The spot stayed, the battery changed
The battery could not go where the owner wanted it.
What the customer wrote
Everything was smooth from the initial quote, through to the installation. There was some initial back and forth about which type of battery to install and location. In the end my preferred location was not going to meet standards which then meant having to change the brand of battery to one that would be more suitable outdoors. This was all handled well by Michael and the team.
System specifications
- Battery
- Tesla Powerwall 3
- Battery capacity
- 13.5 kWh
- Siting
- Rated for outdoors
- On the day
- Plumber capped a gas line
About this job
Where a battery may be installed
Australian standards restrict battery siting: clearances to windows and doors, distance from exits and habitable rooms, the construction of the wall behind it, and whether the unit is rated for outdoor conditions. A position that suits a homeowner often fails one of those tests. The check belongs before the sale, because discovering it on install day means either a compliance shortcut or a cancelled booking.
Changing the product to suit the location
Two ways out of a siting problem: move the battery, or choose one rated for where it needs to go. Here the location stayed and the brand changed to a unit suitable outdoors. That is not a small swap. Capacity, backup behaviour, cabling and the monitoring app all change with it, so the quote has to be rebuilt rather than adjusted.
The other trades
Battery installs are sub-contracted to the electricians who do them every week, which is normal and worth saying plainly. Sites throw up work that is not electrical. On this job a disused gas line still ran to an old barbecue point, so a plumber came the same day to remove and cap it. One visit, one mess, one clean-up.
