American Battery Expert Reacts to Australia’s $370/kWh Solar Rebate

You can tell when someone’s seen it all. Joe Ordia, of Solar Surge speaks with the calm clarity of a man who’s been in the trenches — off-grid systems, emergency bunkers, and now YouTube product reviews with hundreds of thousands watching.

“I first got started in solar back in 2012… doing purely off-grid battery-based solar systems… survival bunkers… doomsday preppers.”

This week, he dialled into a cross-Pacific conversation with Queensland Solar & Lighting’s Daniel “Kempy” Jarrett — who, like most of us in the local industry, is still trying to wrap his head around the $2.3 billion home battery rebate the Albanese government quietly dropped at the end of the election campaign.

“They’re going to start paying everyone $370 per kilowatt of battery storage,” Kempy said. “We all just went, ‘Whoa.’”

It’s already changed everything.

“We went from 25% batteries to now 90% batteries — it’s just flipped.”

Sigenergy Takes Centre Stage — If You Can Find It

If there’s one name that keeps coming up, it’s Sigenergy. We sell the Sigenergy Solar battery as it’s the best by far.

“Sigenergy, I believe, has number one market share now in Australia for solar and storage systems,” said Ordia. “They’re practical… that’s the flavour of the month.”

But the popularity comes at a cost — namely, availability.

“We’ve got a big Sigenergy shortage at the moment, especially the 10 kilowatt batteries that everyone wants.”

With everyone chasing stock, and install timelines blowing out, Ordia sees both opportunity — and risk.

“I’ll Take a Half-Off Battery If You’re Buying”

He’s not blind to the upsides.

“That’s a great deal… I’ll take a half-off battery if you’re buying.”

But the American market has shown what happens when subsidies are the only thing holding some businesses together.

“When you have businesses built too dependent on government subsidies… if those programs get taken away — you can see a lot of business failures.”

The Ghosts of LG Chem

Jarrett admitted he was late to the battery party — and for good reason.

“I was always hesitant… LG Chem was a complete disaster.”

Joe didn’t argue.

“That was the first lithium-based home battery we offered in the States… nearly half the systems we installed had to be serviced within six months.”

Their shared takeaway? Don’t sell a battery you wouldn’t install in your own mother’s house.

DIY vs Licensed Installs: Two Worlds Apart

The chat veered briefly into the DIY culture that’s more common in the U.S.

“Growatt is popular in the DIY space.”

“It’s very difficult for an unlicensed individual to purchase Tesla.”

In Australia, it’s a different game.

“We need like proper industry passwords just to access the firmware… that just cannot happen here.”

Beware the “Cheapest Quote” Trap

One of the final takeaways from both men was a warning: don’t choose your solar contractor the way you’d buy a kettle.

“You’re getting into a long-term relationship with a contracting business,” said Joe. “You want to make sure that business is going to be there in the future.”

“My installer was going around fixing all the other guys’ messes. I was just like — man, I’m glad I didn’t sell it.”

Hailstones, Insurance, and What’s Hiding in the Fine Print

They even touched on one of the less sexy — but quietly crucial — issues: insurance.

“There were companies that did poor quality work… several cases of roof leaks… electrical fires.”

“You want to have at least 3 millimetres of front glass… to withstand hail strikes.”

“We’ve had a few big hailstorms… where the hail was so big it actually went through the tiles.”

Final Word From the Battery Guy

It was a wide-ranging conversation — part warning, part wake-up call.

“It’s resilient,” Joe said. “I think the industry is resilient… for those of us in it for the long term.”

For now, the phones are ringing, the batteries are scarce, and the customers want answers. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a curious homeowner, one thing’s clear:

“Equipment is important. Choosing the right contractor is just as important.”