Home batteries / With or without solar
A battery can work with a suitable solar system or charge from the grid if panels won’t suit your place. If backup matters, list the circuits you want to keep running. If saving on power is the priority, we’ll compare your usage and tariff with the cost of storage.
Send a bill for a battery review My roof won’t suit solarBackup / A simple example
A steady 500-watt load running for four hours uses 2 kWh. That’s the energy the equipment needs, before losses and a reserve. A pump may also need a short burst of much higher power to start. Both questions matter.
List the fridge, lights, internet, pumps or machinery you want backed up. We check what can run together, how long you need it and which circuits the proposed backup arrangement will actually supply.
See how an off-grid battery bank fits together
Grid-charged batteries / Homes without solar
A compatible system can charge when power is cheaper, then supply the house at peak times. It needs a tariff gap big enough to cover the energy lost in charging and discharging. With a flat tariff, shifting power through a battery costs energy. Backup may still be valuable to you.
Use your own GST-inclusive import prices and the energy you can actually use at peak times. Allow for the charge you want to hold for outages. This estimates the change to usage charges only.
For example, at 35c peak, 18c off-peak and 90% efficiency, delivering 6 kWh saves about 90 cents on a day when all 6 kWh displace peak imports.
EECA’s battery guidance (opens in a new tab)Hardware, installation, daily charges, tariff changes, deterioration, service and finance sit outside this estimate. We compare the result with shifting flexible loads directly and separately size the power, circuits and runtime for backup.
Send a bill for a battery-only review Compare finance optionsEquipment we can assess
Start with your existing inverter and switchboard. We confirm compatibility, the NZ installation pathway, service support and what is covered before pricing a particular model.
Worth assessing when solar, battery storage and a future charging option are being planned together. We check the energy controller, battery modules and gateway against the backup brief. Two-way EV charging needs a separate vehicle and network check.
Check two-way EV charging What’s different about Neo? →An option for storing solar for later use or backing up selected loads. For an existing array, we check the solar configuration, proposed backup circuits, gateway, monitoring and Tesla Certified Installer arrangements.
Tesla NZ system design (opens in a new tab)A battery to consider if you want storage and compatible myenergi devices to work together. If you already have a zappi charger, send its model. We check the NZ supply and installation route before quoting.
myenergi NZ battery details (opens in a new tab)Sigenergy / Residential storage
Considering solar, storage and backup in one installation?
Neo combines the inverter, battery controls and backup gateway in one system and can take up to six matching battery modules. If backup is the reason you’re looking, tell us which circuits you want to keep running and for how long.
Neo is a separate equipment family. If you already have SigenStor, send the controller and battery model numbers before assuming the parts will work together. Two-way EV charging also needs its own compatibility check.
Sigenergy has announced Neo internationally. Before quoting it in Otago, we need written confirmation of the NZ model, supply, warranty support and suitability for your site.
Ask about Neo for my site → Sigenergy’s announcement (opens in a new tab)Quote and aftercare
Compare solar alone, storage and any backup equipment separately. We identify the usage data, tariffs, export assumptions, site works and reserve settings behind an estimate. Where storage adds little value, that should be clear in the comparison.
Agree on backed-up circuits, monitoring access, who receives alerts and how support calls are handled. Keep a record of settings, models, serial numbers and warranty contacts. If a savings review matters, agree upfront what to compare after the first representative billing period.
Getting started
Send a recent bill, your inverter model if known, and what you want the battery to do.
Quality Assured member
Member 24728
94% in our September 2026 health and safety assessment.
What Gold means (opens in a new tab)Listed for Otago solar and battery installations.
See our SEANZ profile (opens in a new tab)Listed health and safety approved contractor.
Check the council register (opens in a new tab)