For many years, the Clean Energy Council (CEC) has been the gatekeeper approving which solar products can connect to the grid in Australia. As an installer, I assure you many of my boots-on-the-roof colleagues are keen to remove that responsibility from the CEC. Strap in while I explain why.
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So you’d like to be an electrician? Here’s half your required reading…

Australia’s conservative electrical licencing laws mean there’s really not much a homeowner can DIY, beyond changing light globes or rewiring a ceramic fuse (if your switchboard hasn’t been upgraded since the the 1960s). Some people decry this as ‘the nanny state gone mad’, but I have to point out the law isn’t as silly as some of the wiring I’ve encountered. [Read more…]

JIS screws are invariably ruined by people who don’t know they exist.

Despite 15 years in solar, my experience as an apprentice isn’t as distant as you might think. [Read more…]

Pat Southwell is an Electrical Inspector, solar installer and electrician based in metropolitan Melbourne.

Picture this: Mike, a seasoned solar installer with over 15 years experience, is compelled to bin a perfectly functional solar system—inverter, panels and all—solely because of inflexible Australian Standards. [Read more…]

Save the trees? What about saving the solar panels? Dare I say it, I like trees even more than solar panels, and that’s a hell of a lot. But in a cruel twist of irony, it’s obvious they are not compatible bedfellows. [Read more…]

Overshadowing of solar panels by new neighbouring developments is a recurring problem that some SolarQuotes readers have first-hand experience with. This is an issue that’s not going away soon. It’s only getting worse as our cities grow. [Read more…]

Solar Victoria has published the 2023-2024 Notice To Market, including five new mandatory requirements and rather more recommendations. [Read more…]

All of this energy industry technology and here’s me with a flat phone battery.

Dear reader, I’ve taken the plunge and weathered another trade show, Smart Energy 2023, so you don’t have to. [Read more…]

L to R, NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe, Saul Griffith, Defence Minister Matt Thistlewaite (running away) Wyatt Roy, Terri Butler & Greens leader Adam Bandt.

Navigating the labyrinth of trade shows can often feel like a journey through a fantasy novel, complete with elf-sized airline seats, networking events that leave heads spinning, and generous sales reps locked in fierce debates over dinner bills. Yet, I’ve braved these challenges to bring you the latest insights from the frontlines of the energy industry. [Read more…]

Last night the Treasurer gave a half-hour Budget speech.  I listened in because lately, there hasn’t been enough boredom in my life.  There is a lot I could say about this year’s budget —  but I won’t.  I’ll stick to discussing energy.  Mostly, the Government’s plan for providing cost-of-energy relief to low-income households and how they’re doing it wrong. [Read more…]