Solar and electrical contractor in Ballina, NSW
Working across Ballina, town, river and industry
Ballina sits where the Richmond River meets the sea, and the work is spread across very different ground. There are shops and offices in the town centre, houses on Ballina Island and in West Ballina, and homes around East Ballina near Lighthouse Beach. Missingham Bridge crosses North Creek to East Ballina. About 5 kilometres out on Southern Cross Drive is the airport and the Southern Cross Industrial Estate, where warehouses, workshops and units sit side by side on flat ground.
Access depends on where the job is. In the town centre, parking is limited and shops often need work done outside trading hours, so we plan around opening times and deliveries. On the industrial estate, we are working with roller doors, forklifts and three phase boards in unit switch rooms, and a landlord or tenant may hold the key. At houses on the island and in West Ballina, the meter box is usually on the front boundary or a garage wall.
Ballina Island is a low lying flood storage area next to the river mouth, and high tides and storm surges can flood parts of West Ballina and the island. That makes the height of switchboards, power points and outdoor equipment something we look at carefully. The housing runs from older houses with original wiring to newer homes and units, and the big flat commercial roofs on the estate suit solar well.
What we do here most
What Ballina keeps needing
Ballina is the one place in this area where houses, shops, workshops and warehouses all sit within a few minutes of each other, and the jobs come from all of them.
Commercial
Solar on a warehouse roof at the estate
A large flat roof on a unit in the Southern Cross Industrial Estate can carry a big system, but it only pays off if the business uses power while the sun is up. We read the three phase board, ask when the machines and cool rooms run, and look at the roof sheeting, fixings and access. The landlord usually has to agree first.
Electrical
Raising a low switchboard on Ballina Island
On low ground near the river and North Creek, a switchboard or power point close to the floor is more exposed if water ever gets into the house. We look at where the board sits, the height of the outlets and the wiring in the lower part of the house, and tell you what could be moved higher and what it involves.
Solar
Solar for an older house near the river
An older house in town may have a tiled or sheet metal roof, mature trees and a switchboard that has not been touched in decades. We check the roof condition and the shade through the day, then open the board to see whether it needs updating. Sometimes we update it before we add a solar system, rather than during it.
Repairs
Power fault in a shop on the main street
When a shop in town loses power to a fridge, a till or lighting, the first job is working out whether the fault is in the shop or in the supply. We test the circuits, check the board and the connections behind the counter, and make it safe. The owner is told plainly what failed, what we replaced and what to watch.
If it is urgent
If the power goes out in Ballina after a storm or high tide
- 1Look from a safe spot at whether the water has reached the house, the garage or the meter box, and whether the street is dark or only your property.
- 2Leave alone any switchboard, power point or appliance that is wet or standing in water, and keep away from fallen lines, because only the network and the SES deal with those.
- 3When you call, tell us whether you are on Ballina Island, in West Ballina, in East Ballina or on the estate, whether water has entered the building, and what is not working.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which areas do you cover?
The Northern Rivers of New South Wales, from our base at Dorroughby, between Lismore and Byron Bay. Twenty places have their own pages on the service areas page, but they are a starting point rather than a boundary. If you are not sure we reach your address, call and we will check.
Do you answer the phone after hours?
Yes. The phone is answered at any hour, every day, on the number at the top of this page. Call with your address and what you are seeing, and we will tell you what to leave alone and what happens next.
Do you work on farms and businesses as well as homes?
Yes. The work runs from a single house roof to sheds, workshops, shops and farm buildings, on mains power and off it. Tell us what the building is used for and when it is busy, because that decides when the work can happen.
What should I send when I enquire?
A photo of your switchboard with the door open, a photo of the roof or the spot where equipment would go, and a recent power bill if you have one. If you already have a system, add a photo of the inverter and any error on its screen. Photos let us give you straight answers before anyone visits.
Will my solar keep working in a blackout?
A standard grid-connected system switches itself off when the grid goes down, even in full sun, and that is a safety feature. To keep some power on during an outage, the system needs a battery set up with a backup circuit. Which circuits go on that backup is decided with you before the work starts.
Can I add a battery to the solar I already have?
Often yes, but it depends on the inverter you have now and how the system is wired. Some inverters take a battery as it is, and others need replacing or adding to first. Send a photo of the inverter and we will tell you which it is likely to be.
What is the difference between grid-connected, hybrid and off-grid?
A grid-connected system works alongside the street supply and has no battery. A hybrid system uses one inverter to run the panels and a battery together. An off-grid system has no street connection at all, so the panels, battery and a backup generator input carry the whole property.
Can you work on a system someone else installed?
Yes. The first step is finding out exactly what is there, which means opening the switchboard, checking the cabling and reading what the inverter reports. After that we tell you what can stay, what should be repaired and what should be replaced.
Why does my solar system keep switching off or showing an error?
There are many possible causes, from a failing part to a loose connection or a fault on one string of panels. We trace the fault step by step and read the error codes before anything is replaced. Send a photo of the inverter screen and tell us when it happens.
What should I do if I see damage or smell burning near electrical equipment?
Keep clear of it and keep children and pets away. If there is fire or smoke, call emergency services first. Then call us, tell us what you saw and where, and leave the equipment alone until it has been checked.
Will the power go off while you work?
For most solar, battery and switchboard jobs the power is switched off for part of the day. We tell you when it will go off before we start, so you can plan around fridges, medical equipment and anything else that needs to keep running. Ask about it when you book.
Do you work on properties with no mains power?
Yes. Off-grid work starts with a list of what you run and when, because that decides the size of the panels, the battery and the inverter. We also look at the site itself, including shade, access and how far the equipment sits from the house.
Everything we do here
Services in Ballina, NSW
The twenty things we do across the Northern Rivers cover everything from a house switchboard on low riverside ground to three phase work in a unit on the Southern Cross Industrial Estate.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Solar and electrical work in Ballina
Tell us whether the job is a house, a shop or a unit on the industrial estate, and which part of Ballina it is in. That decides what we bring and who needs to be there when we arrive.
0417 415 47424 hours a day, 7 days a week
Not urgent? Send us the job instead