Modern home-energy systems can become complicated quickly.
Energy Flow Hub brings together practical guides to help you understand solar PV, battery storage, EV charging, smart tariffs, backup power and how different technologies work together.
Start with the subject you are researching, then explore the deeper guides as you need them.
Explore by Subject
Solar PV
Understand how a solar PV system is designed and what matters beyond simply choosing the panels.
Explore guides covering:
- solar panel suitability
- roof orientation and pitch
- shading
- solar panel sizing
- solar generation
- inverters
- hybrid inverters
- MPPTs
- solar strings
- optimisers
- microinverters
- roof mounting systems
- export and grid connection
- solar costs and payback
Battery Storage
Understand what you want a battery to achieve before deciding what size or system you need.
Explore guides covering:
- battery sizing
- battery capacity vs power
- solar battery storage
- battery storage without solar
- usable capacity
- AC vs DC coupling
- hybrid inverters
- smart tariff charging
- battery backup
- whole-home backup
- battery expansion
- battery and EV interaction
- battery and heat pumps
- battery costs and payback
EV Charging
Learn how home EV charging works and how the charger interacts with the vehicle, electrical supply, solar, batteries and smart tariffs.
Explore guides covering:
- 3.6 kW, 7 kW and 22 kW charging
- home charging speeds
- tethered vs untethered chargers
- single-phase vs three-phase
- smart EV charging
- EV tariffs
- load balancing
- CT clamps
- solar EV charging
- battery interaction
- charger comparisons
- installation costs
- EV charger grants
- bidirectional charging
Whole-Home Energy
Understand the decisions that happen between solar PV, battery storage, EV charging, heating, tariffs and the grid.
Explore guides covering:
- Home Energy Management Systems
- smart tariffs
- whole-home load management
- solar + battery + EV
- solar + heat pump
- battery + heat pump
- backup power
- single ecosystem vs mixed brands
- CT clamps and metering
- energy priorities
- three-phase homes
- future-proofing
- staged home-energy upgrades
Popular Starting Points
If you are not sure where to begin, these are useful places to start.
Understand roof orientation, pitch, shading, available area and other factors that affect solar PV.
Learn why electricity use alone does not determine the right battery size.
Understand charger power, vehicle limits and whether three-phase charging would actually benefit you.
See how a home battery can charge from cheaper grid electricity even without solar panels.
Understand the difference between monitoring, controlling and optimising energy around the home.
Learn the difference between battery storage and true backup power.
Guides That Connect the Technologies
Some of the most important home-energy questions do not belong to a single product.
For example:
- Should solar charge the battery or EV first?
- Why is my home battery charging my car?
- Should I install a hybrid inverter if I want a battery later?
- Can my battery run my heat pump?
- Should I charge the battery and EV at the same time?
- Do I need three-phase electricity?
- Can solar continue working during a power cut?
- Should I keep everything within one manufacturer ecosystem?
These are the questions where whole-home thinking becomes important.
Compare the Technology
As the site grows, Energy Flow Hub will also include independent comparison guides covering:
- solar panels
- solar inverters
- battery systems
- EV chargers
- backup gateways
- Home Energy Management Systems
The aim is not simply to identify the product with the biggest specification.
We will look at:
- compatibility
- performance
- limitations
- expandability
- system architecture
- controls
- future upgrades
- practical installation considerations
Use the Tools
Sometimes the easiest way to understand a home-energy question is to experiment with it.
Our interactive tools and calculators help you explore:
- EV charging time and cost
- solar energy flow
- battery charging and discharging
- solar array size
- battery sizing
- whole-home electrical loads
- backup power
- solar, battery and EV interaction
How We Approach Our Guides
Energy Flow Hub is built to help homeowners understand the technology before making decisions.
Our guides aim to:
- explain technical subjects clearly
- show advantages and limitations
- distinguish facts from assumptions
- use diagrams where they help
- use calculations where they add value
- consider how technologies interact
- avoid assuming the largest or most expensive system is automatically the best
Where information changes frequently, such as tariffs, grants or product specifications, we will update the relevant guides rather than relying on outdated figures.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Start with the part of your home-energy system you are considering now.
You can always build outwards from there.
- Solar PV
- Understand generation and system design.
- Battery Storage
- Understand storage, power and backup.
- EV Charging
- Understand charging, tariffs and load management.
- Whole-Home Energy
- Understand how everything works together.