From Old PV to Complete Energy Independence: A Helios Upgrade in a Coastal Family Home
A coastal family home recently upgraded its energy system, moving from an ageing 5 kW PV grid-tied array to a modern hybrid storage system designed for whole-of-home backup and long-term energy independence. The homeowners’ goal was clear: remove reliance on the grid, boost resilience, and build a system capable of supporting future additions such as a larger pool heat pump and electric vehicles (EVs).
Working with local installers The Switch, and with technical support from DPA, the homeowners chose multiple Discover Helios ESS, a Noark hybrid inverter, and a substantial 19.4 kW solar upgrade. The result is a clean, reliable and future-ready system that consistently generates more power than the household consumes.
The Challenge
The original 5 kW grid-tied array, installed in 2015, was still functional but no longer capable of meeting the home’s expanding energy needs. The family’s requirements for the new system were clear:
- Complete independence from the grid
- Simple and effective monitoring and management tools
- Multi-day, whole-of-home backup during extended poor weather or outages
- Capacity to support future load growth including EV charging and pool heating
- A safe, reliable hybrid solution
- Quality components from trusted manufacturers that qualified for the CHB rebate
The previous setup offered no storage, limited visibility, and insufficient capability for the household’s increased and future energy demands.
The Solution
Together, the homeowner, installer and DPA developed a hybrid system tailored to the home’s current usage, future requirements, and site conditions.
Key components included:
- 3 × 16 kWh Discover Helios ESS — compact and scalable all-in-one storage with intelligent BMS
- 16 kW single-phase Noark hybrid inverter — efficient, reliable hybrid control
- 19.4 kW upgraded solar array — a major increase from the original 5 kW system
- Lynk Cloud monitoring — real-time performance visibility
- Scalable architecture — ready for EVs, heat pumps and future electrical loads
DPA supported the project by ensuring clean integration, verifying compatibility and providing commissioning guidance.
The Results
1. Excess generation from day one
By 8:00 am most mornings, the system has replenished overnight battery usage, supplying household loads and exporting surplus energy. Even with lighter loads and export limits, the system has consistently generated over 100 kWh on good days.
2. Faster return on investment
Maximising self-consumption and reducing exposure to grid tariffs strengthens long-term financial performance.
3. Backup confidence
The system provides whole-home backup – including air conditioning, hot water and pool equipment – delivering complete peace of mind during outages.
4. Ready for future electrification
The system comfortably supports planned additions such as EV charging.
The Installation Experience
The system was installed by Guy and Riley from The Switch, who found the Helios + Noark architecture intuitive and efficient.
“The system installation was clean, and the commissioning process was very straightforward. Everything communicated as expected, which significantly sped up the entire job.” – The Switch installers
Closed-loop communication between components streamlined commissioning, even while replacing the old solar array and integrating the new architecture.
Homeowner Perspective
“The energy system provided by DPA and The Switch has exceeded our expectations. The installation by Guy & Riley was excellent, remaining tidy and unobtrusive in our garage. The monitoring app is a valuable and often referred-to tool for us. It consistently shows the batteries fully recharged and the system exporting at maximum levels as early as 8:00 am each day.
The new system provides us with true energy independence, freeing us from concerns about when or how much power we consume. For our busy household with young children, the stability of our power supply and the significantly reduced costs are a major benefit. We are now considering transitioning to electric vehicles to better utilise the surplus generation the system provides.” — Sam (Homeowner)
At a Glance
- System: 48 kWh Discover Helios ESS + 16 kW
- Inverter: Noark Single-Phase Hybrid Inverter
- PV Array: 19.4 kW rooftop solar upgrade
- Use Case: Independence, self-consumption, backup, future load expansion
- Installer: The Switch Support: DPA engineering and commissioning assistance
Want to Learn More About Helios?
For deeper technical insights into the Discover Helios ESS platform, compliance details and real-world application considerations, check out this Wired by DPA webinar episode:
“Discover AES Helios — CEC Compliance Insights”.
It covers system design principles, grid compliance and practical deployment guidance that will help installers and designers working with hybrid storage. Click here to watch it