Family Solar System Macarthur: Plan for Future Energy Use | Kratos

Solar for Growing Families in Macarthur: Plan for the Home You’ll Have in Five Years

Choosing solar for a growing family in Macarthur should not be based only on today's electricity bill.

A system installed in 2026 may remain on your roof for 20 years or more. During that time, your household could add:

• More air conditioning

• Electric hot water

• Induction cooking

• A pool

• Additional bedrooms or living space

• An electric vehicle

• Battery storage

• More people working or studying from home

Australian Government guidance specifically recommends considering these future electricity needs before choosing or upgrading a solar system, because electrification, extensions, pools and EVs can materially increase household consumption. Energy.gov.au

For families across Campbelltown, Camden and Wollondilly, which together form the broader Macarthur region, the better question is therefore:

“What will our home need from solar over the next five to ten years?”

The aim is not to install the biggest system possible. It is to avoid designing a system that becomes undersized shortly after your family's energy needs change.

Explore Kratos residential solar systems.

Quick Guide: Which Solar Size Should a Growing Family Investigate?

*Indicative starting points only. Roof space, consumption, phase configuration and network approval still need assessment.

Kratos currently positions its 6.6kW system for typical family homes, its 10kW system for higher-usage homes with loads such as ducted air conditioning, pools, future batteries and EVs, and its 13.2kW option for larger homes and higher energy demand. Kratos Energy

Why Today's Electricity Bill May Undersize Tomorrow's Solar

Consider a young family currently using:

18kWh per day

That electricity bill might suggest a moderate solar system today.

But what happens over the next several years?

The household may add:

• A second air-conditioned living area

• Heat-pump hot water

• An EV

• More laundry and appliance use

• A home office

• Battery storage

The original 18kWh/day profile might eventually become considerably higher.

That is why solar design should look at:

current consumption + realistic future loads

rather than simply:

last quarter's electricity bill.

Five Future Loads Macarthur Families Should Consider

1. Electric Vehicles

An EV can become one of the largest new electrical loads in a household.

Kratos' current EV calculator uses an indicative consumption assumption of around 16kWh per 100km. At 13,000km of annual driving, that works out to roughly 2,080kWh of electricity per year, or around 5.7kWh/day averaged across the year. Kratos Energy

If the EV can charge during daylight hours, additional rooftop solar becomes particularly useful.

Kratos currently offers:

• 7kW single-phase charging

• 22kW three-phase charging

• Solar-matched charging that follows surplus solar generation. Kratos Energy

Explore Kratos EV charging.

2. Ducted Air Conditioning

Growing households often use more of the home simultaneously.

Cooling or heating several bedrooms, living areas and home-office spaces can materially increase electricity demand.

This is particularly important because air conditioning can operate for several hours during the same sunny period when rooftop solar is producing strongly.

A larger solar system can therefore provide useful daytime generation for homes with substantial air-conditioning loads.

3. Electric Hot Water

Switching from gas or conventional electric resistance hot water to an efficient heat pump can change the household electricity profile.

If appropriately scheduled, hot-water heating can often be shifted into solar-production hours.

That turns another household load into a potential daytime solar load.

4. Pool Equipment

A future pool can add recurring electricity consumption through:

• Filtration

• Pumps

• Heating

• Cleaning equipment

The advantage is that many pool loads can operate during daylight hours, making them relatively solar-friendly.

If a pool is likely within several years, tell the solar designer before choosing system size.

5. Battery Storage

A battery does not create additional energy.

It stores electricity generated earlier.

So if battery storage is planned, the solar array should ideally be able to supply:

daytime household loads + enough surplus to charge the battery.

An undersized solar system may leave a large battery only partly charged during lower-generation periods.

Explore Kratos battery storage systems. Kratos describes its batteries as storing daytime solar so it can be used after sunset. Kratos Energy

Worked Example: Planning Solar for a Growing Macarthur Family

Consider a hypothetical family living in Macarthur.

