Solar panels and home batteries in Malvern 3144

In Malvern, steep 1930s tiled roofs, a 2026 heritage update and two power networks side by side can all change the plan. We’ll assess your roof, electricity use and any existing system before recommending what to install.

Book a free assessment Call 03 9935 6355

Black solar panels on an aged terracotta tile roof beneath trees — Solar installed by SEN

Home batteries and an inverter on the clinker brick wall of an older house with timber sash windows — Battery installed by SEN

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What is different about homes in Malvern

Malvern (3144) is in the City of Stonnington, south-east of the Melbourne CBD, and is a separate suburb from Malvern East (3145). Three things here change how solar panels and a battery are planned.

Some streets have heritage rules, updated in 2026

Most homes do not need a planning permit for rooftop solar. It can be different if your home is in a Heritage Overlay, which is the planning control a council puts on heritage streets and buildings. There, a permit can be needed when the panels would be visible from a street (other than a lane) or a public park, and the council’s heritage listing for that place applies solar controls.

Stonnington Council’s heritage update for Malvern took effect on 25 June 2026, so a check you did before then may be out of date. Search your address on VicPlan, the state’s free planning map, or ask the council.

Older roofs come in small, steep pieces

The council’s heritage records describe 1930s houses around Moorakyne Avenue and Wilks Avenue with steep terracotta tile roofs, front gables and tall chimneys. In Dixon Street they describe single-storey Victorian cottages with slate or corrugated steel roofs.

A roof like that has several small faces instead of one big one, so we look at each face for room, sun and shade. For heritage homes, the council suggests side roofs, roof valleys and spots behind chimneys, and says panels do not have to face north to work.

Check which power network you are on

United Energy supplies homes in Malvern, and CitiPower runs the network next door. Don’t assume which one is yours. Your electricity bill names your distributor, the company that owns the poles and wires in your street.

It matters because the distributor sets how much solar power your home can send back to the grid, and an application goes to it before a system is installed.

Black solar panels on a terracotta tile roof — Solar installed by SEN

Solar panels on an older terracotta tile roof beside a brick chimney

Aerial view of solar panels spread across several faces of a terracotta tile roof

Solar and battery options for Malvern homes

Installing solar panels

A new solar installation starts with your roof and when you use electricity. On a Malvern roof with gables and chimneys, the panels may be spread over more than one roof face. We’ll assess the space, sun and shade, then talk about whether a battery belongs in the plan now or later.

Installing solar and a battery together

Solar panels make electricity during daylight. A battery can store some of it for the evening. We’ll look at your daytime and evening use before designing the two to work together, and we check where a battery could go, such as a garage or an outside wall.

Adding a battery to existing solar

You may be able to keep your panels and add storage. We’ll check your electrical setup and the inverter you have now, which is the box that turns solar power into power your home can use. We’ll also ask what you want the battery to power before recommending a way forward.

What shapes the installation at your Malvern address

Your electricity bills show how much power you use. The times you use it help us judge how much solar you could use directly and how much you could store for later. We also check usable roof space, sun and shade, the electrical setup and any plans for an electric car or other electric appliances.

Two things are useful to know in Malvern before we start. One is whether your home is in a Heritage Overlay. The other is the distributor named on your bill, United Energy or CitiPower. They can change where panels go and how the system connects to the grid.

For an existing solar system, we check the panels and inverter before proposing a battery. If blackout backup matters to you, we ask which circuits you would want powered. Backup needs suitable equipment and electrical work. A battery on its own does not decide what will run during an outage.

Book a free assessment

SEN installer beside completed battery equipment

Your home. Our own team.

The SEN person who assesses your home also designs the system. Our in-house team installs it. Our office is in Tullamarine.

Two home battery stacks and an inverter on the red brick wall of an older house

Typical projects for Malvern homes

These are typical examples of what Malvern’s housing calls for. They are not jobs we have done, and your home may be different.

