Updated July 22, 2025
It doesn’t matter what you’re shopping for; the cost is the most important question you have. For Tesla’s Powerwall 3, the answer isn’t straightforward.
You can find a clear-cut price on Tesla’s website for Powerwall 3. But that’s just for the equipment (which is $11,900 for the battery and $1,700 for the Backup Gateway, a compulsory piece of equipment. When you add them together, you get $13,600).
But that price tag is for the hardware alone. You’ll also need to consider installation costs and potential upgrades to your home or solar system. All of this makes understanding the actual price a little more complex.
The good news? PSC Energy is installing the Powerwall 3. It offers more value than any other solar battery in its class on the market when paired with solar. It combines a hybrid inverter, battery storage, and innovative features all in one unit. We’re here to walk you through its price and value.
In this article, you will learn the following:
- Installing Powerwall 3 as a New Solar Panel Energy System
- Adding Powerwall 3 to an Enphase System or an Existing Solar Panel Energy System
- How Much Does a Powerwall 3 Cost at Penrith Solar Centre?
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly what questions to ask to get the best deal on Powerwall 3.
Installing Powerwall 3 as a New Solar Panel Energy System
The wonderful thing about Powerwall 3 is its versatility. It can be installed in different ways to best suit your needs.
- As a battery (that’s easy enough to understand).
- As a complete energy system (which takes a bit of explaining).
How a solar battery is wired into a system determines how that system will function and its associated costs.
When installing Powerwall 3 with solar panels simultaneously, you will use the enclosed DC hybrid inverter. The Powerwall 3 will allow up to 20 kilowatts (kW) of panels to be DC-coupled to the battery.
We won’t go too technical into the wiring itself here; we just want you to understand why there are different installation options and why you have choices.
So then, what is a hybrid inverter, and what does DC-coupled mean?
Hybrid Inverter: Solar panels harvest sunshine and generate electricity in the form of direct current (DC) power. But homes run on alternating current (AC) power. The DC power needs to be converted to AC power. This is what the hybrid inverters do. They change the waveform of electricity so it’s usable for the home.
Powerwall 3 has an integrated hybrid inverter within the battery casing. This means that two components of a solar system are installed as one. Battery + hybrid inverter.
DC-coupled: When we say the Powerwall 3 is “DC-coupled,” we’re referring to how the battery is wired to the home and solar system. It’s kind of technical.
If you’re interested in learning more about what a DC-coupled battery is, you might want to check out the following article titled, AC-coupled Battery vs. DC-coupled Solar Batteries.
Power from the panels is directly connected to the Powerwall 3 without conversion because the input from the roof bypasses the enclosed hybrid inverter. The hybrid inverter then outputs AC power from the battery to the home or the grid. This creates a more efficient charging and discharging cycle.
Up to 20kW of Solar: The biggest benefit of installing Powerwall 3 as a standalone system is the solar panels we’re bundling with it. It’s an exceptional value that you’ll have trouble finding elsewhere.
Solar panels with a battery offer true energy independence. It’s impossible to produce, store, and consume homegrown electrons without a battery paired with your solar panels on the roof. In our opinion, this is an excellent value for customers.
200% Oversizing: When you use the hybrid inverter in your battery with DC coupling (as intended), it allows you to oversize your solar system by 200%.
Oversizing your system is essentially what it sounds like. You can increase the number of panels on your roof in relation to the size of your inverter. In this case, 200% power output in relation to the inverter. The Powerwall 3’s hybrid inverter is capped at 10kW, allowing you to install up to 20kW of panels on the roof.
Doing this makes you eligible for a larger federal solar rebate. It’s a great practice in general for getting the most out of your solar system. In this instance, the government facilitates your ability to earn more money by allowing you to install solar panels in this way.
The federal rebate is determined by the amount of electricity that those panels will produce or offset from the day you install them to the day the scheme ends in 2030. The larger your system, the larger the rebate. Oversizing the panels with Powerwall 3 increases the system size and your rebate.
If Powerwall didn’t have this 200% oversizing ability (all DC hybrid inverters do this), then the battery would be quite a bit more expensive. The government rebate significantly offsets the cost of the system.
Essentially, the cost of the panels is covered by the value of the rebate, making bundling them an exceptional deal.
If you’d like to learn a bit more about the Powerwall 3, you might want to check out the following article titled, Powerwall 3: Is It Worth It?