This is a transparent design example, not a claimed Kratos customer result.

Household Today

4 people

Current electricity consumption:

18kWh/day

Current major loads:

• Standard appliances

• Split-system air conditioning

• Electric cooking

• Home office

Expected Within Three Years

The family plans to add:

• Ducted air conditioning

• One EV

• Heat-pump hot water

• Possibly battery storage

Assume those changes increase average household electricity requirements to around:

27–30kWh/day

Actual consumption could be lower or higher; the figure is deliberately illustrative.

Now compare three solar approaches.

Option 1: Install 6.6kW Today

A 6.6kW system may comfortably match much of the family's present electricity profile.

Kratos' solar-output calculator notes that a typical 6.6kW system in Australian capital-city conditions commonly generates around 25–30kWh/day as an annual average, depending on location, shade and roof orientation. Kratos Energy

Advantage

• Lower upfront cost

• Suitable for today's moderate consumption

• Less roof space required

Limitation

Once the family adds an EV, ducted air conditioning and electric hot water, the system may provide less generation headroom.

The homeowner could then need to expand the array later.

Option 2: Design Around 10kW From the Start

Kratos currently describes its 10kW system as providing headroom for:

ducted air conditioning + pools + future battery + EV. Kratos Energy

Its current indicative generation figure is approximately:

40kWh/day

before site-specific differences such as shading and orientation. Kratos Energy

For our example family, this could provide greater flexibility as household electricity demand grows.

It may also create more surplus solar for:

• EV charging

• Heat-pump operation

• Battery charging

without requiring another solar expansion immediately.

Option 3: Install 13.2kW for Heavy Future Electrification

For a large household expecting substantial future electricity demand, Kratos currently positions its 13.2kW system for larger homes and higher usage, with an indicative output around 52kWh/day under its reference conditions. Kratos Energy

This could be worth investigating where the household expects:

• Multiple EVs

• Extensive air conditioning

• Pool equipment

• Large battery storage

• High daytime occupancy

But the larger system only makes sense where there is enough:

productive roof space + household use + storage + permitted export capacity.

Installing 13kW simply because the roof is large does not automatically produce the best financial outcome.

The Important Question Is Not “6.6kW or 10kW?”

The better question is:

How much electricity will this family be able to use, store or productively export?

For example:

A 10kW system can make excellent sense where the family expects:

EV + ducted air-con + heat pump

but may be unnecessarily large for a household that remains low-use and exports most of its generation.

Solar sizing should follow the energy plan.

Not the other way around.

Staged Solar Planning Can Avoid Expensive Rework

Not every family wants to purchase solar, battery storage and an EV charger simultaneously.

That is fine.

A good system can be designed in stages.

Stage 1 — Solar

Install sufficient generation for current consumption plus realistic near-term growth.

Stage 2 — EV Charger

Add smart charging when the family buys an EV.

Stage 3 — Battery

Install storage once evening demand and daytime surplus justify it.

The important part is making Stage 1 compatible with the later stages.

Kratos states that its current residential designs are built battery and EV ready, so storage and charging can be incorporated later. Kratos Energy

What Should Be Future-Proofed During the First Installation?

Ask your solar designer about:

Inverter Choice

Will the inverter support the planned system architecture and future battery strategy?

Roof Layout

Are panels being placed so additional productive roof areas remain usable?

Switchboard

Can the electrical infrastructure support planned future equipment?

Phase Configuration

Will future loads such as a 22kW EV charger require three-phase supply?

Monitoring

Can you see generation and consumption clearly enough to make a future battery-sizing decision?

Cable Routes

Can battery or EV charger cabling be added later without unnecessarily redoing finished work?

These details can make staged expansion much cleaner.

Do Not Oversize Solely for a Future EV

An EV does not automatically mean you need the largest available solar system.

Ask:

How far will the vehicle travel?

A commuter covering 8,000km/year requires substantially less charging energy than someone covering 25,000km.

