What Happens at a Battery Site Inspection?

Why is there an inspection before the fixed quote?

Every home is wired differently. Two houses can want the same battery and need very different work: one has a modern switchboard with spare room and a garage wall next to it; the other has an old board, no space and a battery spot on the far side of the house. The inspection turns a proposal into a fixed price that covers the actual job.

What does the electrician check?

• The switchboard. Its age, condition and spare room, safety switches, and whether it needs work before a battery can be connected.
• The battery location. A safe spot that meets the installation rules and the maker's requirements, with enough clearance and protection from direct sun and weather.
• Cable runs. How far it is from the battery to the switchboard and inverter, and how cables will be routed.
• Your solar and inverter. Whether the existing inverter can work with a battery, or whether a hybrid inverter makes more sense. See hybrid inverters explained.
• Your phase. Single-phase or three-phase, which changes the equipment.
• Backup. Which circuits you want to keep running in a blackout, if any.
• Network rules. What your network allows, so the application can be lodged.

How do I prepare?

1. Have a recent electricity bill handy.
2. Make sure the switchboard and meter box are easy to reach.
3. Think about where you would like the battery, and any spots you would rather avoid.
4. Write down what you want backed up in a blackout.
5. Mention anything coming up: an EV, a pool, a renovation or electric heating.

What happens after the inspection?

You get a fixed quote that names the equipment, the battery's capacity, the warranties and the work, with anything beyond a standard install listed separately. Nothing is booked until you agree to it.

A real example

We installed a 49 kWh GoodWe battery in Russell Lea for a busy household that wanted to rely on the grid as little as possible. A battery that size needs the location, cabling and switchboard planned properly, which is exactly what the inspection is for.

Ready for yours?

Request a free proposal and we will arrange the inspection at a time that suits you.