Solar Batteries For Apartments Are Finally Here

Shared batteries could play a bigger role in apartment solar, with Melbourne-based Allume Energy launching SolShare 2, a new version of its solar-sharing technology that allows multi-residential buildings to combine shared rooftop solar with battery storage.

How Can Apartments Get Solar Batteries?

Allume launched the original SolShare in 2019, allowing electricity from a single rooftop solar system to be shared across multiple apartments.

The company says more than 11,000 apartments worldwide now use the technology, including 6,654 in Australia.

The most significant change in SolShare 2 is support for a shared battery system. Allume says this allows excess solar energy generated during the day to be stored and used later when solar production falls.

The new version also increases solar-sharing capacity from 22kW to 30kW — a 36 per cent increase over the original system.

“SolShare 2 has been re-designed with batteries in mind, meaning that apartment residents can now tap into battery storage in ways that were not possible previously,” said Allume Head of Operations Mio Dart.

Allume also says the updated hardware can be assembled and installed more quickly than the previous version.

SolShare 2. Image: Allume Energy.

Batteries Add Value To Apartment Solar

For many apartment buildings, the challenge is no longer simply getting solar onto the roof. It’s getting more value from the energy those panels produce.

A shared battery offers one way to do that, allowing more solar energy to be used within the building rather than exported to the grid during the day.

According to Allume, SolShare 1 has delivered average annual electricity bill savings of $381 per resident. The company estimates that combining shared solar with battery storage could potentially lift average savings to around $756 per year.

Those figures are based on a number of assumptions, including building energy consumption, solar generation, battery size and electricity tariffs, so actual savings are likely to vary from one installation to another.

Apartment Solar Continues To Evolve

Getting solar onto strata buildings is often more complicated than installing it on a detached home. Limited roof space, strata approvals and the challenge of fairly distributing solar energy between residents are just some of the hurdles.

Even so, apartment solar appears to be gaining traction. Victoria recently extended its Solar For Apartments program, while NSW continues to back installations through its Solar For Apartment Residents (SOAR) scheme.

Allume says 91 per cent of NSW SOAR grant recipients and 75 per cent of Victorian Solar For Apartments grant recipients have installed a SolShare system.

Whether shared batteries become commonplace remains to be seen, but the launch of SolShare 2 suggests attention is beginning to shift from simply installing more solar to making better use of the energy already being generated.

For owners and strata committees exploring the possibilities, our guide to home batteries is a good starting point, while our guide to apartment solar is also worth checking out.