Is a 10kW Solar Battery Worth It? Price, ROI & Savings Explained
Solar panels are the foundation of your solar power system, but solar batteries can help you make the most of your clean energy. However, figuring out how much battery storage you need can be tricky.
There isn’t a universal answer, as everyone’s energy consumption is different. Still, a 10kWh solar battery is a solid choice for homes across the country due to its capacity and value for money.
In this article, we’ll let you know what the 10kW solar battery price is, your return on investment, and potential savings with Volteam.
How Does a 10kWh Solar Battery Work?
A 10kW solar battery is a rechargeable storage unit that holds your excess electricity generated by your solar panels. During the day, your solar panels can generate surplus energy, which can go to waste if you don’t have a battery to store it.
This can then either feed back into your home when the sun goes down, cover your home during outages, save you money during peak usage times, or sell back to the grid.
Your energy resources can be used to power appliances, lights, and air conditioning without having to source power from the electricity grid at all. Especially with electricity costs on the rise, this becomes quite beneficial.
What Could a 10kWh Solar Battery Power?
To give you a better idea about the applications of a 10kWh solar battery, below are some examples:
- LED Lighting (10 bulbs): 100 hours
- Washing Machine: 20 hours
- Desktop Computer: 50 hours
- Refrigerator: 25-67 hours
- Air Conditioner (1.5 tonne): 6.7 hours
- TV (LED, 43”): 100 hours
Each of these is taken individually, so if all of them are working at once (such as during a power outage), a battery with a power output of 10kW will get you through the night. Your whole house may not last through 24 hours, but if it’s limited to essentials like your refrigerator, lights, fan, internet, and phone, you might be able to extend the battery’s capabilities.
10kW Solar Battery Price in Australia
A 10kWh solar battery gives you more control over your usage and allows you to gain independence from the grid. It is quite an investment; however, there are various financial incentives available at the state and federal levels.
The battery systems usually start at an average price of $3,999 for the 10kWh battery systems, while installation charges will also have an extra price ranging from $1,000 to $3,000. For quality brands and installation, prices can range from $9,000 to $16,000.
However, for the more premium choices available on the market, the solar battery price for the Tesla PowerWall 3, which is a 10kW solar battery, will likely fall on the higher end of the scale, between $14,000 and $16,000. Another option for the budget-conscious buyer is the trusted brand of Sungrow, priced between $9,000 and $11,000.
A 10kW solar system with a battery price can range from $20,000 to $26,000, providing more savings compared to installing them separately, as you’re only paying the installation cost once. This cost can fluctuate based on your home’s layout, the inverter brand, and its integration with any other monitoring or smart energy systems.
Federal Rebate
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which launched in July 2025, can help to cover up to 30% of the upfront cost of installing a solar battery. However, it’s important to note that major changes are being implemented for 2026. The big one to look out for is the faster decline in Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) factors.
This determines how much you’ll save, and your 10kWh rebate will differ depending on when you install it. From January to April, you can receive a $3,192 rebate on a 10kWh battery, but from May to December 2026, the rebate will reduce to $2,584.
To avoid missing out on $608 in savings next year, act now to secure your installation. Remember, the rebate is applied based on the installation date, so the sooner you act, the lower your payment will be.
You should also note that this rebate will decrease every six months until 2030, when the scheme will end.
State-Based Support
Along with federal programs, individual states provide their own incentives. Unfortunately for Queenslanders, the state Battery Booster rebate has been fully allocated, but there is potential for new funding to be issued to meet the demand.
Return on Investment for a 10kW Solar Battery
A key question homeowners have when investing in a solar battery is how long it will take for it to pay for itself. This payback period is the number of years it takes for the electricity bill savings (plus any earnings from selling power back with Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs) to match the initial investment of the battery.
This timeline varies for everyone and depends on your location, energy usage, and qualifying rebates. For example, in Brisbane, the payback period can last 7-8 years for an average home using 7kWh/evening at 2025 electricity rates, including the federal incentive. There’s potential to shorten this payback if you’re part of a well-structured VPP with attractive credits.
Average Savings
Your annual savings with a 10kW solar setup, with panels and a battery, range from $1,300 to more than $2,000. This depends on usage, location, incentives, solar system self-sufficiency, and electricity rates.
The battery helps maximise your savings, as it enables you to use more of your own solar power compared to just the panels on their own, at a rate of 50-60% with a battery, compared to 25% without one.
Is a 10kW Solar Battery Worth the Price?
Whether to purchase a 10kW battery or not depends on the amount of usage the battery will have in the house. Domestic premises consuming between 7-10 kWh during the evening can easily meet their power demands at night with the help of a 10kW battery.
You can now manage and optimise your energy usage and make effective use of the energy from the sun by using solar power and depending less on the energy grid. You can reach out to Volteam if interested in learning more about going green and using solar energy.
