# Solar & Battery Systems — Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Canonical URL: https://empireelectricalcontractors.com.au/services/solar-battery/surry-hills
Empire Electrical Contractors · Phone +61468404608 (24/7)

Grid-connect solar, batteries and EV-ready system design

Design and install of grid-connect solar and battery systems in Sydney — quality panels, hybrid inverters and Tesla Powerwall / Sungrow / Alpha ESS batteries. CEC-accredited, quoted honestly.

## Local context
Surry Hills sits in Inner City, Sydney. Postcode 2010, coordinates -33.8846, 151.211.
Nearby landmarks: Prince Alfred Park, Crown Street shops.
Common property types: Victorian terraces, warehouse conversions.
a trendy inner-city suburb where converted warehouses and narrow terraces both commonly need switchboard upgrades
We also service: Sydney CBD, Barangaroo, The Rocks, Pyrmont, Ultimo, Darlinghurst.

## What's included
- 6.6kW to 13kW residential solar design and install
- Battery storage — Tesla Powerwall 3, Sungrow, Alpha ESS
- Hybrid inverter upgrades on existing solar
- EV-charger-ready system design
- Consumption monitoring and app dashboards
- STC rebate and NSW battery rebate handled for you

## Overview
Solar in Sydney only pays if it's sized properly for your daytime consumption and installed with quality gear that lasts 15+ years. We design systems around your actual usage (bill and interval data pulled from your retailer), not a generic "6.6kW fits all" default — most Sydney households benefit from 8-10kW of panels feeding a hybrid inverter that's battery-ready even if you don't add the battery on day one.
For battery storage we install Tesla Powerwall 3, Sungrow SBH, and Alpha ESS SMILE — sized to your evening load, not oversold. A well-sized battery covers the evening peak and overnight base load, cuts grid import by 70-90%, and keeps essential circuits alive during a blackout. The NSW battery rebate (from 2024) is available to eligible households and we handle the paperwork.
Every install is designed and signed off by a CEC-accredited designer/installer — the legal requirement to unlock STC rebates. We handle Ausgrid grid-connection approval, the switchboard changes required for solar/battery integration, EV-charger-ready wiring and CT clamps for consumption monitoring, and the compliance package your retailer needs for feed-in tariff.

## Fixed pricing
$8,000–$22,000 AUD per battery. Workmanship warranty 60 months. Typical on-site duration ~8 hours.

## Symptoms we hear about
- Existing solar with no battery backup
- Blackouts leaving PV useless
- Older inverter due for replacement

## Common causes
- Grid-tied systems without battery-ready inverter
- Ageing string inverters
- No essential loads sub-board

## How we handle it
1. **Assess** — Review PV size, usage patterns and switchboard layout to size battery correctly.
2. **Design** — Battery, backup gateway and essential loads panel documented and quoted.
3. **Install** — Battery mounted, gateway integrated, essential loads sub-board wired.
4. **Commission** — System commissioned, app configured, monitoring tested and handover pack supplied.

## Applicable standards
- AS/NZS 5139 — Battery system installation
- AS/NZS 4777.1 — Grid connection

## Recent anonymised jobs
### Battery retrofit to an existing solar system
An older solar system in Surry Hills was exporting most of its production for very little. We added a battery with a hybrid inverter, re-worked the switchboard connection and configured charging around the household's evening peak. Surry Hills falls inside postcode 2010 on our Inner City route, so we quote up front and finish to AS/NZS 3000 with a compliance certificate.
Outcome: Battery commissioned, evening usage now self-supplied.. Approx. 480 minutes on site.

### Battery retrofit to an existing solar array
A Surry Hills home with an existing 6.6 kW solar system wanted battery storage added. We installed the battery beside the switchboard, wired in the hybrid inverter and configured backup circuits for essential loads. Jobs like this between Prince Alfred Park and Crown Street shops are part of our regular Surry Hills run, so callouts here rarely wait long. It's a pattern we see across Surry Hills: a trendy inner-city suburb where converted warehouses and narrow terraces both commonly need switchboard upgrades
Outcome: Battery storage added, backup circuits configured, self-consumption boosted.. Approx. 380 minutes on site.

## FAQs
**How big a system do I need?**
Most Sydney households sit best on an 8-10kW panel array. Enough to cover daytime consumption, charge an EV or battery, and generate a healthy feed-in on sunny days. Bigger isn't always better — over-sizing beyond your export limit wastes money.

**Is a battery worth it?**
For most households on a Sydney time-of-use tariff, yes — a properly-sized battery cuts grid import by 70-90% and pays back in 6-9 years with the NSW rebate. If you already have solar and pay high evening tariffs, the payback is shorter.

**Do you handle rebates and paperwork?**
Yes — STC rebate, NSW battery rebate (where eligible), Ausgrid grid-connection approval and retailer feed-in tariff notification are all handled by us.

**How much does a solar and battery system cost?**
A quality 6.6kW system starts around $5,500 after STC rebate. 10kW solar + 10kWh battery lands around $18,000 after STC and NSW battery rebates. Written fixed quotes provided after a proper site assessment.

**Are you CEC-accredited?**
Yes — CEC-accredited design and install (legally required to claim the STC rebate). All electrical work certified with a Certificate of Compliance.

**Can the battery keep the house running in a blackout?**
Yes — Tesla Powerwall 3 and Sungrow SBH both support whole-home or essential-circuit backup. We wire it as part of the install so lights, fridge and Wi-Fi stay live through outages.

**Will you match a cheap door-knocker quote?**
No — we'll show you exactly what you'd be getting for that price (usually tier-3 panels, an unsupported inverter and no consumption monitoring) and quote a properly-designed system that will still be running in year 15. Cheapest and best rarely overlap in solar.

## Reviews
Aggregate: 5/5 across 195 Google reviews.
- Shirish Shetty (5/5, 2026-06-01): Absolutely outstanding electrician and genuinely one of the best people to work with. He diagnosed and fixed the issue within a couple of hours. He was professional, efficient, and reliable.
- Jie Z (Jessica) (5/5, 2026-06-01): VERY HIGHLY recommend! We had an issue with power at home and needed someone urgently to restore the electricity service. They responded quickly, showed up on time, and got everything back up and running without any hassle.
- Vin J (5/5, 2026-03-01): I highly recommend Joe, he's very skilled, kind and does honest work. He did a massive last minute job for us, installing an entire 17.4kw ducted aircon system after our old unit broke.
- Jennifer Cornish (5/5, 2025-11-01): Exceptional Service - Highly Recommend! I contacted Joe from Empire Electrical to install new powerpoints and downlights. His professionalism, punctuality, and thoroughness stood out.
- Jasmin Cumming (5/5, 2025-07-01): I am so glad I called Empire Electrical. Joe is a very honest person which is hard to come by. He explained everything to me and charged me an incredibly fair price.