Working from home changes a household’s energy pattern. It changes it in exactly the way that makes solar most valuable. A home occupied and active through the day uses power when a solar system generates most. This is the ideal situation for solar. This guide explains why working from home suits solar well. It covers what a home office actually uses. It shows how to size a system to make the most of it.
In short, if someone is home and working during the day, more solar gets used directly. That is where solar delivers its best value in Western Australia.
Why Working From Home Suits Solar So Well
Solar value in Western Australia lies in self-consumption. This means using a home’s own solar rather than sending it back. Sent-back power earns only a modest feed-in credit. Power drawn from the grid costs far more. The problem for many households is that they are out during the day. The panels are generating then. They are home in the evening when panels are not. Working from home flips that. The household is present and using power when panels are most productive. Computers, lighting, air conditioning and the kettle all run then. That surplus which would otherwise be sent back for a few cents gets used directly. This avoids grid power at full price.
The result is that a work-from-home household naturally gets a higher rate of self-consumption. A home that sits empty all day gets less. It gets more value from every kilowatt hour the system makes.
What a Home Office Actually Uses
A home office is not a heavy energy user on its own. It adds steady daytime demand. The comfort loads that come with being home all day are more significant. The table below gives a rough sense.
| Home-working load | Rough daytime energy use |
|---|---|
| Laptop or desktop and monitors | Around 0.1 to 0.4 kWh per hour |
| Lighting and small devices | Modest, but continuous through the day |
| Reverse-cycle air conditioning | Around 1 to 2 kWh per hour, the biggest load |
| Kettle, coffee machine, lunch cooking | Small but frequent through the day |
The standout is climate control. Being home all day often means heating or cooling a space for eight or more hours. That space would otherwise sit idle. On solar that comfort costs almost nothing during generating hours. It is one of the quiet benefits of pairing working from home with solar.
Do You Still Need a Battery?
Working from home lifts daytime self-consumption. The household still uses power in the evening and overnight. The panels have stopped by then. A battery stores the day’s surplus to cover that evening period. So the benefit of solar extends beyond working hours. For a work-from-home household, the balance often tilts towards a strong solar array. It should comfortably cover daytime work. It should still generate a surplus to store. Pair it with a battery sized for the evening. The right mix depends on how much of the load falls inside versus outside daylight. A proper design works this out.
Sizing a System for a Home That Is Always On
A work-from-home household uses more during the day. It usually uses more overall. The system should be sized for that higher, all-day demand. A typical empty-house profile will not work. In practice that means an array large enough to run the office. It should run the comfort loads and the household at once. It should still charge a battery. This is one reason Positive Energy Solutions generally recommends a larger system of at least 8.8 to 9 kilowatts. A system sized to a quiet daytime home would leave a busy one drawing from the grid. That happens at the worst possible time.
How Positive Energy Solutions Can Help
Positive Energy Solutions designs a system around a household’s real pattern of use. This includes the higher daytime demand that comes with working from home. The panels and battery match how and when the home actually uses energy. 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. Positive Energy Protection, powered by Omnidian, is included. This includes monitoring. A household can see how much of its work-from-home usage is being covered by solar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is solar worth it if I work from home?
Yes, and arguably more so. Working from home means the household uses power during the day. The panels are generating then. So more solar gets used directly rather than sent back for a small credit. That higher self-consumption is where solar delivers its best value in Western Australia.
Do I need a battery if I work from home?
A battery is still valuable. The household uses power in the evening and overnight once the panels stop. Working from home lifts daytime self-consumption. A battery extends the benefit into the evening by storing the day’s surplus. The right balance depends on how much load falls inside daylight hours.
What uses the most power in a home office?
Not the computers themselves. They are relatively modest. The comfort loads that come with being home all day are bigger. Reverse-cycle air conditioning uses the most. Heating or cooling a workspace for many hours is the biggest addition. On solar it costs close to nothing during generating hours.
How big a solar system do I need for working from home?
Usually a larger one than an empty-house profile would need. Daytime and overall usage are higher. Positive Energy Solutions generally recommends at least 8.8 to 9 kilowatts. The system can run the office and comfort loads while still charging a battery. It is sized to the specific household.
Make Working From Home Lower-cost to Run
If a home is busy through the day, solar turns that daytime usage from a cost into an advantage. Designing a system around a work-from-home pattern 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. That was 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. He shaped how distributed energy resources connect and operate on the SWIS. That work included developing and rolling out CSIP-AUS. It is now mandatory for all new WA grid connections. He also led Emergency Solar Management. It was the first program of its kind in WA. He led VPP for Schools. It provided direct market benefits through Supplementary Reserve Capacity. He led REBAR, 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.
