Solar and battery ready: what your switchboard needs first

Solar panels and home batteries get the attention, but they all connect through your switchboard. If the board is old, full or unsafe, the installer either cannot connect the system or has to stop and call an electrician. We see it regularly: a solar quote that looked complete, and a switchboard that needed work nobody had priced.

This guide explains what your board needs before solar or a battery goes in, so you can budget for it from the start.

What we check first

The upgrades most often needed

A new switchboard

Boards with ceramic fuses, no safety switches or no spare space are usually replaced before solar or a battery is connected. Read five signs your switchboard needs upgrading to see what to look for in yours.

A new meter box

Solar needs a meter that records the energy you send back to the grid, and your electricity retailer arranges that meter. If the meter box is old, damaged or too small for the new meter and protection devices, it is replaced at the same time.

Surge protection

Inverters and batteries are expensive electronics. A surge diverter at the switchboard helps protect them, along with everything else in the house.

Prices include GST. Solar and battery systems are priced separately once the system size is known. See our full price guide.

Planning for battery backup

Not every battery keeps the lights on in a blackout. Some only store solar for use at night. If you want backup, decide which circuits matter most: usually the fridge, some lights, power points for internet and phones, and perhaps the garage door. Those circuits are grouped on a separate backup section of the board, which the battery feeds when the grid goes down.

Whole-home backup is possible, but large loads like ducted air conditioning, ovens and pool pumps can drain a battery quickly or ask for more than it can supply. We help you choose a sensible list.

Where the battery can go

Home batteries must be installed to AS/NZS 5139, which sets rules on where a battery can be placed, such as keeping it out of living areas and clear of exits. A garage wall or a sheltered outside wall is common. Gold Coast heat matters too, so we avoid walls that take the full afternoon sun.

Battery ready, without the battery

If a battery is a year or two away, ask for a battery-ready board during any upgrade. That means leaving labelled spare space and planning the backup section and cable route now. It costs little on the day and saves rework later. Our Mudgeeraba battery-ready upgrade is a good example.

Approvals, accreditation and rebates

Solar and battery systems that connect to the grid need approval from Energex before they are switched on, and the inverter has to meet the grid connection standard, AS/NZS 4777. Your installer normally lodges the application. To qualify for government incentives, systems also need to be designed and installed by an accredited installer.

Battery incentives have changed several times in recent years, including the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program. Check the current rules with your installer before you sign, because eligibility depends on the system and on who installs it. Planning an EV as well? Read what it costs to install an EV charger, so the board is sized for both.