Adding Powerwall 3 to an Enphase System or an Existing Solar Panel Energy System
Powerwall 3 integrates into the Enphase system as an AC-coupled battery. It connects to the home’s main switchboard, receiving AC power from the Enphase microinverters.
In this setup, your existing solar panels send electricity to your home through a microinverter (if it’s an Enphase system) or a string inverter (if it’s a string system), and the Powerwall 3 connects to each system via AC coupling.
In an Enphase system, the microinverters are mounted individually beneath each solar panel. Electricity is converted from DC to AC by the microinverter, and then again converted from AC to DC to store the energy in the battery.
That conversion process is slightly less efficient than DC coupling the battery, which bypasses the inverter and eliminates one of the power conversions. In this type of setup, the hybrid inverter will only be used to charge and discharge the battery.
Pairing an Enphase system with Powerwall 3 will incur higher upfront costs, but the potential long-term efficiencies make this option viable as well.
An AC-coupled system doesn’t have a 200% oversizing rule. The oversizing rule for AC-coupled solar is only 33% more panel capacity than inverter capacity. For example, if you have 10 kW worth of microinverters, the maximum number of solar panels you can install on the house would be 13.3 kW. The government rebate will be smaller because the system is smaller and unable to generate the same amount of estimated solar energy as a DC-coupled option.
While that might sound like a disadvantage compared to DC coupling the battery, there’s another consideration here: power capacity. AC-coupling the battery on an Enphase system provides you with immediate access to additional solar power.
When you AC couple a Powerwall 3, it can discharge 10kW of stored energy without affecting the kilowatts coming from the Enphase system. Let’s say the system is producing 10 kW via microinverters. You’d be able to draw up to 20kW of renewable energy in this example.
When you DC couple Powerwall 3, you’re limited by the size of the hybrid inverter only, which is 10kW. So, it is much less immediate power to use. While 20kW bypasses the inverter for efficient charging, the hybrid inverter can only output 10kW at a time.
It’s something to consider if you have a lot of power-hungry appliances; this might be particularly important to you. AC coupling Powerwall 3 gives you more power at a time.
There’s also the issue of whether your home is single-phase or three-phase. That will also inform your decision. It’s pretty complicated, but fortunately, we have an article that addresses this topic as well.
Consult with an experienced installer who understands three-phase considerations to ensure that your Powerwall 3 setup works perfectly with your home.
If you’re interested in learning more about installing Powerwall on a three-phase site, you might want to check out the following article titled, Installing Powerwall 3 on a Three-phase Site.
How Much Does a Powerwall 3 Cost at PSC Energy?
The Tesla Powerwall 3 is not cheap, but it will be worth the investment, depending on how you plan to use it.
If you’re installing a Powerwall 3 as part of a new solar project, the cost is different compared to adding it to an existing solar setup.
Here’s the price breakdown for two scenarios:
- Installing Powerwall 3 with a new solar system (DC-coupled): The cost starts at $17,800. This price includes six kilowatts (kW) of solar panels; however, the cost may increase if you require additional solar capacity. You can install up to 20 kW of solar panels with this option.
- Adding Powerwall 3 to an Enphase or existing solar system (AC-coupled): This method costs $12,500. This option is for homeowners who already have solar panels on their roof or are adding the Powerwall 3 as a battery to an Enphase system.
Those prices, of course, are higher than the figures we included in the introduction. That additional cost is installation by us, PSC Energy. Honestly, you’ll find it quoted for less from other installers.
What are you paying for with us?
PSC Energy is a top-to-bottom, inquiry-to-installation solar systems service. We are certified and accredited. We will handle your questions and installation from the moment you reach out to us to the moment we set up the consumption monitoring app on your phone.
We also fulfil the warranties for your equipment, should you have any difficulty with it. Our workmanship warranty is 10 years, and we have a full-time service department.
This is particularly advantageous if something goes wrong with your system. You don’t want to get caught in the subcontractor cycle of sadness.n’t want to get caught in the subcontractor cycle of sadness.
Brief Note on Payback Period and Return on Investment: Estimating the payback period and return on investment for a solar system can be challenging. Several factors will affect this, and many can change.
- What size is your solar system?
- What is the cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from your energy provider?
- What are the feed-in rates with your DNSP or VPP?
It’s best to calculate these figures with the help of a solar consultant. Make sure you speak to consultants who install both Powerwall 3 systems and Enphase systems for proper comparison.
At PSC Energy, we consider many factors to determine the system that will save you the most money over time. A well-designed residential solar system usually has a payback period of 3 to 5 years.