A 1930s two-storey house with a steep tiled roof

This kind of home has front gables, tall chimneys and several roof faces, often with a brick garage built into the house. Panels would often be split across more than one face. If the street has a Heritage Overlay, the side and rear faces are the first place to look.

The garage is one place we would look at for a battery. If a car can drive in, the battery needs fixed protection from it, so we check the space before suggesting a spot.
A single-storey Victorian cottage

The roof is small, hipped and covered in slate or corrugated steel, with a verandah at the front. A small roof means a smaller system, and the roof’s condition is checked before any design is settled.

Where there is no garage, a side or rear outside wall is the usual starting point for a battery. We check the clear space around it and what it sits near, such as windows and doors.
A townhouse or semi-detached home

At the 2021 Census, about 1 in 5 Malvern homes were townhouses, terraces or semi-detached homes. The roof is smaller and a wall is shared with the neighbour. The first question is who controls the roof. If there is an owners corporation, the body that manages shared property, it may need to agree before panels go up.

If the home already has solar, a battery is a separate question. It needs a suitable wall or garage space, and we check the inverter you have before proposing one.

From assessment to a written plan

A call about your home. Tell us what you have now and what you want solar or a battery to do. If you know your Malvern home is in a Heritage Overlay, tell us then.
A proposal you can read through. We put the proposed system and price in writing, so you can see what is included.
A site visit before a firm price. If you want to continue, we check the installation details at your property and put any changes in writing.

Two home battery stacks and an inverter under a small awning on the brick wall of a house — Battery installed by SEN

Solar and battery questions for Malvern homes

Do you install solar panels and batteries in Malvern?

Yes. Malvern, postcode 3144, is in the area we service. Our office is in Tullamarine, in Melbourne’s north-west, and our in-house team does the installation.

Malvern East (3145) is a separate suburb, so give us your full address when you get in touch.

Do I need a planning permit for solar panels in Malvern?

Most homes do not need a planning permit for rooftop solar. It can be different in a Heritage Overlay, which is the planning control a council puts on heritage streets and buildings. There, a permit can be needed when the panels would be visible from a street (other than a lane) or a public park, and the council’s heritage listing for that place applies solar controls. This is how the state rule stood in October 2026.

We can’t tell you from here whether your home needs one. Search your address on VicPlan, the state’s free planning map, to see if a Heritage Overlay applies. If it does, ask the council’s planning team how the rule applies to your home. We also review a heritage-listed home, or a home in a Heritage Overlay, before we quote. For where panels can go, see Stonnington Council’s guide to solar panels on heritage homes.

Is my Malvern home on United Energy or CitiPower?

Check your electricity bill. It names your distributor, the company that owns the poles and wires in your street. United Energy supplies homes in Malvern, and CitiPower runs the network next door, so don’t guess from the suburb name.

The distributor sets how much solar power you can send back to the grid, and an application goes to it before a system is installed. That is why we ask which one you are on.

Where can a battery go in an older Malvern home?

It depends on the house, and it is checked at your property. A garage and an outside wall are the two places we look at first. Some of Malvern’s 1930s houses have a brick garage built into the house.

Safety rules shape the choice. If a car can drive into the space, the battery needs fixed protection from it. Other rules cover how close a battery can be to doors, windows and living areas. Nobody can promise a spot until the site has been seen.

Solar and batteries near Malvern

Malvern is bordered by Toorak, Kooyong, Armadale, Glen Iris, Hawthorn East, Caulfield North, Caulfield East and Malvern East. We also have pages for Hawthorn, Windsor, Richmond and St Kilda, which are nearby but do not share a border with Malvern.

The council, the heritage rules and the power network can all change from one suburb to the next, so read the page for the suburb you live in. If yours is not one of them, the full list is under Areas we service.

Areas we service

Start with your Malvern address

Tell us if you’re planning a new system or adding to the one you have. If you know whether your home is in a Heritage Overlay, and whether your bill says United Energy or CitiPower, tell us that too. We’ll use your free assessment to work through the options for your home and explain what happens next.