The rooftop PV and home battery market in Australia is set for a major shake up as hardware giant Bunnings launches a zero up-front installation cost offer to Australian households, along with plans to become a dominant player in the booming sector.
The move by Bunnings comes just weeks after the opening of the federal government’s home battery rebate scheme, and follows its own decision to target the home energy market, and begin selling EV home charging products in its stores.
The home battery market is booming in Australia, thanks to the newly launched federal government rebate, and battery installations have already overtaken the number of rooftop solar installations in the race to retrofit.
Bunnings is targeting that market, and the still two thirds of households that have not yet installed solar.
It has teamed up with software company Intellihub to make an integrated offer to households that will feature an app, and deploy technologies from two of the major new players in the Australian market, battery maker SigEnergy and solar module suppler Das Solar.
Bunnings chief operating officer, Ryan Baker, says the launch of the Zelora product, which will initially be available online for customers in the Sydney and Newcastle area, will help Australian households are looking to transition to renewable energy and for practical solutions in the home.
“Many customers find home electrification complex and may not be aware of the benefits it can offer,” Baker said. “Zelora has been developed to simplify the home battery and solar opportunity for customers in a cost-effective way.”
The move by such a major player, backed by Australia’s biggest conglomerate, is sure to shake up the home energy market, which while strong has been a low margin business because of the intense competition.
Bunnings and its parent company Wesfarmers recently landed $100 million in lower cost finance from the Clean Energy Finance to further the rollout of rooftop solar on its own stores, even though it had already met its target of 100 per cent renewables, and the rollout of EV fast chargers at its stores.
Intellihub’s executive general manager in Australia, Alastair McKeown, said the company had been working with Bunnings for more than a year to develop the products, and was drawn to its unrivalled brand recognition.
“They wanted to move into home energy space, and we wanted to create something different, so we co-designed a product that gives access to people who don’t have $15,000 to $20,000 to spend on solar and batteries,” he told Renew Economy.
“That’s why we designed the subscription based model. People either don’t have the money, or they want to keep the money in the bank. That’s why we designed a subscription based model.
“Bunnings is the most trusted brand in Australia. We felt that combining that trust element with our optimisation tech, the customer will get the best outcome.”
Intellihub, which has been rolling out smart meters across Australia – around 30,000 to 40,000 a month – will use much the same network of installers and electricians for this roll, and will also provide the smarts for the app that Bunnings will provide to its solar and battery customers.
“The app will give insights into savings for the customers, and let them know that there is a problem,” he said. “Often people install solar and batteries and don’t even know that the equipment is not working properly.” It also provides options for EV charging and pool pump controls.
The Zelora product is to be trialled first across Newcastle and greater Sydney before being rolled out across the country. It will offer monthly subscriptions ranging from $80 a month for the smallest battery on offer up to $174/month for the biggest solar and battery combo on offer.
For more details about the Bunnings offer, including pricing, please see our story on our sister site One Step Off the Grid.
