TFA Solar · Battery systems
Solar Battery Installation in Adelaide
The local solar & battery installers you can trust.
Store what your panels make and use it at night. New systems, retrofits to existing solar, and off-grid.
- Installing solar and batteries in SA since the early 2000s
- Based at Carey Gully, installing right across SA
- SAA accredited retailer, NETCC approved seller
- Our own in-house team, sale to install
- 4.9 stars from around 119 Google reviews
Reviews
What South Australian homeowners say
Battery systems
Add a battery to make the most of your power
We install home batteries across Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills and regional South Australia, on new systems and on solar that is already up there.
Which battery suits you depends on your usage, your existing setup and whether you want the lights to stay on in an outage. We size it to the household rather than to a round number.
Why a battery
What a battery actually changes
Solar covers your house through the day. A battery is what covers the evening, which is when most households use the most power.
The problem
You sell low and buy high
Feed-in tariffs are worth a fraction of what they once were. You export cheap through the day, then buy it back at peak rates at night.
What makes it worse
Not every battery keeps the lights on
A battery only runs your house through a blackout if it is specified with backup and the switchboard is wired for it. Plenty are sold without either.
What we do
Match the battery to the house
- Sized to your evening usage, not a round number
- Blackout backup if you want it
- Retrofits to solar we did not install
- Our own installers, never subcontracted
- Minimum five year whole-of-system warranty
Your options
Three ways to add a battery
Which one fits depends on whether you already have solar, and whether you are connected to the grid at all.
Hybrid Solar Power System
Hybrid systems stay connected to the grid for flexibility.
Export excess power and draw from the grid if your batteries run low. Blackout protection can be added to keep your power on during outages. Ideal for those starting their solar and battery journey.
Go to Hybrid page →
Retro-Fitted Battery System
Also known as AC Coupling, ideal when you already have solar and want to add a battery.
A cost-effective option for on-grid systems, whether installed recently or years ago, without replacing your existing setup.
Go to Retro-Fit page →
Off-Grid Solar Power System
Off-grid systems are fully self-sufficient.
Larger batteries power your whole home, with a backup generator available for extra security. Custom designed for properties that cannot connect to the grid or have unique needs.
Go to Off-Grid page →Time-of-use tariffs or joining a Virtual Power Plant can add further savings once a battery is installed. Force charging from the grid when prices are low, through a VPP or your provider, also helps through winter and cloudy stretches.
Go to FAQ page →Battery rebate SA
What comes off the price of a home battery
Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program
Up to around 30 percent comes off the upfront cost of a home battery. It is not means tested, it applies once per property, and we deduct it at the point of sale rather than you claiming it back later.
How much you can claim depends on the size of the battery. From 5 to 14kWh you claim the full amount, 14 to 28kWh claims 60 percent, and 28 to 50kWh claims 15 percent.
The rate steps down every six months through to the end of 2030, so waiting generally means claiming less. We confirm the figure that applies to your battery when we quote.
Getting more out of it
Free power in the middle of the day
Exporting is worth very little now, so the value has moved to what you can store. A growing number of providers will hand you the power instead.
Free power plans
More providers are offering three hours of free energy a day, usually between 11am and 2pm, and some now offer four. It exists because the grid gets overloaded in the middle of the day with exported solar. Limiting exports was not enough, so the cheapest fix is to give it away.
If your battery is struggling through winter, this is the answer. Set a schedule in your app to force charge during the free window, cover the house with whatever solar you are making, and let the free energy do the rest. If you need a hand setting the schedule up, give us a call.
- AGL
- GloBird
- OVO
Providers currently offering it. Setup usually takes 4 to 10 business days. As with anything, check the detail: rates at other times can be higher, so it is worth reviewing what suits you.
Which battery
The batteries we recommend most
We install all three. Which one we suggest comes down to whether you want the newest tech, the longest track record, or the best value for the money.
Sigenergy
Whole-home backup through the SigGateway, AC and DC coupling to suit new installs and retrofits, and AI energy management that learns your usage. Stackable, with bidirectional EV charging on the DC model. We usually recommend it to people who like keeping up with the latest tech.
Sungrow
Stable, proven and widely trusted, with backup built in. The traditional choice if you would rather have a long track record than the latest features.
GoodWe ESA
A stacked all-in-one system using modular 5kWh and 8kWh blocks with the inverter in the stack. Partial or whole-home backup is built in, so there is no separate gateway to buy. Single phase, and suits AC coupled setups.
We install and service batteries and hybrid inverters from these brands, and we will tell you plainly why we have recommended one for your home.
Battery brands we install
Recent work
Batteries we have put in lately
Each of these was sized to the household rather than picked off a price list.
Designed around seasonal shading, a common issue in the Hills. Sized to cover usage day and night.
19 x 440W Jinko panels with a Sigenergy controller, plus a gateway for full blackout protection.