When will the car be home?

An EV parked at home during the day can consume rooftop solar directly.

An EV that arrives home at 7 PM may rely more heavily on grid charging or battery storage.

Which charger will be used?

A 7kW charger and a 22kW three-phase charger create very different electrical requirements.

This is why EV planning should be incorporated into the whole-home energy design rather than simply adding several kilowatts of panels.

Should a Growing Family Install a Battery Immediately?

Not necessarily.

If your initial solar system generates useful surplus and your household uses substantial electricity after sunset, a battery can be worth investigating.

But for a family whose energy consumption is still changing, it can sometimes make sense to:

install solar → collect real monitoring data → add the battery later.

After 6–12 months, you can see:

• Daytime solar exports

• Evening imports

• Seasonal changes

• EV charging

• Air-conditioning demand

That data provides a much stronger basis for choosing battery capacity.

Roof Space Should Be Planned for the Long Term

Solar panels are long-term equipment.

So before using every available section of roof, consider:

• Future extensions

• Skylights

• Roof maintenance

• Additional solar

• Shade

• Different orientations

• Planned home improvements

Australian Government guidance recommends considering future electricity requirements because rooftop solar commonly remains in service for 20 years or more. Energy.gov.au

This is particularly relevant for younger families who may change the home significantly during that period.

Macarthur Is a Growing Region

The Macarthur region is commonly associated with Campbelltown, Camden and Wollondilly, and current NSW planning continues to identify Greater Macarthur as an important growth area. Camden Council

That means many households across areas such as:

• Campbelltown

• Camden

• Narellan

• Mount Annan

• Harrington Park

• Gregory Hills

• Oran Park

• Spring Farm

may be making solar decisions while the household and property itself are still evolving.

Kratos already provides postcode-level solar information for local Macarthur areas including Narellan and Camden. Those pages currently emphasise site assessment, roof conditions, grid connection and system sizing around actual household requirements. Kratos Energy

Calculate Solar Output Before Choosing a System

Rather than relying only on system-nameplate capacity, compare expected generation.

Use the Kratos Solar Output Calculator.

Enter your actual Macarthur postcode and compare:

6.6kW vs 10kW vs 13.2kW

The calculator estimates daily, monthly and annual generation while noting that real output varies with:

• Roof orientation

• Shading

• Weather

• Panel quality. Kratos Energy

Then compare those generation estimates against both:

your current electricity consumption

and:

your realistic future household demand.

Growing Family Solar Checklist

Before signing a solar contract, ask:

Current Household

• How many kWh do we use each year?

• When do we use electricity?

• What is our daytime demand?

Next Five Years

• More children or occupants?

• Home-office use?

• Ducted air conditioning?

• Pool?

• Heat-pump hot water?

• EV?

• Battery?

Property

• Productive roof area

• Orientation

• Shade

• Single- or three-phase supply

• Switchboard capacity

Solar Design

• 6.6kW, 10kW or larger?

• Inverter capacity

• Battery compatibility

• EV-charger compatibility

• Expected generation

Connection

• Applicable distributor requirements

• Approved export arrangement

• Any upgrades required

The best design should make sense today without becoming obviously undersized tomorrow.

Frequently Asked Questions

 Solar for Growing Macarthur Families: The Bottom Line

For a growing family in Macarthur NSW, solar should be designed for more than the household you have today.

Start with:

Current consumption → future appliances → EV plans → heating and cooling → battery plans → roof and electrical capacity.

A 6.6kW system may suit the household now.

A 10kW system may provide useful headroom as the family electrifies.

A larger or customised design may be justified where multiple major loads are expected.

But there is no reason to install extra capacity without a realistic plan for how the energy will be used, stored or exported.

Explore Kratos residential solar systems

Calculate your solar output

Explore smart EV charging

Contact Kratos Energy for a tailored system design

For a growing family, good solar planning is not about predicting every appliance you will own—it is about giving your home enough flexibility to grow without starting again.