The solar arm of insulation company CSR Bradford has been named in an updated list of Australian companies US electric vehicle and battery maker, Tesla, will be working with, to sell its Powerwall residential energy storage unit.
Last week, Tesla announced that sales of its 7kWh Powerwall battery had officially kicked off in Australia, and named the first three local installers – electricity retailers Origin Energy and Simply Energy, and Sydney-based solar installer Natural Solar.
This week, Tesla released an extended list of the confirmed Tesla resellers, with further parties to be announced over the coming weeks and into the new year.
The updated list included solar installers SunEdison Australia and CSR Bradford, and network operatorsVector (New Zealand), Citipower/Powercor (Victoria), SAPN (South Australia), Ergon (Qld) and United Energy.
CSR said on Monday it had decided to expand into home batteries, namely the Tesla Powerwall, after keen interest from home-building developers and consumers.
CSR Bradford executive general manager, Anthony Tannous, said the move was a logical add-on to the company’s solar business.
“This for us was a perfect fit,” he said in a statement. “We think there is going to be good interest in the new-home market, as well as the retrofit market.”
CSR Bradford said it expected to charge “under $10,000” to supply and install the Powerwall, with installations beginning in early 2016.
A complete 4kWh solar PV system, with inverter and battery, could be installed for less than $15,000, it said.
Natural Solar, meanwhile, plans to begin installing the Tesla batteries across four states and in the ACT in January, as part of its latest 4- and 5kW rooftop solar offerings.
Natural Solar managing director Chris Williams told OneStepOffTheGrid last week that he expected to be able to offer his customers a 4kW solar system with the 7kWh Powerwall integrated using a Fronius hybrid inverter for around $13,990 (GST inclusive and fully installed), with added meter costs. $14,990 for a 5kW solar system.
Coupling the Powerwall with a 4kW SolarEdge system would cost slightly more, at $15,390, Williams said.
Williams also told OneStep that he believed that both the market and the technology were at the crucial point where customers could potentially be offered a zero deal offer on a solar plus storage system using the Tesla Powerwall.
“With the right set up, (such a deal could) see the customer be cash-flow positive immediately and own the system outright within seven years,” Williams said.
Origin plans to bundle the Tesla Powerwall with Trina solar panels and the Solar Edge inverter as part of a home energy solution it will offer its customers – including the more than 400,000 with rooftop solar – the retailer said in a release. No price has yet been mentioned.
Tesla is understood to be close to tying up other deals on sales channels in Australia, and is also accepting direct customer orders on its website.
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and deputy editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
