Residential Solar

Yes, but the maths has changed. The value now comes from not buying power rather than from selling it. Every kilowatt hour you use as it is generated saves you the full retail rate you would otherwise pay Ergon, which is roughly five times the 6.006c export credit. That means sizing the system around your household load, shifting hot water and pool pumps into the middle of the day, and considering storage for your evening peak.

It depends on system size, panel and inverter selection, your roof type and whether your switchboard needs work, so an accurate figure requires a look at your property. What we can promise is a fully itemised quote with the federal rebate already deducted, so you can compare us line by line against any other quote. Be cautious of any quote that will not break down equipment and labour separately.

Two things are moving in opposite directions. Battery prices are falling, which argues for waiting. The federal battery rebate is also falling, and the export rate you are paid while you wait keeps dropping too. For most Cairns households with an evening air conditioning load the numbers already work. We model both scenarios on your actual consumption and show you the comparison rather than telling you what to do.

A properly engineered one will. Cairns is in a cyclonic wind region, which means the mounting system has to be certified for it, with the right rail spans, additional roof attachment points and correctly specified fixings for your site. We install to that standard as a matter of course. It is also worth confirming your home insurance covers roof mounted equipment. If you have inherited a system from a previous owner and are not confident in it, we can inspect it.

A standard grid connected solar system shuts down during an outage. That is a safety requirement so it cannot send power into lines someone may be working on. If keeping the lights and the fridge running through a wet season outage matters to you, you need a battery with backup capability and a dedicated backup circuit, which has to be designed in from the start. Let us know at the site inspection and we will specify it properly.

A well installed system from a recognised brand with transferable warranties is a genuine asset to buyers and renters, because lower running costs are easy for a buyer to understand. Unlike a pool it is not a lifestyle choice they might not want. Keep your documentation, warranty paperwork and monitoring login somewhere safe for handover.

Yes. We regularly install across Cairns and the northern beaches, the Atherton Tablelands, Port Douglas, Mossman and down through the Cassowary Coast to Innisfail. Being local means our service and warranty support is genuinely local too, so you are not lodging a ticket with a call centre in another state.

Often, and it is usually worthwhile. Many Cairns homes have a 3kW or 5kW system from a decade ago that no longer covers their air conditioning. We look at whether your existing inverter has headroom, whether adding a second array or replacing the inverter makes more sense, and how a battery fits in. Adding capacity can affect your existing feed-in arrangement, so it is worth checking before you commit. We also handle solar repairs and maintenance on systems installed by others.