Solar and battery quote checklist

1. Before you ask for quotes

• Collect a year of electricity bills, or download your usage data from your retailer.
• Add the EV's charging: roughly 15–20 kWh per 100 km driven.
• Note when you use most power: daytime at home, or mostly evenings?
• Check your roof: direction, shading, space and condition.
• Check rebates: the federal battery discount and any state scheme, and whether the installer applies them.

2. Questions for installers

• Are they an accredited installer using approved panels, inverters and batteries?
• Who does the installation: their own staff or subcontractors?
• Panel, inverter and battery brands and models, in writing.
• Battery usable capacity in kWh, not just the total.
• Will the battery give backup power in a blackout, and to which circuits?
• Can the system talk to an EV charger to charge from spare solar?
• Network export limits: how much can you send to the grid?

3. Before you sign

• Warranties: panels (product and performance), inverter, battery and workmanship.
• Who handles warranty claims if the installer closes down?
• Payment terms: avoid paying most of it up front.
• Monitoring app included, and how you'll check it's working.
• Ask your retailer about plans that suit solar and a battery, including virtual power plants.

Notes