Maleny Fronius & BYD Hybrid System

On-grid hybrid solar and battery systems are one of the best ways homeowners can take control of their energy independence and use traditional grid electricity as backup power, rather than the primary source. 

That was our Maleny customer’s goal when he reached out to Springers Solar, asking us to offer a solution for his new build home in the semi-rural Sunshine Coast hinterland. 

As this home was still under construction when our customer first reached out to us, we had the opportunity to provide architectural guidance from an electrical and solar perspective. For instance, we advised adjusting the orientation of the rooftop to optimise the angle of the solar array, ensuring maximum sunlight exposure and efficiency.

Our customer wished to have a system designed that could tick the following boxes:

• A large solar array to future-proof his home and to avoid needing to add more panels in the future (which can be more costly than just installing a large array upfront);

• A battery system that could be expanded easily should their electricity requirements increase in the future; and

• Offset over 90% of their energy usage through solar self-consumption

We designed a 13.2kW solar array using 30 Trina 440W Vertex S+ Dual Glass N-Type solar panels. This robust system is well-suited for most medium-sized homes. Considering that the Maleny home belongs to a retired couple with relatively low energy usage, the 13.2kW array not only meets their current needs but also provides ample capacity to future-proof their energy consumption.

We selected a Fronius Gen24+ Symo inverter for this system. The Fronius range of Gen24+ inverters offers an advanced hybrid solution that is compatible with the BYD HVM Battery-Box. The Gen24+ Symo is a genuine three-phase solution for this three-phase property, allowing the home to access more power (up to 9.9kWh) during a power outage. The Gen24+ will also continue to charge the BYD Battery-Box with solar even while the grid is down, offering complete blackout protection. 

As this home is located in a semi-rural area, blackout protection was important to the homeowner. The solar and 11.04kWh of battery storage makes this home 99% self-sufficient, surpassing the customer’s initial goal. 

The BYD Battery Box was the best option for this customer’s three-phase home, given its compatibility with the Fronius Gen24+ inverter and its proven performance in Australian homes. It is also very easy to expand - additional modules can be stacked to the existing battery bank or a new stack can be added beside it. 

This home is now insulated against electricity price increases from retailers and is protected from power outages caused by the grid. Being 99% self-sufficient, grid electricity acts only as a backup in rare instances, with solar energy acting as the primary provider of electricity.