Manning Solar Upgrade Case Study
Manning Solar, Battery & EV Charger Upgrade
Australis Solar completed a solar, battery and EV charging upgrade for a Manning home, replacing an approximately 13-year-old solar system built around a single-phase inverter. The new design combines 16.15 kW of AIKO Neostar 2P solar panels, a 15 kW SigenStor three-phase energy controller, three SigenStor BAT 8.0 modules providing approximately 24 kWh of storage, and a 22 kW Sigen EV AC Charger.
The system was designed as one coordinated upgrade around the existing property, electrical infrastructure and future EV charging requirements rather than adding individual components independently.
- 16.15 kW 34 × AIKO Neostar 2P 475 W panels
- 24 kWh 3 × SigenStor BAT 8.0 battery modules
- 22 kW Sigen EV AC Charger
Confirmed Project Specifications
Manning Project Snapshot
The specifications below use the supplied project information and confirmed equipment details. Unverified production, savings, energy-offset and backup claims have been excluded.
Manning, WA
Residential solar, battery and EV charging upgrade in Perth.
16.15 kW
New photovoltaic array using 34 × 475 W panels.
34 × AIKO Neostar 2P
475 W modules forming the complete 16.15 kW array.
SigenStor EC 15.0 TP
15 kW three-phase Sigenergy energy controller.
Approximately 24 kWh
3 × SigenStor BAT 8.0 battery modules.
TP-CT120-DH
Sigenergy energy metering included within the coordinated system.
22 kW Sigen EV AC Charger
Integrated AC EV charging with actual vehicle charging rate dependent on the connected EV and system conditions.
Approximately 13 Years Old
The project replaced an older solar system that used an existing single-phase inverter.
Designed Around the Existing Property
Customer Objective and Design Considerations
This was an existing-system replacement and electrification upgrade rather than a standard panel-only installation. Australis Solar needed to coordinate the new solar array, inverter platform, battery storage, energy metering and EV charging around the home's existing electrical infrastructure.
Replace an ageing solar system
The homeowner wanted to replace an approximately 13-year-old solar system and its existing single-phase inverter rather than continue building around ageing equipment.
Integrate solar, storage and EV charging
The new system needed to combine substantial rooftop solar, battery storage and a 22 kW EV charger within one coordinated energy-management architecture.
Respect the roof and frontage
The project brief recorded a preference to avoid placing panels on the street-facing roof. The array therefore needed to make effective use of the available roof areas without treating maximum panel count as the only design consideration.
Work around existing roof equipment
Existing pool-heating equipment on a lower roof section was another design consideration, requiring the new photovoltaic layout to preserve suitable separation and service access.
Plan the switchboard requirements
Project notes identified limited available pole space at the switchboard. Australis Solar therefore needed to assess protection and enclosure requirements rather than assume the new inverter and charging equipment could simply use existing spare ways.
Coordinate system communications
Commissioning notes required Modbus functionality to be enabled for the controller and EV charger so the equipment could operate within the intended Sigenergy control architecture.
One Coordinated Energy System
System Design and Installed Components
Each component performs a different function. Solar-panel capacity, inverter power, stored battery energy and EV charging power should be considered together but should not be treated as interchangeable figures.
34 × AIKO Neostar 2P 475 W Panels
The 34-panel array provides 16.15 kW of new nameplate solar capacity. The AIKO modules allowed the required generation capacity to be distributed across the available roof areas.
Compare solar panels for Perth homesSigenStor EC 15.0 TP
The 15 kW three-phase SigenStor energy controller forms the central power-conversion and control platform connecting the solar and battery system.
Explore Sigenergy systems in Perth3 × SigenStor BAT 8.0
The project uses three SigenStor BAT 8.0 modules, described in the project scope as approximately 24 kWh of battery storage. Sigenergy's published data lists 24.18 kWh nominal total energy for a three-module BAT 8.0 configuration.
Compare solar battery optionsTP-CT120-DH Energy Meter
The Sigenergy energy meter provides site energy measurement for the wider control system, allowing generation, household demand and connected energy equipment to be managed as part of the complete installation.
22 kW Sigen EV AC Charger
The dedicated AC charger integrates EV charging into the home's energy system. The 22 kW figure is the charger's nominal hardware rating, not a guarantee that every vehicle will charge at 22 kW.
Actual charging output depends on the EV's onboard AC charger, available electrical capacity, household demand and commissioned charging controls.
Compare EV charging optionsModbus Communications
Project commissioning notes required Modbus functionality to be enabled for the SigenStor controller and EV charger as part of the intended integrated configuration.
This communications requirement was therefore considered alongside the physical solar, battery and charger installation rather than left as a separate afterthought.
