Solar, battery and EV FAQs

The price depends on the size of the system, your roof, the panel and inverter brands you choose, and whether you add a battery. The federal solar rebate is taken off the price upfront, so the price on your quote already includes it. We look at your roof and your power bills, then give you a fixed, itemised quote. You can also spread the cost with one of our finance plans.

Most Australian homes install between 6.6 kW and 13 kW. The right size depends on how much electricity you use and when, how much roof space you have, whether you plan to add a battery or an electric car, and the export limit set by your local electricity network. We size your system from your actual power bills, not a rule of thumb.

Most home installations are finished in a single day. Larger homes and commercial systems take longer. Before installation day, we apply to your electricity network for grid connection approval on your behalf. Approvals and any meter change can add a few weeks before your system is fully switched on.

Yes. Solar panels run on daylight, not heat, so they still produce power on cloudy days, just less of it. In winter the days are shorter and the sun sits lower, so output drops, and summer makes up for it. That is why system sizes and savings are worked out over a full year, not a single sunny day.

In Australia, north-facing panels produce the most power over a day. East- and west-facing panels produce a little less in total, but they spread generation into the morning and late afternoon, which can suit households that use more power at those times. We design the layout around your roof, any shading and the way you use electricity.

Good-quality panels typically come with a 25-year performance warranty and often keep working well beyond that, producing slightly less each year. Inverters usually need replacing sooner, typically after 10 to 15 years. See our System Warranty for the cover that comes with a Solar Harbour system.

“Tier one” refers to a list of manufacturers published by BloombergNEF, based on whether banks have financed large solar projects using their panels. It is a sign of a large, financially stable manufacturer, which matters when you are relying on a 25-year warranty. We install premium tier-one panels from established brands.

Solar power you don't use at home goes to the grid, and your retailer credits you for it at the feed-in tariff rate. Feed-in rates vary between retailers and plans and are much lower than the price you pay to buy power. So using your own solar power, or storing it in a battery, usually saves you more than sending it to the grid.

Since 1 July 2026, retailers in NSW, South East Queensland and South Australia have had to offer a Solar Sharer plan with at least three hours of free electricity in the middle of the day. It helps if you can move things like washing, pool pumps or car charging into that window. You still pay for power in the morning, late afternoon and evening, though, and rates outside the free hours can be higher. Solar covers more of the day and a battery covers the evening, so we'll look at your bills and tell you honestly what makes sense.

You need a meter that can measure the power you send to the grid, which usually means a smart meter. If your current meter can't do this, your electricity retailer arranges a new one. If your meter or meter board needs work, we can upgrade or relocate your meter in NSW and Queensland.

Often, yes. It depends on the size of your current inverter, the space left on your roof and your network's rules. Sometimes the best option is a second inverter, or a new inverter that can run both the old and new panels. We check your existing system and explain the options before we quote.

Yes. We design and install commercial solar for offices, warehouses, factories, retail sites and more. Businesses use most of their power during the day, when solar produces the most, so we size each system around your trading hours and energy use.

A battery stores your spare daytime solar power for the evening, when you would otherwise buy power at the highest rates. With the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program taking money off the price, payback is shorter than it used to be. Batteries suit homes that use a lot of power in the evening and overnight, and homes that want backup during outages. If the numbers don't stack up for you, we'll tell you.

It depends on how much power you use after the sun goes down. Many homes find that 10 to 15 kWh of usable capacity covers their evening and overnight use. The federal discount is highest on the first 14 kWh of usable capacity and lower above that, so bigger is not always better value. We size your battery from your bills and your solar output.

Usually, yes. Depending on your current inverter, we either add a battery with its own inverter alongside your system, or replace your inverter with a hybrid inverter that runs both the panels and the battery. We check your existing setup first and explain which option suits it. See our battery range.

Only if it is set up for backup. A standard solar system switches off during a blackout for safety, even when the sun is shining. Many batteries can keep selected circuits, or sometimes the whole home, running in an outage, but this needs the right battery and wiring, and backup is limited to the energy stored. Don't rely on battery backup for critical medical or life-support equipment.

Most home batteries come with a 10-year warranty, which usually guarantees they will still hold a set share of their original capacity at the end of it, often 60 to 70 per cent. Like a phone battery, capacity fades slowly with use. Keep your battery connected to the internet, as many manufacturers require it for updates and for the warranty.

A virtual power plant is a group of home batteries that an energy company can draw on to support the grid at busy times, in exchange for credits or payments to you. Joining is optional. Batteries under the federal program must be able to join a VPP, and in NSW, joining an approved VPP can unlock an extra upfront incentive. We can explain the VPP offers that work with your battery.

