Gridly
Overview
The iStore 270L occupies the sweet spot in the Australian heat pump market. No other unit in the all-in-one R290 category simultaneously achieves: COP above 4.8, 10-amp circuit capability, a clean 5-year all-in warranty, and a sub-$3,000 supply price. The combination is why Australian solar and heat pump installers - people who install multiple systems per week - choose the iStore when buying for themselves.
This is an important signal to weight carefully. Installers don’t have brand loyalty pressures; they see which units work reliably, which fail, which generate callbacks, and which customers are happiest. The SolarQuotes 2025 Installer’s Choice endorsement reflects accumulated field experience, not marketing.
COP 4.82 at $2,790
Running cost comparison for a 4-person household at 30 cents/kWh:
| Unit | COP | Annual electricity | Supply price |
|---|---|---|---|
| iStore 270L | 4.82 | ~$235/yr | $2,790 |
| Evoheat 270E | 4.27 | ~$265/yr | $3,600 |
| Emerald 270L | 4.9 | ~$231/yr | $3,290 |
| Enviroheat 250L | 3.9 | ~$290/yr | $2,200 |
| Electric resistance | 1.0 | ~$1,135/yr | - |
The iStore’s COP is the highest for any all-in-one unit at or below its supply price. The Emerald 270L at $3,290 has marginally better efficiency (4.9 vs 4.82) for $500 more - a $4/year electricity saving. The efficiency advantage of the Emerald is real but minimal; the warranty advantage (Ultra 10-year) is the actual reason to prefer it.
The 10-amp advantage
Competitors that require a dedicated 15-amp or 20-amp circuit add $300–$600 in electrical work to the installed cost. The iStore’s 900W compressor operates within 10-amp limits. In practice, this means:
- Any existing outdoor power point can typically serve the iStore
- Where no outdoor power point exists, installing one costs $150–$250 versus $400–$600 for a dedicated circuit breaker and wiring run
- The electrical portion of installation is simpler and faster for the installer
Over the unit’s life, this makes no difference. At installation, it reduces total costs by $150–$400 compared to competitors requiring dedicated circuits.
App reliability: use the timer
The Evoheat app and iStore app occupy similar positions in user reviews - solar scheduling via app is useful when it works, unreliable when the Wi-Fi drops or the app fails to connect during commissioning. The physical timer on the iStore 270L is consistently rated as more reliable than the app for daily scheduling.
The practical advice: configure the physical timer for your primary solar or off-peak schedule at installation. Use the app for monitoring and occasional overrides. Don’t rely on the app for daily scheduling unless you’ve confirmed it works reliably in your specific home network setup.
Who should buy the iStore 270L
The iStore 270L is the default recommendation for most Australian households replacing a hot water system with a heat pump. The combination of efficiency, price, warranty, and installer trust is not matched by any competitor at the price point. The only clear reasons to choose an alternative are: needing a 10-year warranty (Emerald Ultra), needing CO2 cold-climate performance (Reclaim or Sanden), or specifically wanting Australian brand engineering (Evoheat).
