Quoted after seeing the home
A homeowner with an existing array worked through an approved list, asked six companies, received four quotes, and noticed which of them had visited the home.
What the customer wrote
I reviewed all of the companies on the ACT Government approved list for a solar battery to add to my existing solar panel system. I sought quotes from the 6 best rated companies. From the 4 quotes I received I chose SunStak. The main reason I chose them was because they were the most responsive, helpful and reasonably priced, a couple of the others didn't even visit the house before quoting.
System specifications
- Work
- Battery added to an existing array
- Approved list
- ACT Government battery scheme
- Quotes sought
- Six approached, four quoted
- Site visit
- Some competitors quoted without one
About this job
What a battery retrofit depends on
Adding storage to an existing array is governed by what is already installed. The inverter decides whether the battery is AC or DC coupled. The switchboard decides whether backup circuits can be separated. The meter, the wall and the distance between them decide the cable. None of that is on the roof, and none of it is visible from the street.
Why a visit changes the price
A quote written without a visit assumes a standard home. Standard switchboard with spare ways, short cable run, a wall that will take the weight, no asbestos, no heritage overlay. When one of those assumptions fails, the number moves after the contract is signed. A quote written after a visit can be wrong too, but it is wrong about less.
Comparing four quotes
Battery quotes look alike on paper because the hardware list is short. The differences sit around the hardware. Who answered, who came out, who explained what the existing system could and could not do, and whether the price held. A homeowner comparing four of them is comparing the process.
