These 5 charts show how far rooftop solar and home batteries can take us – and why we still need the grid

One in three Australian homes now has rooftop solar, and home batteries have surged after government subsidies began last year. But per analysis from The Conversation, rooftop solar cannot replace the grid—even as generation has nearly quadrupled over the past eight years. The core problem is timing: solar peaks at midday when demand is low, while evening demand peaks when the sun has set. Home batteries can help shave peak prices, but their stored energy isn't enough to cover extended cloudy periods or heat waves. Heavy industry and data centers need continuous power that small-scale solar and batteries cannot provide. Australia's energy future will instead rely on rooftop solar and batteries working alongside large-scale renewables, grid-scale storage, and transmission upgrades.

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