For Halswell homeowner Lyn Dawson, solar started as a way to protect what she owns, not just trim a power bill.

With a family member in care and worried about future asset testing, she wanted to shift savings into something exempt. “I looked at what I could reasonably do to put more value into the house rather than leave money in the bank,” she said. “We took that financial asset and put it on the roof.”

Garden City Solar installed a 5.74kW system with 14 panels and a 5kWh battery on her Halswell home for just under $26,000. The system was sized off a year of bills and is expected to cover most of her annual use. Dawson reckons the combined saving on power and petrol is about $200 a week, thanks to an electric car she bought at the same time.

“I’m on a fixed income, but I’m in credit on my power account. Instead of worrying about bills, I can think about concerts or trips to see family.”

She has shifted how she uses electricity to match the sun. The dishwasher and washing machine now run during the day. Baking happens when the panels are producing strongly. Hot water is still ripple-controlled but she is looking at ways to heat it in the middle of the day. “I’d rather run other appliances when the sun is out, if it suits me,” she says.

If she were doing it again, Dawson says she would go for a larger battery. “I’d be looking at far more storage to take me through gloomy days and for more resilience,” she says. After years volunteering in disaster recovery, that resilience matters.

“If you’ve got solar, you’ve got a better chance of staying in your home after a natural disaster. People who can stay put and keep their household running recover much better.”

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