’s possible.
Usually, in one of two ways: an AC-coupled battery with its own inverter, or a hybrid inverter that replaces the existing one. Which suits you depends on your current inverter and equipment.
Solar and battery incentives exist, and the rules, amounts and eligibility conditions change over time. Some depend on your system and installation date. We explain what applies to you when we prepare your proposal, and the Clean Energy Regulator publishes the current requirements.
Either, depending on their condition and the design. In our Kallaroo project the older panels were replaced with a larger array while the existing inverter and battery were kept.
Ready to see what your home could do?
Start with the free assessment, or call us to talk through your system.