Where can I put my battery?

One of the first questions we get is "where will the battery go?" The answer depends on your home, but it's guided by the Australian and New Zealand standard for battery installations, AS/NZS 5139, which was updated by an amendment in 2025. Here's what it means for you in plain English.

Common good locations

In most homes, a battery ends up in one of these places:

• A garage wall, often the most practical spot. It's sheltered and usually close to the switchboard.
• An outside wall, ideally shaded and out of the weather, if the battery is rated for outdoor use.
• A carport or under a covered area, if clearances can be met.

Each battery has its own manufacturer rules too, covering temperature, sun exposure, ventilation and clearances, so the right location depends on the model as well as the standard.

Where a battery can't go

Under AS/NZS 5139, batteries must not be installed in "restricted locations". In plain terms, these include:

• Inside ceiling spaces or wall cavities.
• Under stairways or access walkways.
• In escape or evacuation routes, passageways and hallways. There needs to be clear room to get past safely.
• On roofs, except in limited cases where the roof has permanent safe access.
• Too close to exits, windows and vents. A battery can't sit within 600 mm to the side or 900 mm below a doorway, or a window or vent that serves a habitable room. Since the 2025 amendment, a battery can go within 600 mm of a wider opening, such as a garage door, as long as safe egress is kept.
• Too close to other appliances. The same 600 mm and 900 mm clearances apply around things like hot water units and air conditioners that aren't part of the battery system.

Batteries also shouldn't go inside living areas or bedrooms.

Walls next to bedrooms and living areas

A "habitable room" includes bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and studies. If a battery is mounted on a wall that has a habitable room on the other side, the standard requires that wall to act as a non-combustible barrier. Brick, concrete and similar materials generally qualify. If the wall is something like plasterboard on timber framing, a non-combustible barrier panel needs to be fitted behind the battery, extending beyond its sides and above it. If the battery is close to the ceiling, the ceiling may need protecting too.

This is a common reason a garage wall that backs onto a bedroom needs a little extra work, or why we suggest a different wall.

Practical things we look at

• Heat and sun. Batteries prefer shade. A west-facing wall in full summer sun isn't ideal even if it's allowed.
• Distance to the switchboard and inverter. Shorter cable runs are simpler and neater.
• Physical protection. In a garage, we keep the battery out of the path of cars, or add protection such as a bollard.
• Access for servicing. There needs to be room to work on it safely.
• Flooding and water. We avoid low spots that collect water.

Why it pays to have an expert check

The rules are detailed, and every home is different. Our own licensed electricians have installed batteries in all kinds of NSW homes over more than 20 years. We'll walk your property, explain the options and show you where the battery can go before you commit.

See our battery storage page, read about adding a battery to existing solar, or request a free quote.

Frequently asked questions