Many households worry about solar if they are out all day. Whether at work nine to five or on shift, they wonder if solar is worth it. Nobody is home to use the power when panels generate peak output. The panels generate most power in the middle of the day, exactly when an empty house uses very little. The good news is that solar absolutely still pays off for these homes. It simply needs to be designed a little differently. Storage does the heavy lifting.
In short, if a home is empty during the day, a battery is not an optional extra. It is the core of the system. It captures the daytime solar that would otherwise be exported for a few cents. It saves that power for the evening when the household is home.
The Challenge: Generating When Nobody Is Home
Solar generates most in the middle of the day and least at the ends. A household that leaves in the morning and returns in the evening is out precisely when the panels are most productive. They are home when the panels have stopped. Without storage, most of that midday generation has nowhere to go but the grid. It earns only a modest feed-in credit there. Then, in the evening, the same household buys power back from the grid at full price. They use it to cook, heat or cool, and run the home. That mismatch is what makes people question solar. It is exactly what a battery is designed to solve.
The Solution: A Battery Does the Heavy Lifting
For a home that is empty during the day, the battery is the heart of the system. Through the day, while the house is quiet, the panels charge the battery. They charge it with the surplus that would otherwise be exported. In the evening, when the household returns and demand rises, the home runs on that stored solar. It runs on that power instead of buying from the grid. The battery effectively shifts the midday solar energy to the expensive evening. That is where the savings live.
This is also why Positive Energy Solutions DC-couples the battery on every installation. Connecting it on the DC side of a hybrid inverter means the day’s solar charges the battery directly. It avoids the losses of converting the energy back and forth. So more of that unattended daytime generation ends up as usable evening power.
Put Your Daytime Loads on Timers
Beyond the battery, an empty house can still consume solar directly. Schedule its heavier loads to run in the middle of the day, automatically, while no one is there. Several appliances are well suited to this.
| Load | Set to run | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Hot water (heat pump) | Midday, on a timer | Stores solar as hot water ready for the evening |
| Pool pump | Midday | Uses solar that would otherwise export for a few cents |
| Dishwasher and washing machine | Delay-started to daytime | Runs on solar instead of grid power at night |
These timed loads use solar directly and lighten the load on the battery. So more stored energy is left for the evening. Together with storage, they turn an empty-house profile into a very effective solar home.
How This Changes the System Design
A home that is empty during the day is designed around storage more than a home that is occupied. That usually means prioritising a well-sized battery to hold a full day’s surplus. Pair it with an array large enough to both charge that battery and run the timed daytime loads. It is one of the reasons Positive Energy Solutions generally recommends a larger system of at least 8.8 to 9 kilowatts. There is then enough midday generation to fill the battery even in winter, when the days are short and the household is still out.
How Positive Energy Solutions Can Help
Positive Energy Solutions designs systems around when a household actually uses power. A home that is empty during the day is built around a battery that captures its daytime solar for the evening. The team also sets up timed loads to make the most of the solar peak while no one is home. Every installation is completed by our accredited installers and signed off to Positive Energy’s completion standards. It is backed by a 10-year installation workmanship warranty and Positive Energy Protection, powered by Omnidian. The system is monitored to confirm it is capturing and shifting energy as intended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is solar worth it if I am out all day?
Yes, but the system should be built around a battery. With nobody home during the solar peak, most daytime generation would otherwise be exported for a small credit. A battery stores that surplus for the evening, when the household returns. That is where the savings come from.
Do I need a battery if my house is empty during the day?
For an empty-house profile, a battery is effectively essential rather than optional. It captures the midday solar the home cannot use directly. It shifts it to the evening peak. So the household runs on its own energy instead of buying power back at full price after work.
How can I use solar if I am not home to use it?
In two ways. A battery stores the day’s surplus for the evening. Heavier appliances such as a heat pump, pool pump, dishwasher and washing machine can be set on timers to run during the solar peak automatically. They use that energy directly while no one is there.
Is solar good for shift workers?
Yes. Shift workers are often home at irregular times. A battery is what makes solar work for them. It holds the daytime generation until it is needed. Timed loads during the day add further value by using solar directly regardless of when the household is home.
Make Solar Work Around Your Schedule
An empty house during the day is no barrier to a great solar result. It just means designing around storage. Working out the right battery and system for a specific household is exactly what a Positive Energy Solutions consultation is for.
Talk to the local team about solar for your Perth home: request your quote from Positive Energy
About the Author
Jason Wiktorowicz
Sales Manager, Positive Energy Solutions | Perth, WA
Jason has been at the centre of Western Australia’s energy transition for over a decade. He was Orchestration Lead on Project Symphony, WA’s largest virtual power plant pilot. He was Stream Lead on Project Encore. He worked directly with AEMO, Western Power and Energy Policy WA to shape how distributed energy resources connect and operate on the SWIS. That work included developing and rolling out CSIP-AUS, now mandatory for all new WA grid connections. He also led Emergency Solar Management, the first program of its kind in WA. VPP for Schools provided direct market benefits through Supplementary Reserve Capacity. REBAR is the WA Residential Battery Rebate scheme.
At Positive Energy Solutions, Jason leads sales with a focus on system design accuracy and long-term performance. Positive Energy Solutions installs solar and battery systems, EV chargers and heat pumps. It holds partner accreditations with Fronius, SigEnergy, iStore and SunPower.
10-year installation workmanship warranty. Positive Energy Protection, powered by Omnidian, performance monitoring included on all systems.
