Learning Center

Read the quote before you sign it.

Solar has the widest honest quote spread of any trade, because the cheap number leaves off the named panel and inverter, the shade study and the real STC figure. These guides put that back in the conversation, from payback and rebates to grid connection and coastal installs. No sign-up, no sales pitch, just what to ask.

01 7 min read

What a solar quote should include

A real solar quote names the panel and inverter, shows the consumption analysis, the array sized to your bill, the shading note, the STC figure and the itemised warranties. If the cheap quote is missing those, that is where the savings, and the trouble, are coming from.

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01/06 8 min read

How much does solar and battery cost?

A 6.6kW system, a 10kW system, a battery retrofit: the indicative Northern NSW and Gold Coast ranges, and why payback depends on your daytime usage and tariff, not the sticker price. Sizing to the bill is what makes a system pay back, and we show the working.

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06 6 min read

Solar rebates and STCs explained

STCs are the federal solar incentive, applied as a point-of-sale discount, and there are separate Federal and state battery incentives. What they are worth, how they should appear on your quote (as a figure, not a vague discount), and the VPP trade-off.

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03 7 min read

Do I need a battery, and will it run in a blackout?

Backup and blackout protection are not the same thing. A battery only powers your home in an outage if it has a backup gateway. How to size to your evening load, which circuits stay live, and how the new rebates change the payback.

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04 6 min read

Will my switchboard take an EV charger?

The first question a good EV installer answers, before quoting. Phase, spare ways, main switch rating and RCD protection decide whether your board can carry a charger or needs an upgrade first, and why a missing load check leads to nuisance tripping or an unsafe install.

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04 6 min read

7kW vs 22kW: which EV charger do you need?

Single phase gives you 7kW, which fully charges most EVs overnight. 22kW needs three-phase supply and suits two-car homes, workplaces and fleets. The real difference, what a supply upgrade costs, and when load management and OCPP matter.

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05 6 min read

What triggers a switchboard upgrade?

Ceramic fuses, no RCDs, a full board, or fault levels that no longer suit the supply. The signs a board needs upgrading, why solar, battery and EV work so often starts here, and how an honest quote costs it as a line instead of a mid-job surprise.

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07 7 min read

How to spot a cheap solar quote

The villain is not the door-knocker, it is the quote with one number and nothing behind it: no named panel, a system sized to the rebate, no shade study, no STC figure. The red flags in order, plus the five-minute routine to verify a solar quote before you sign.

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02 5 min read

SAA vs CEC: what changed in 2024

Solar Accreditation Australia replaced the Clean Energy Council for installer accreditation in 2024, and it decides whether your system qualifies for the rebate. What changed, what to look for instead of "CEC accredited", and the thirty-second check that protects your STC discount.

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09 6 min read

Grid connection and export limits in Northern NSW

Most of Northern NSW is on the Essential Energy network, and the network, not your retailer, sets how you connect and how much you can export. What an export limit means, why it points to a smarter system rather than a smaller one, and who handles the paperwork.

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10 5 min read

Coastal solar: salt air, corrosion and the right kit

Near the surf around Kingscliff, Byron and Ballina, salt air attacks poorly-specified mounting and isolators. What a coastal build should use, why standard inland hardware is the wrong answer on the beachfront, and why the coast is a design input, not a deal-breaker.

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06 6 min read

The 2026 home battery rebate explained

The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program discounts an eligible battery in 2026 and stacks with your solar STCs. What it is worth, how it should appear on your quote as a separate line, and whether a battery is worth it once the rebate is applied.

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01 5 min read

Choosing panels and inverters: why we fit SunPower and Fronius

The panel and the inverter decide your system's quality, warranty and lifespan, yet most quotes show only a logo wall. What each component does, why we name the exact make and model, and how the right hardware is matched to your specific roof.

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11 5 min read

Solar warranties explained: the three layers

A solar system has three warranties, not one: workmanship, inverter, and panel product plus performance. What each covers and for how long, why a single "full system warranty" line is a red flag, and why a local installer makes a warranty far easier to claim.

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