Can a home battery go inside the house?

Not in a habitable room. Bedrooms, living areas, kitchens and hallways are off limits under AS/NZS 5139, and so are roof spaces and wall cavities. A garage, or an outside wall with a non-habitable room behind it, is the usual spot.

Is my garage a good place for a battery?

Usually the best place in a Perth home. It's shaded, dry and often close to the switchboard. Because cars park there, we fit a bollard in front so the battery can't be hit.

Can a battery go on a west-facing wall in Perth?

It can, but Perth afternoon sun is harsh and heat shortens battery life. If the only spot gets direct sun, we add a shade canopy, or we find a shadier wall.

Can a battery be mounted on a fence?

No. A Colorbond or timber fence can't carry the weight and is often a shared boundary. If that's the spot you want, a simple steel frame can be built in front of the fence and the battery mounted to that.

How far does the battery need to be from my gas meter or gas bottle?

We keep batteries at least 1 metre from gas, and further from gas bottles and gas hot water systems. Your installer confirms the exact distance on site.

Does the battery need wi-fi where it's installed?

Yes. The WA battery rebate requires the battery to join a Virtual Power Plant, and new WA systems must be able to talk to the grid online. Check your wi-fi reaches the spot, or tell us so we can plan for it.

What if my battery spot is far from the switchboard or on a shed?

If everything is on the house and within about 20 metres of the switchboard, the inverter's built-in meter is fine. For sheds, pole meters or longer distances we fit a wireless CHINT meter on your main switchboard, so the battery still covers the whole property.

Where can your home battery go? A Perth battery location guide

Battery placement in Australia is set by the battery standard, AS/NZS 5139, plus each manufacturer’s installation manual. Your installer makes the final call on site. This guide explains the rules in plain English so you can picture where yours will go, and why we sometimes suggest a different spot from the one you first had in mind.

The best spots in a Perth home

Our order of preference. Most Perth homes have at least one of the first two.

Garage wall

Our first choice. It’s shaded, dry, out of the weather and usually close to the meter box. Because cars park there, we install a bollard in front so the battery can’t be hit.

Shaded outside wall

An outside wall with a garage, laundry or store room behind it works well. South- and east-facing walls, or anything under a deep eave or patio roof, stay coolest in Perth summers.

Carport or a wall in the sun

Still possible. We add a shade canopy against afternoon sun. If there’s no solid wall, such as only a fence, a simple steel frame can be built for the battery to mount on.

Where a battery can’t go

Not allowed: habitable rooms (bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, hallways), roof spaces and ceiling cavities, wall cavities, under stairs or near exits and escape paths, and rooms without ventilation.

These rules exist for one reason: a battery stores a lot of energy, so it’s kept away from where people sleep and live, and away from anything that could block an escape route in an emergency.

About fences: we can’t mount a battery straight onto a Colorbond or timber fence. It isn’t built to carry the weight (a 20 kWh battery can be well over 150 kg) and it’s often shared with your neighbour. A free-standing steel frame in front of the fence solves it.

The clearance zones

Around the battery there’s a zone that must stay clear of anything that could start a fire or that people need to get through. The distances below are the ones commonly applied under AS/NZS 5139; some batteries need more, so your installer always checks the manual.

Front view of the clear zone around a wall-mounted battery. Distances in millimetres.

600 mmeither side: no windows, doors, power points, air-con or hot water

900 mmabove: no habitable-room windows or vents, no combustible ceiling

1 m+from gas meters and pipes (further for gas bottles)

Bollardin front wherever a car could reach it

Your wall matters

Good news for most Perth homeowners: double brick is ideal. Batteries need a non-combustible surface behind them. If your wall is timber or plasterboard, we fit a fibre cement sheet behind the battery first.

Wall or surface	Battery straight on it?	What we do
Brick or double brick	Yes	Mount directly
Concrete or block	Yes	Mount directly
Fibre cement sheet	Yes	Mount directly
Timber frame or weatherboard	No	Fit fibre cement sheet behind the battery
Plasterboard (e.g. inside garage)	No	Fit fibre cement sheet behind the battery
Colorbond or timber fence	No	Build a free-standing steel frame
Soil, grass or gravel underneath	No	Pour a small concrete slab

Perth-specific checks

Heat and afternoon sunPerth summers are tough on batteries, and most only charge within a set temperature range (for example up to 55 °C on the Fox ESS and GoodWe batteries we install). Shade keeps it efficient and extends its life.

Wi-fi where it goesThe WA battery rebate needs your battery in a Virtual Power Plant, and new WA systems must connect to the grid online. Weak wi-fi at the spot? Tell us early.

Distance to the switchboardIf everything is on the house within about 20 m of the switchboard, the inverter’s built-in meter works. For sheds, pole meters or longer runs, we fit a wireless CHINT meter so the battery still covers the whole property.

Coastal homesNear the beach, salt air is harder on equipment. A sheltered spot, such as a garage or a deep eave, is worth more than a few metres of convenience.

Your switchboardOlder boards may need a new main switch (we do this free) or a small enclosure box if there’s no room. We spot this in your photos, so it’s on the quote.