The main one is the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Your solar system creates small-scale technology certificates (STCs), and we take their value off your price upfront. The number of certificates depends on your system size and where you live. It drops every 1 January until the scheme ends in 2030, so the discount gets a little smaller each year. Use our rebate estimator to see what your postcode could get.

Since 1 July 2025, the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program has taken money off the price of eligible batteries, in a similar way to the solar rebate, whether you have new or existing solar. Since 1 May 2026, the discount has been based on usable capacity: the full rate applies to the first 14 kWh, a lower rate from 14 to 28 kWh and a small rate from 28 to 50 kWh. It steps down every six months until the program ends in 2030. The battery must be an approved product, installed by an accredited installer.

Some states offer help on top of the federal discounts. In NSW, for example, you can get an extra upfront payment when you connect your battery to an approved virtual power plant. State programs change often and have their own rules, so we check what applies to your address when we prepare your quote. See rebates by state.

Yes. Through our partner lenders you can pay for your system in fortnightly instalments over 6 to 60 months, and start saving on your power bills straight away. Finance is subject to the lender's approval, and terms vary by lender. See our finance plans.

A 10% deposit is due within 2 days of signing your agreement, and the balance is due within 5 business days of your installation being completed. You also have a 10-business-day cooling-off period after you sign. The full details are in our terms and conditions.

Yes. A solar-aware EV charger can top up your car using spare solar power during the day, so you drive on power from your own roof. With a battery, you can also use stored solar to charge in the evening. If your car is often at home during the day, charging from solar can cut your running costs significantly.

Most homes have single-phase power, which suits a 7 kW charger. If your home has three-phase power, a three-phase charger can deliver up to 22 kW, although many cars accept 11 kW or less when charging from a wall charger. We check your power supply, switchboard and car before recommending one. See our EV charger range.

It depends on the charger and the car. As a rough guide, a 7 kW home charger adds about 40 km of range for every hour of charging, so an overnight charge covers most people's daily driving. A standard power point adds only around 10 to 15 km per hour.

Sometimes. An EV charger is a large load, so an older switchboard or a home with limited supply may need an upgrade first. We check this when we inspect your home and include any work needed in your quote. If you need more capacity, our Level 2 electricians can arrange a power supply upgrade, including to three-phase, in metro NSW and Queensland.

A Level 2 electrician works on the connection between the electricity network and your property. That includes new overhead and underground connections, disconnections and reconnections, service mains and metering equipment. Our Level 2 electricians work in metro NSW and Queensland.

Common reasons are renovations or extensions, a new driveway or carport, moving the meter somewhere safer and easier to reach, or bringing it up to current electrical rules. We handle meter relocations for homes and businesses, for both overhead and underground connections, in NSW and Queensland.

You may need an upgrade if you've renovated, added solar or need more capacity, or if your old meter or meter board is outdated or hazardous. A modern smart meter records your energy use accurately and supports solar exports. We provide meter upgrades for homes and businesses in NSW and Queensland.

Yes. If your home needs more capacity for solar, a battery, an EV charger or other equipment, we can assess it and arrange a power supply upgrade, including from single-phase to three-phase. This work is done by our Level 2 electricians in metro NSW and Queensland.

Every system comes with our System Warranty: 5 years on the whole system, and 10 years on the installation and workmanship. On top of that, panels carry a 25-year performance warranty and at least a 10-year product warranty, depending on the panel, and inverters carry a 10-year warranty when you choose a 10-year inverter. All goods also come with guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law. Read the full System Warranty.

Rain washes off some dirt, but dust, pollen, bird droppings, salt and grime build up over time and reduce output. A yearly clean suits many homes, and more often if you live near the coast, a busy road, farmland or trees. If your output drops for no obvious reason, dirty panels are a common cause. Please don't climb onto the roof yourself: our panel cleaning service does it safely.

Bird mesh closes the gap between your panels and the roof, so birds can't nest underneath or damage the cabling. We fit bird mesh to new and existing systems in NSW and Queensland.

Very little. Check your monitoring app now and then so you notice if output drops, keep the panels clean, and have the system inspected every few years or after severe weather. Batteries should stay connected to the internet so they receive updates and stay covered by their warranty.

Call us on 1300 252 090 or email admin@solarharbour.com.au with your name, address and a description of the problem, plus photos if you can. Faults are handled within the timeframes in our complaint handling procedure, and warranty claims follow our System Warranty. Please don't open the inverter or switchboard yourself.

We install solar and batteries across New South Wales, Queensland, the ACT and Victoria, with offices in Sydney (Norwest), Brisbane (Milton) and Melbourne. Our meter, Level 2 electrical and bird mesh services are available in NSW and Queensland.