When investing in a solar energy system for your home, it’s essential to understand all the costs involved. While the solar panels themselves represent a significant portion of the investment, there are additional factors that can influence the overall cost. At Unplugged Energy, we believe in transparency and want to ensure you have a clear picture of your solar investment from the start. It’s crucial to factor in these potential additional costs during your initial budget planning. By understanding these costs upfront, you can avoid surprises and ensure a smooth and hassle-free installation process. Our team at Unplugged Energy will provide you with a detailed breakdown of all costs involved, tailored to your specific needs and circumstances.

This page outlines potential additional costs that may apply to your installation. Please be assured that we will always discuss any potential extra costs with you during the site assessment and provide a clear explanation before proceeding with any work.

Common Additional Installation Costs:

• Tiled Roof Upgrade: From $200

  • In some cases, tiled roofs may require additional work to ensure a secure and weatherproof solar installation. This upgrade covers the extra labor and materials needed for specific tile profiles or conditions.
  • For other roof types like Kliplock, these will be priced on assessment.

• Multi-Level Installation (Solar): From $350

  • Properties with multiple levels or those where the gutter line is higher than 2.2 meters can present additional installation challenges. These challenges can increase installation time and require extra safety measures, cabling, and equipment. Reasons for additional costs on multi-level installations include:

    • Time: Increased time required for installation on complex properties.
    • Employee Safety & Worksafe Laws: Ensuring the safety of our installation team on multi-level sites necessitates extra precautions and equipment.
    • Additional Cabling Requirements: Multi-level homes often require longer cable runs.
    • Safety Barriers: Setting up and utilizing safety barriers for elevated work areas.
    • Lifting Equipment: Potentially requiring lifting equipment to safely move solar panels and equipment.

  • Please note: As multi-level homes vary significantly, the $350 additional cost is an initial estimate. We will assess your property individually to provide an accurate quote if a multi-level installation surcharge applies.

• Split Solar Array: From $200

  • In situations where your solar array needs to be split across different roof sections (even if facing the same direction), a split solar array charge may apply. This is due to the additional labor and materials required to create separate roof penetrations and install supplementary arrays.

• Existing System Removal: From $200

  • If you have an existing solar system that needs to be removed before installing your new Unplugged Energy system, we offer removal services. This cost covers the safe and responsible removal of your old system, ensuring panels are sustainably repurposed where possible.
    
    • Systems up to 15 panels: From $150
    • For systems larger than 15 panels: $10 per panel thereafter.

• Panel Tilts: $35 per panel
• • Panel tilts may be required to optimize solar panel angle for maximum sun exposure, especially on flat roofs or roofs with suboptimal orientations. Tilting panels can improve energy yield.
  • Cost is per solar panel requiring a tilt.

• Main Switch Upgrade to Circuit Breaker: 

• • Replace your main switch with modern, safer circuit breakers. This is a Western Power requirement.
  • Single Phase Upgrade: $120
  • Three Phase Upgrade: $185
  • Note: Prices are for standard upgrades. Complex installations may have additional costs, which will be discussed during assessment.

• Switchboard Upgrade: (Price on Assessment)

  • In some older properties, the existing electrical switchboard may not be adequate for a solar or battery installation. A switchboard upgrade may be necessary to ensure the safe and efficient integration of your new energy system. This cost will be assessed on a case-by-case basis after a thorough inspection of your switchboard.

• Battery Backup Power Supplies & Multi-level Installation (Battery): (Price on Assessment)

  • Similar to solar panel installations, battery installations, especially backup power supplies and those in multi-level homes, may incur additional costs. These costs are highly variable depending on the complexity of the installation and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Important Notes:

• Assessment Required: For switchboard upgrades and battery backup system installations, costs are provided “on assessment” as they heavily depend on individual property circumstances.
• Transparent Quotes: Unplugged Energy is committed to transparency. Any potential additional costs will be clearly outlined and explained in your personalized quote after a site assessment.
• Case-by-Case Basis: Many additional costs, especially those related to multi-level installations, are assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure accurate and fair pricing.

If you have any questions about potential additional installation costs, please don’t hesitate to contact the Unplugged Energy team. We’re here to help you understand all aspects of your solar and battery installation.