Assessment Before Installation
Problems and Australis Solar Solutions
The value of the Manning project was not simply the amount of equipment installed. The older solar system, electrical infrastructure, new battery platform and EV charger all needed to be considered as parts of one property-specific design.
Existing solar equipment was approximately 13 years old
Challenge
The property already had an ageing solar installation using a single-phase inverter, while the new scope required substantially more solar, battery storage and high-power EV charging.
Australis Solar assessment
The old inverter, new photovoltaic capacity, electrical supply, battery requirements and EV charger needed to be reviewed together rather than treating the battery as an isolated retrofit.
Australis Solar solution
The new design was built around a 16.15 kW AIKO array, 15 kW SigenStor EC 15.0 TP controller, approximately 24 kWh of Sigenergy storage and a 22 kW Sigen EV AC Charger.
Switchboard space was limited
Challenge
Project notes identified restricted spare pole capacity while additional inverter and charging protection had to be accommodated.
Australis Solar assessment
The board could not be treated as though unlimited spare protection space was available. An external enclosure or suitable board reconfiguration therefore needed to be considered during the electrical design.
Australis Solar solution
The electrical scope allowed for the required protection to be resolved around the available switchboard capacity. The supplied project information does not confirm which final enclosure or RCD arrangement was adopted, so no specific configuration is claimed here.
The EV charger needed to operate within the wider energy system
Challenge
A 22 kW EV charger creates a substantial controllable electrical load and needed to be integrated with the new Sigenergy platform rather than installed as an unrelated wall charger.
Australis Solar assessment
Commissioning had to account for the controller, energy metering, charger communications and household electrical demand.
Australis Solar solution
Project notes specified enabling Modbus functionality for the controller and EV charger as part of commissioning the coordinated system.
Western Power connection requirements
Replacing or changing an inverter system and adding battery generation equipment can require an Embedded Generation Connection application. The project-specific export limit and Western Power approval conditions for this Manning installation have not been supplied and are therefore not assumed.
Western Power Connection GuidanceInstalled by Australis Solar
Manning Installation Gallery and Related Services
Genuine Australis Solar photographs showing the AIKO rooftop array and integrated Sigenergy battery and EV charging equipment installed at the Manning property.
Manning Project Questions
Solar, Battery and EV Charging FAQs
Practical answers about the confirmed Manning installation and the design considerations that apply to similar Perth upgrades.
What was installed at the Manning home?
Australis Solar installed 34 AIKO Neostar 2P 475 W panels providing 16.15 kW of solar capacity, a SigenStor EC 15.0 TP 15 kW energy controller, three SigenStor BAT 8.0 battery modules providing approximately 24 kWh of storage, a TP-CT120-DH energy meter and a 22 kW Sigen EV AC Charger.
Why was the older solar system replaced rather than simply adding a battery?
The property had an approximately 13-year-old solar system using an existing single-phase inverter. The new project required substantially more solar generation, battery storage and EV charging, so the ageing equipment and new requirements were assessed as one complete upgrade rather than treating the battery as an isolated addition.
Is the Manning installation a three-phase system?
Yes. The supplied project specification uses a SigenStor EC 15.0 TP energy controller and TP-CT120-DH energy meter, and the project was designed around a three-phase system configuration. This does not mean the same inverter or charger capacity is appropriate for every property.
Does a 24 kWh battery mean the system can continuously supply 24 kW of power?
No. Battery capacity in kWh describes stored energy, while kW describes power available at a particular time. The Manning project uses three SigenStor BAT 8.0 modules described as approximately 24 kWh of storage, while actual charge and discharge power depends on the battery configuration, controller and operating conditions.
Will the 22 kW EV charger charge every electric vehicle at 22 kW?
No. The installed Sigen EV AC Charger has a nominal rating of 22 kW, but the actual charging rate depends on the connected vehicle's onboard AC charger, available electrical capacity, household demand and commissioned charging controls.
Does this Manning system provide blackout backup?
Blackout backup is not confirmed in the supplied Manning project scope. A battery does not automatically provide power during an outage. Backup requires compatible switching or Gateway equipment and a specifically commissioned backup configuration, so this case study does not claim blackout operation.
Why was Modbus configuration required for the controller and EV charger?
The Manning commissioning notes specified enabling Modbus functionality for the SigenStor controller and EV charger as part of the intended integrated system configuration. Communications and control therefore formed part of commissioning alongside the physical solar, battery and charger installation.
Request a Property-Specific Design
Planning a Solar, Battery or EV Charging Upgrade?
A similar system should be designed around your Synergy bill, actual electricity usage, daytime and evening demand, available roof area, shading, existing solar and inverter, switchboard, battery requirements, electrical supply and future EV plans.
Australis Solar is Perth-based, WA-owned and has operated since 2008. Our team designs solar, battery storage, backup and EV charging systems around the property rather than relying on a generic package.
