Solar in MidlandSparky Side Sorted, CEC Partner Handles the Install
Solar PV install is a two-trade job. EC 9715 covers the electrical side — switchboard upgrades, isolators, supply changes, fault finding on existing systems. The actual panel install needs CEC accreditation (separate licence) for the STC rebate. We coordinate the lot.
How a solar install actually splits
If you're getting solar fitted in Midland, the Hills or the Swan Valley, two things have to happen.
First — the electrical side
Board upgrade if your existing switchboard can't carry the new export load. Isolators (DC and AC). Supply changes if you're going three-phase. That's me. EC 9715 under Andrew's Home Services Pty Ltd. Sparky work, done direct.
Second — the panel install
This is what gets you the Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) — the rebate that knocks $3-5k off the install cost. CEC accreditation is a separate licence. We work with a network of CEC-accredited installers across Perth.
What I handle directly (EC 9715)
Switchboard upgrades to support new solar load
DC and AC isolators (rooftop and service-side)
Supply changes — single-phase to three-phase upgrades for export-rated systems
Battery storage electrical-side work
Fault finding when an existing solar system trips or stops exporting
Recertification on older installs out of warranty
What our CEC-accredited partner handles
Panel install on the roof
Inverter mounting and connection
STC rebate paperwork
Western Power / Synergy grid-connect application
Manufacturer warranty registration
Common jobs east of the river
Helena Valley acreage
Three-phase upgrade + 13.2kW solar + 13kWh battery. I did the meter upgrade, supply change, isolators and battery wiring. CEC partner did the panels and inverter.
1980s Midvale brick
Switchboard couldn't support new solar load. Full board upgrade first, CEC install second, single quote covering both.
Caversham winery
Solar to offset cellar-door cold-room load. Three-phase commercial install, EC + CEC + commercial scoping coordinated.
Mundaring
Fault finding on a 2016 install that had stopped exporting. Inverter was fine; isolator had failed. Quick fix, system back on grid same day.
What to SMS
Photo of your switchboard (door open) and a photo of your roof from outside (just to give us a sense of orientation and shading). I'll quote the sparky side and arrange the CEC partner's quote alongside.
FAQs
Why don't you do the whole install yourself?
Because CEC accreditation is a separate licence to my electrical contractor's licence (EC 9715). To claim the STC rebate ($3-5k off your install) the install has to be done by a CEC-accredited installer. I'm not going to pretend I'm one when I'm not — I work with a partner network instead, and you get the rebate.
My old solar's tripping the inverter — can you fix it without replacing everything?
Usually, yes. Most "dead" solar systems aren't dead — they've got a failed isolator, a board issue, or an inverter fault. Worth me looking at the electrical side before anyone tells you to replace the whole array.
Can you do battery storage without panels?
Yes. Adding a battery to an existing system is mostly electrical work — isolators, switchboard integration, charge/discharge circuits. Sometimes the battery itself is supplied and commissioned by a separate specialist; I do the EC 9715 side and coordinate.