A large array paired with Sigenergy storage, an EV charger and gateway backup.
Run through a 25kW inverter, with several options put forward before the homeowner chose.
Why us
Why choose TFA Solar for your battery
A small team, so you are not a job number
The person who quotes your battery is on the team that installs it. One number to call, before and after.
No pressure, no same-day sign-ups
We are all in-house and we do not use pressure sales. Our Open Solar quotes show the expected savings and performance graphs, so you can see what you are buying before you decide.
One of the first solar companies in South Australia
Installing here since the early 2000s. A battery warranty is only worth something if the company behind it is still trading in ten years.
Our own installers, on our own jobs
Never subcontracted. Every system carries a minimum five year whole-of-system and installation warranty.
We retrofit to systems we did not install
Including AC coupled setups where your existing inverter stays exactly where it is.
The process
How we work, from first call to aftercare
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Reach out
Call, email, or come and see us at a market.
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Quote and chat
We talk through your setup, your bills and what you want the battery to do, then send a detailed quote.
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Site visit
We check where the battery can go, the switchboard, and how your existing solar is set up. No same-day sign-ups.
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Approval
Once you are happy, sign the quote. We handle the SAPN and rebate approvals and lock in your date.
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Installation day
On site at 7.45am, usually finished by the afternoon. We walk you through the monitoring app before we go.
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Aftercare
We monitor your system early on and help with smart meter upgrades. Come back in two to five years for a service.
Service areas
Where we install batteries
Based at Carey Gully, installing across metropolitan Adelaide, the Hills and regional South Australia.
Metropolitan Adelaide
Gawler to Aldinga
Around half of our work sits in the suburbs and out on the plains.
- Gawler
- Angle Vale
- Salisbury
- Mawson Lakes
- Port Adelaide
- Seaton
- Henley Beach
- Glenelg
- Brighton
- Marion
- Hallett Cove
- Morphett Vale
- Aldinga
Adelaide Hills
The community on our doorstep
We specialise in the Hills because we live here.
- Stirling
- Aldgate
- Bridgewater
- Crafers
- Uraidla
- Carey Gully
- Lobethal
- Woodside
- Birdwood
- Hahndorf
- Mount Barker
- Nairne
- Echunga
- Macclesfield
- Kersbrook
Rural and regional SA
Beyond the Hills
North of Port Wakefield and south of Murray Bridge, few doors are out of reach.
- Nuriootpa
- Williamstown
- Two Wells
- Port Wakefield
- Mannum
- Murray Bridge
- Strathalbyn
- Mount Compass
- Goolwa
- Victor Harbor
- Normanville
FAQs
Common questions about solar batteries
How much does a solar battery cost in Adelaide?
It depends on the capacity you need and whether you want blackout backup. Every quote has the federal rebate already deducted, so the figure you see is what you pay.
What rebate can I get on a battery in SA?
Up to around 30 percent off the upfront cost through the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program. Not means tested and claimable once per property.
How much you can claim depends on the size of the battery. From 5 to 14kWh you claim the full amount, 14 to 28kWh claims 60 percent, and 28 to 50kWh claims 15 percent. The rate steps down every six months through to the end of 2030.
Rebate amounts move, so we confirm the figure that applies to your battery when we quote, and it comes off the price rather than being claimed back later.
Can I add a battery to my existing solar?
Yes. A retro-fitted or AC coupled battery works with solar installed recently or years ago, without replacing your existing setup. We do this on systems we did not install.
Will a battery keep my house running in a blackout?
Only if it is specified with backup and the switchboard is wired for it. Not every battery does this, so tell us at the site visit if it matters to you.
What is a free power plan?
Some providers now give you three hours of free energy a day, usually 11am to 2pm, with a few offering four. It exists because the grid gets overloaded with exported solar in the middle of the day.
With a battery you can force charge during that window, which is particularly useful through winter. AGL, GloBird and OVO are currently offering it. Check the detail though, because rates at other times can be higher.
What size battery do I need?
It comes down to how much power you use in the evening, after the sun is off the panels. We size it to that rather than to a round number.
Are Virtual Power Plants worth joining?
They can add savings on top of a battery, as can a time-of-use tariff or a free power plan. Amber and OVO are two we walk customers through.
Force charging from the grid when prices are low, or during a free power window, also helps through winter and cloudy stretches. Give us a call and we will talk it through for your setup.
What happens after it is installed?
We keep an eye on your system early on and help with a smart meter upgrade if you need one. After that, give us a call any time. We suggest a service every two to five years to keep it performing.
Which areas do you cover?
All of metropolitan Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills, and rural and regional South Australia. Not sure if you are in range? Give us a call.
Find us
Based at Carey Gully, in the middle of the Hills
Workshop
9 Deviation Road, Carey Gully SA 5144
Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm