When wading into the murky waters of rooftop solar for the first time you may have come across people advising you to check that the solar company doesn’t use sub-contractors to install their systems. [Read more…]

Spot the difference.

The sound of Dad’s drill bit, as long as my arm, boring through the thick stone walls of our 1875 home, was a childhood constant. The sound of regular home improvements. [Read more…]

There are dents in the roof and solar panels right behind the air conditioner.

Some weeks ago, I was cruising the wilds of social media and found a solar thread causing a stir. The victim of a shoddy solar installation was seeking help, and of course, a few comedians were making light of the misfortune. [Read more…]

Loose connection on the active conductor inside an AC isolator, evidence of heat damage.

There’s a big problem in Australia’s solar world. Despite ACT, TAS, and VIC inspecting all new rooftop solar power system installations, NSW, SA, WA and QLD don’t – and that’s playing with fire. [Read more…]

Attention, Tasmanians looking to invest in solar energy: the Tasmanian Metering Code of Practice has undergone changes and is now strictly enforced, which could hit your wallet hard. [Read more…]

You can see from the dirt, this isn’t a fresh break, it’s just a typical tile failure.

You’d be silly to build a house with a tiled roof.

I can’t make it any simpler, but as we explore more subjects in the series of how to talk to builders, hopefully I can explain the many reasons why tiles make a poor choice for solar roofing. [Read more…]

Image: 1StopWarehouse

As a Licensed Electrical Inspector, I’ve seen heaps of solar power system setups. This month, let’s chat about something you might not consider important: solar labelling. It might sound boring, but trust me, how well it’s done often tells you a lot about the quality of the whole install. [Read more…]

Some roofs are more suited to solar panels than others. Recently, we fielded an inquiry from a customer who’d amassed a heap of solar power system quotes. One company made a noteworthy assertion. [Read more…]

Let’s shed some light on the ongoing debate between disconnection points and rooftop isolators; two critical aspects that have stirred discussions within the solar industry. [Read more…]

Smart Meter Installation Woes in Sydney. 

Recently we wrote about an instance in Queensland where a solar meter changeover on a detached suburban home had gone sideways. As it happens, another example that caught my attention involved multiple meters in a strata-owned switchboard. [Read more…]