An SLD for a battery storage system adds the battery, its inverter or charger and the relevant isolation to the standard solar single-line diagram, showing how storage connects alongside the PV array and the grid. With the Federal Battery Rebate driving battery attach rates, more Australian jobs now need an SLD that documents storage, not just panels.
How is a battery SLD different from a solar-only SLD?
It adds a storage branch to the same one-line diagram. A solar-only SLD runs array, inverter, isolation, switchboard, metering, grid. A battery system adds the battery and its power-conversion (a hybrid inverter, or a separate battery inverter or charger), plus the isolation and protection for the storage circuit, and shows how it ties into the system. The drawing still reads as one line from generation and storage through to the grid; there are simply more components to place correctly.
What does a battery storage SLD need to show?
- The PV array, strings and MPPTs, as on any solar SLD.
- The inverter topology, whether it is a hybrid inverter or a separate battery inverter alongside the PV inverter.
- The battery, with its type and rating.
- Storage isolation and protection, in the correct positions.
- The switchboard, metering and grid connection, including any backup or essential-loads arrangement if the system provides backup.
As with any Australian PV documentation, the design should reflect AS/NZS 5033 and the wiring rules; our AS/NZS 5033 requirements guide covers the DC side in general terms.
Hybrid vs AC-coupled: how does the SLD change?
It changes where the battery joins the system. With a hybrid inverter, the PV and battery share one power-conversion unit, so the SLD shows the array and battery into a single hybrid inverter. With an AC-coupled design, the battery has its own inverter, so the SLD shows two inverters tied together on the AC side. Getting this topology right on the diagram matters, because it is the clearest way to communicate how the system actually works.
How do you draw a battery SLD in Solar Proof?
Design the system with its battery, then open the SLD editor from the project. Solar Proof's SLD editor supports multi-inverter and battery layouts, so the storage components and isolation are drawn into the same one-line diagram, auto-populated from your design. You confirm the topology, adjust the layout, and export a print-ready PDF, the same workflow as a solar-only job, with the storage branch included.
The bottom line
An SLD for a battery storage system is a standard solar SLD with the battery, its power-conversion and storage isolation added, drawn to match whether the design is hybrid or AC-coupled. As battery attach rates climb with the Federal Battery Rebate, software that handles multi-inverter and battery layouts natively saves redrawing each hybrid job by hand. See Solar Proof's SLD editor →
