Solar and battery packages with Amber

Supported home batteries can connect to the SmartShift™ algorithm remotely, so there's no need for a physical device. SmartShift™ optimises batteries to discharge at times when the wholesale price is more expensive than usual, lowering the overall cost of your energy usage. That's because you'll be using power from the grid at times when energy is cheaper and greener, and using power from your battery at times when energy is more expensive.

SmartShift™ will always keep some battery power in reserve, so it's there if you need it. You'll be able to see how SmartShift™ is optimising your battery, and how much it's saving you, using the Amber app.

Amber for Batteries is designed to help solar and battery owners maximise the value they can get from their energy set-ups, combining machine learning and control features so you can take full advantage of wholesale pricing. 

Exactly how much you will save and earn depends on what’s going on in the energy market, your energy set-up and usage. Price variability in different states plays a part in outcomes - the more variable prices are, the better it is for those with Amber for Batteries as you can take advantage of the difference (you may hear this referred to as “arbitrage”). 

When there are price spikes, you can sell energy back to the grid for up to $19/kWh. When wholesale feed-in tariffs drop, SmartShift™ will generally look for ways to store/save your solar or cheap charge from the grid, so you can make the most of low prices and use your stored energy to avoid higher prices. 

One of the key drivers of savings with Amber for Batteries is that you get the chance not only to save up and sell your own excess solar energy to the grid when it’s worth the most. You can also charge up your battery with cheap grid power and sell that grid power back to the grid during peak time, to make extra export earnings. 

Amber passes on every cent that your energy is worth at the time when you sell it to the grid. 

If you want to get a more precise idea of what your savings will be, visit our dynamic pricing page and tell us a bit more about your energy set-up, or check out our customer stories. 

You can have as much control as you want with SmartShift™. 

This includes the option to charge, export, or preserve your battery as you like with SmartShift™’s control features, or to pick an automation mode that suits your preferences and let SmartShift™ manage your battery optimisation according to your needs. 

You can also choose to switch off SmartShift™ completely at any time should you choose, with no penalties whatsoever.

Whether you are taking control of your battery yourself or the battery is being optimised entirely by Amber, you will have in-depth insights into what is happening live with your battery, and what is forecast to happen in the coming day - including what your earnings would be if you take control for a set period of time. 

This is designed to help you understand and stay in control of what’s happening with your battery so you can make adjustments if and when you wish.

When it comes to taking advantage of Amber for Batteries’ battery optimisation and wholesale pricing, there are a couple of ways you can do this. 

If you have one of the following compatible batteries, you can join Amber for Batteries using Amber’s SmartShift™ technology. 

• Tesla Powerwall 2
• SolarEdge
• LG Chem with SolarEdge inverter
• Alpha ESS (excluding serial numbers beginning with ALPxxx or 9xxx)
• Hive
• Sungrow with hybrid inverter - specifically those with the inverter model numbers
• SH5.0RS
• SH6.0RS
• SH5.0RT
• SH10.0RT
• SH10.0RS

If you have one of the following batteries, you can join Amber for Batteries and be optimised by our partner, Evergen, in line with Amber’s wholesale pricing. 

• Energizer
• Everready
• Hive
• GivEnergy
• Redback
• Solax

If you do not have any of these batteries, it may be the case that your battery is going to become eligible shortly, so drop us a line and we can give you an update. 

In the meantime, we do find that solar and battery customers in general tend to do better with Amber’s wholesale pricing, regardless of automation. This is because having a battery to store your solar means that you have the ability to primarily draw energy from the grid at off-peak times, such as early morning or later evening. 

This tends to be when wholesale rates are lower than retail usage rates. As a result, solar and battery owners tend to benefit from a lower average usage rate than they would typically get with a retail energy plan. 

At times when wholesale prices rise, for example between 6pm-8pm when energy demand peaks, you can rely on your stored battery energy. 

To understand more about how much you could save with Amber based on your energy set-up, visit our pricing page and tell us a little more about your system.