People moving to acreage around Ballarat often prioritise the house, fittings, shed and garden—and leave the off-grid solar system to last. A dream home turns into a nightmare the moment the power runs out.
Generators in winter? Yes, you can rely on one—but in practice it’s painful and unreliable. Forget to add fuel or it needs a service and it becomes a constant hassle.
Energy is the #1 investment. Make the energy source your top priority. Whatever system the installer offers, **multiply it by two—ideally three—**if you want a comfortable life.
System design (no compromises)
- Base load: 10 kWh just to cover the house (no people).
- People load: add 5 kWh per person, and always size for at least four people—even if there are only one or two of you now, the house may be on the market one day.
- Comfortable daily use: ~30 kWh/day. Ignore the “Australian average” of ~20 kWh/day—you’re not on the grid.
Battery and solar sizing for Ballarat conditions
- Battery bank: 90 kWh for three days of autonomy (ideal, not a compromise).
- Winter reality: in Ballarat (and Gippsland) you can have ~2 hours of usable sun in winter.
- Solar array: design to recharge 90 kWh in ~2 hours → about 45 kW of solar (usually rounded to 50 kW).
Inverter and topology
- Inverter power: around 25 kW to comfortably pair with ~50 kW of panels.
- Peak demand: ~50 A peak covers most homes.
- Redundancy: build two parallel systems for reliability.
Ideal off-grid setup for a Ballarat home
50 kW solar + 90 kWh batteries + 25 kW inverter, built as two parallel systems.
Cost guide (with current rebates)
- Shed/roof mount: $80k–$90k out of pocket if your shed can take ~100 panels (each about 1.9 m × 1.16 m).
- Ground mount: $95k–$120k, depending on ground conditions.