The period could be longer if unexpected expenses arise during installation, such as extra labour costs, or if you add additional components, like a battery.
Solar batteries are notorious for extending the payback period of a system beyond five years. But with Powerwall 3 installed as a DC-coupled battery with solar panels, we’re seeing a payback period of around 5 years. That’s insane value. We suspect this is why Tesla installed a hybrid inverter in its battery.
Keep in mind that electricity prices are rising fast. Over the past year, electricity costs have increased twice. If you’re not using most of the electricity your solar system produces with a battery, it will be hard to keep up with these rising energy costs. That should be one of the numbers you’re crunching while you’re considering long-term value.
If you’d like to learn a bit more about what solar batteries are on the market, you might want to check out the following article titled, 6 Best Solar Batteries on the market.
Wrapping It Up: Powerwall 3 Hits It Out of the Spark
Now you know a lot more about the cost of a Powerwall 3, why we install it in different ways, and what type of value it offers.
At Penrith Solar Centre, we’re Powerwall 3 experts. We’re here to guide you through the process of smashing your energy bills by growing your own electrons.
If you’d like to learn more about Tesla products, we recommend you check out the following article titled, Tesla Powerwall 3 Review: An In-Depth Look at Tesla’s New Solar Battery.
FAQ: Powerwall 3 Price
What is the real cost of a Tesla Powerwall 3 in Australia?
The listed equipment cost for Powerwall 3 is $11,900 for the battery and $1,700 for the Backup Gateway. That totals $13,600 for hardware alone. However, that does not include installation, system design, or upgrades. At PSC Energy, the full cost depends on how you install it. With a new solar system, the starting price is $17,800. If you’re adding it to an existing system, it starts at $12,500.
What does Powerwall 3 include?
Powerwall 3 includes a lithium-ion battery, a built-in hybrid inverter, and is paired with a required Backup Gateway. The hybrid inverter allows you to connect solar panels directly to the battery (DC-coupled). This all-in-one unit simplifies installation and boosts efficiency when paired with solar.
How is Powerwall 3 installed with solar panels?
When installed with new solar panels, Powerwall 3 uses its hybrid inverter to DC-couple the battery with up to 20kW of solar panels. This setup is more efficient and allows a larger federal rebate. The system benefits from 200% oversizing, which means you can install up to 20kW of panels with a 10kW inverter.
Can I add Powerwall 3 to an existing Enphase system?
Yes. Powerwall 3 can be AC-coupled to an existing Enphase system or any solar system with a string inverter. In this setup, it connects to the home’s switchboard and stores AC energy that has been converted from solar. This type of installation is less efficient but allows higher simultaneous energy output.
What is the difference between DC-coupled and AC-coupled Powerwall 3?
DC-coupled Powerwall 3 setups connect solar panels directly to the battery, bypassing the need to convert power to AC first. This reduces energy loss and improves efficiency. AC-coupled systems convert energy twice, which causes minor losses. However, AC coupling allows more solar power to flow through your home at once if you have high usage.
Does Powerwall 3 support 3-phase homes?
Powerwall 3 is a single-phase battery. It can still be installed on a 3-phase site, but extra planning is needed. You may only get backup power on one phase unless additional equipment is installed. A qualified installer, such as PSC Energy, can help design a suitable system for your home.
What is the benefit of oversizing solar with Powerwall 3?
The hybrid inverter in Powerwall 3 allows you to install up to 200% of its rated inverter capacity in solar panels. That means up to 20 kW of panels on a 10 kW inverter. This maximises your federal solar rebate and improves energy production. It also offsets a greater portion of your electricity usage over time.
How long is the payback period for Powerwall 3?
Powerwall 3 has a payback period of around five years when installed with a new solar system. This is shorter than most solar batteries. A standalone battery install may take longer to pay off. Factors such as rising electricity prices and reduced feed-in tariffs make battery storage increasingly valuable over time.
What is included in PSC Energy’s Powerwall 3 installation?
PSC Energy handles everything from consultation to final setup. This includes site assessment, compliance paperwork, rebate claims, installation, and app setup. PSC also offers a 10-year workmanship warranty and maintains an in-house service department to handle support and warranty claims.
Why is Powerwall 3 with solar panels a better value?
Bundling Powerwall 3 with solar panels offers a larger federal rebate and a faster payback period. It enables DC coupling, enhances energy efficiency, and promotes true energy independence. The rebate often covers the cost of the solar panels themselves, making this setup a great long-term value.
