I'd love to go solar for the summer, but it is out of reach at this point. The energy backups available would be a diesel generator where I am I think.
What we are planning though is adding some insulation to the basement ceiling (currently cold) to keep the house warmer in the winter - that way, the fireplace actually becomes useful. We have access to a lot of "close to free" wood :)
Out of curiosity, what kind of monthly energy consumption is normal there?
depends of the home you live obviously. For me, 2700 sq ft 2-stories home, 1995 built, so showing its age, I consume about 700kwh-1000kwh/month. Higher in summer, lower in winter; sort or inverse from you in terms of seasonality
Cooling is a killer in Aus too - because despite the climate, they do not insulate well.