Builder says add the battery later, solar bloke says now

SamC-2011

Builder has offered solar in the contract but says do the battery later, its cleaner. The solar guy says do it now while the switchboard and wiring are being done anyway. Classic.

With the federal battery discount knocking roughly 30 percent off, a 13ish kWh battery lands somewhere in the 7 to 9k range installed from the quotes we have. The rebate rules changed in May and apparently bigger than 14kWh gets less back per kWh now, so the sweet spot seems to be a mid size unit.

Anyone put one in during a build recently? Was there an actual saving doing it with the build vs after handover, and did the builder markup eat the rebate anyway?

Also keen on real bill numbers from anyone a year in. The payback maths online is always done by people selling batteries.

purple-duck-99

Did battery with the build in Canberra, handover last spring. Doing it during the build meant the conduit runs and the switchboard position were planned for it, no retrofit surgery on a brand new wall. That alone felt worth it.

But price both ways. Our builder wanted 4k more than the local installer for the same box. We paid the builder for the pre-wire only and had the installer fit the battery two weeks after handover. Best of both, rebate still applied.

plot-twist-77

A year of numbers for you: 10kWh battery, 8.2kW of panels, family of four in Adelaide. Winter bills went from about $260 a month to $70, summer we are basically flat or in credit. The battery covers the evening peak which is where the money was going.

Payback still looks like 7 or 8 years honestly. We did it for the blackout cover as much as the maths, the fridge and internet staying on during storms has been worth something you cant invoice.

davefrom-2009

Watch the whole-of-home energy assessment angle too. Our assessor said the battery itself doesnt score points but the all-electric setup it enables did, and dropping the gas connection saved the ongoing supply charge. Sixty bucks a quarter for a pipe we werent using.

No battery yet at ours but the meter box is wired ready. Even that cost barely anything during the build and would be a proper job after.

fuzzy-muppet

THE PAYBACK SPREADSHEET IS ASTROLOGY FOR BLOKES

nobody calculating 8 year payback has ever kept a phone for 3. buy it for the blackouts and the smugness or dont buy it at all

(i have one. the smugness is real)

BecW-Brissy

Brisbane mate just got quoted for a 12.6kWh pack after handover and the retrofit labour alone was ugly. Pre-wire during the build would have saved them a ceiling chase through a brand new hallway.

Still would price the installer separately. Their builder markup on the box was basically the rebate gone.

purple-duck-99

Year-two update from the Canberra job: battery still covering evening peaks, bill pattern same as I posted. One inverter fault under warranty, sorted in a week.

Still glad we pre-wired. Would not want to open that hallway now the paint has settled in our brains as finished.

slab-happens

Someone up-thread mentioned retrofit labour. Mate in Canberra just paid nearly what the battery discount saved just to chase conduit through a finished hallway. Pre-wire during the build is looking smarter every month.

purple-duck-99

Canberra follow-up: pre-wire decision during the build still looks like the only sane path. Mate who waited is now pricing a ceiling chase through fresh plaster and the labour quote alone eats most of the rebate chat.

If you are still open walls, get the conduit run even if the battery box waits a year.

gumleaf_88

Newcastle mate who skipped pre-wire just got the retrofit quote. Labour alone was uglier than the battery discount chat made it sound. Ceiling chase through a finished hallway is not a vibe.

If your walls are still open, put the conduit in even if the box waits. Boring advice that keeps coming back true.

gumleaf_88

Still think pre-wire during open walls is the only sane path. Every retrofit story I hear sounds like paying twice for the same ceiling.