Room to add more laterLeave space above or beside the stack if you might add modules. Just remember the WA and federal rebates are claimed once per property.

Anatomy of a Fox ESS install

Most of our Perth jobs use the Fox ESS hybrid inverter with the CQ7 stackable battery. Here’s what you’ll actually see on your wall, and why each part is there.

A typical Solar Red Fox ESS layout. Not to scale. Your installer sets the final layout to the Fox ESS manual.

Hybrid inverter. Runs your panels and battery from one box, mounted at eye level on the wall.

Isolators. Labelled switches so the system can be shut down safely.

Conduit. Battery and AC cables run neatly inside grey conduit, never loose.

CQ7 battery stack. 6.96 kWh modules stacked on a base. Add more later if you need them.

Safety labels. Required warning and shutdown signs on the battery.

Bollard. Bolted to the slab wherever a car could reach the battery.

Solid base. Concrete slab or pavers, or a raised brick plinth. Never soil or gravel.

How much room you need

Batteries are slimmer than most people expect. Here are the footprints of two batteries we install most often, from the manufacturers’ Australian datasheets.

Battery	Width × depth	Height	Clear wall to allow
Fox ESS CQ7 (6.96 kWh per module)	660 × 360 mm	About 155 mm per module, plus the base (a 4-module stack is about 730 mm), with the inverter on the wall above	About 1.9 m wide
GoodWe ESA all-in-one (inverter on top)	800 × 270 mm	326 mm per battery module plus 300 mm inverter (about 1.6 m for four modules)	About 2 m wide

Clear wall width allows 600 mm either side. Final layout is set by your installer to the manufacturer’s manual.

Real Solar Red installs

Every home is different. Here are two recent Fox ESS installs and why we placed them where we did.

Fox ESS inverter and CQ7 battery on a raised brick plinth in a Perth carport, with a white bollard

Carport wall, on a brick plinth

Fox ESS hybrid inverter
AC isolator
Cables in conduit
CQ7 battery stack
Bollard: cars park here
Raised brick plinth keeps it off the ground

Sheltered brick alcove

Fox ESS hybrid inverter
Cables in conduit
CQ7 battery stack
Bollard in front
Adjustable feet on a level slab

Battery on an outside brick wall on a slab with a bollard — Outside brick wall, on a slab, bollard in front.

Growatt battery stack under a patio roof against a brick wall — Under the patio roof, out of the afternoon sun.

Fox ESS battery in a garage protected by two bollards — Garage install with two bollards where cars park.

What to photograph for a quote

We assess every battery spot before we quote, so nothing changes on install day. Send us these four photos and we’ll confirm the location, and anything it needs, on your quote.

The wall where you’d like it

Stand back about 3 metres so we can see the space, any windows, doors, taps or gas nearby.

Your meter box, door open

One clear photo of everything inside, plus one of the whole box from a step back.

Your existing inverter and its label

If you already have solar, this tells us what we’re replacing.

Both pages of your latest power bill

This is how we size the battery to your actual export and usage.

No surprises: if your spot needs a slab, a canopy, fibre cement sheet, a bollard or an enclosure box, it’s itemised on your quote. What you see is what you pay.

Frequently asked questions

Can a home battery go inside the house?: Not in a habitable room. Bedrooms, living areas, kitchens and hallways are off limits under AS/NZS 5139, and so are roof spaces and wall cavities. A garage, or an outside wall with a non-habitable room behind it, is the usual spot.
Is my garage a good place for a battery?: Usually the best place in a Perth home. It’s shaded, dry and often close to the switchboard. Because cars park there, we fit a bollard in front so the battery can’t be hit.
Can a battery go on a west-facing wall in Perth?: It can, but Perth afternoon sun is harsh and heat shortens battery life. If the only spot gets direct sun, we add a shade canopy, or we find a shadier wall.
Can a battery be mounted on a fence?: No. A Colorbond or timber fence can’t carry the weight and is often a shared boundary. If that’s the spot you want, a simple steel frame can be built in front of the fence and the battery mounted to that.
How far does the battery need to be from my gas meter or gas bottle?: We keep batteries at least 1 metre from gas, and further from gas bottles and gas hot water systems. Your installer confirms the exact distance on site.
Does the battery need wi-fi where it’s installed?: Yes. The WA battery rebate requires the battery to join a Virtual Power Plant, and new WA systems must be able to talk to the grid online. Check your wi-fi reaches the spot, or tell us so we can plan for it.
What if my battery spot is far from the switchboard or on a shed?: If everything is on the house and within about 20 metres of the switchboard, the inverter’s built-in meter is fine. For sheds, pole meters or longer distances we fit a wireless CHINT meter on your main switchboard, so the battery still covers the whole property.

Not sure where your battery should go?

Send us your photos and we’ll tell you the best spot, and what it needs, before you commit to anything. Local Perth installers, Plenti-approved for the WA rebate and interest-free loan.

Call 1800 449 733 Send us your photos

Keep reading

Sources: AS/NZS 5139:2019 Electrical installations – Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment; Fox ESS CQ7 Australian datasheet; GoodWe ESA Australian datasheet; WA Government, Requirements for solar and batteries (2026). This guide is general information. Your installer confirms the final location on site.