Case Study: Kensington Gardens Solar and Battery Installation

17.1 kW Solar and 32.4 kWh Battery in Kensington Gardens

The original enquiry was for approximately 8 kW of solar and 20 kWh of battery storage. As we discussed how the household actually uses electricity, it became clear that the first figures did not capture the full picture. The home has a three-phase 20 kW Daikin ducted air-conditioning system, a pool circulation pump operating around the clock, work-from-home demand and provision for future EV charging. The owners also planned to stay in the home long term.

The design decision

A larger battery alone would not solve every energy demand. We also considered how much power the inverter could deliver when the air conditioner and other appliances were running. The ducted system’s start-up demand was estimated at around 7 kW, making inverter output an important part of the discussion alongside solar generation and battery capacity. This is why we recommended a 17.1 kW solar array, a 15 kW three-phase SolaX hybrid inverter and 32.4 kWh of battery storage for this project.

Installed system

• Solar panels: 36 × 475 W LONGi LR5-66HBD-475M (17.1 kW total)
• Hybrid inverter: SolaX X3-Hybrid-15.0-D, three-phase, 15 kW
• Battery: SolaX T-BAT HS32.4, 32.4 kWh
• Location: Kensington Gardens, Adelaide, South Australia

Why this project matters

The final design considered the household’s existing loads and what may be added later. It demonstrates why solar panel size, inverter output and battery capacity should be planned together, particularly where ducted air conditioning, a pool and an EV may all affect demand. Actual solar production, battery contribution and grid imports will vary with weather, time of use, battery state of charge and simultaneous loads.