Solar and electrical contractor in Byron Bay, NSW
Byron Bay, from Jonson Street to Belongil
Byron Bay is the town on the bay itself, with Jonson Street and Lawson Street running back from Main Beach and the cape beyond. The work here sits in shops, cafes, units, holiday lets and old beach houses packed close together, with larger sites spread out toward Belongil. Almost all of it is within a short walk of the sea. Salt air reaches switchgear, outdoor lights, conduit, roof fixings and the frames under panels faster than it does a few kilometres inland, so we look for corrosion at the first visit.
Access in Byron Bay is tight. Streets fill up in the holidays, lanes are narrow, and many buildings share a driveway or a rear car space. A holiday let may have guests in it, so the power has to come off at a time that suits the booking, not just us. Units often keep the meters and main switches in a shared meter room or a cupboard on the street side, and a body corporate or an agent may hold the key. Please tell us who to ring before we arrive.
Housing in Byron Bay is a mix. Timber and fibro cottages from the middle of last century sit next to brick and tile units from later decades and newer apartments above shops. Older places can still carry their original wiring and a small switchboard, and the roof may be shaded by coastal trees or hemmed in by the neighbours. Solar here is often a question of which roof gets the sun, and whether the sea air lets the equipment sit outside for years.
What we do here most
What Byron Bay keeps needing
Most of the work here comes back to salt air and buildings that are used hard. A holiday let, a cafe and an old beach house all wear their electrics out in different ways.
Electrical
Replacing a corroded switchboard in a beach cottage
Close to the sea, a switchboard on an outside wall can rust from the inside out. We look for green or white crust on the terminals, a door that no longer closes and fittings that have gone stiff. If the board is past repair we plan a replacement, and the power is off for part of a day. Tell us if guests or tenants are staying.
Commercial
Fixing tripping circuits in a busy cafe kitchen
Cafe kitchens in town run ovens, coffee machines, fridges and fans on circuits that were laid out for something smaller. When a circuit trips at the morning rush, the cause can be a tired appliance, a damp junction box or an overloaded cable. We find which one it is, and we plan any shutdown for the quiet hours rather than service time.
Solar
Adding solar to a holiday let with changing guests
A holiday let uses power in bursts, with heavy days after a changeover and empty days between. We work out which roof gets sun between the neighbouring buildings and trees, and how the cable gets from roof to switchboard without disturbing a booking. The roof and the meter location decide most of the plan, so a photo of both helps.
Repairs
Repairing outdoor lights and power points near the beach
Outdoor power points, garden lights and pool pumps near the beach corrode first. A cracked cover or a fitting full of sand and damp can trip the safety switch again and again. We trace the fault, replace what has rusted and seal what we can. If a fitting is still wet when you call, leave it alone and tell us.
If it is urgent
If the power drops in Byron Bay after hours
- 1Look at the switchboard without opening it, and see whether the main switch or any safety switch has flipped down.
- 2Leave alone any wet or rusted outdoor fitting, any scorched cover, and any solar or battery equipment, and keep clear of it.
- 3Tell us whether you are in a unit or a house, whether guests or tenants are inside, and how far the building is from the beach.
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 Byron Bay, NSW
The twenty things we do across the Northern Rivers all apply in Byron Bay, but salt air and tight town access change how each one is planned.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Tell us about your Byron Bay building
Send us a photo of the switchboard with its cover closed, plus a line saying whether the building is a house, a unit or a shop. That tells us how to plan the visit and whether we need a key.
0417 415 47424 hours a day, 7 days a week
Not urgent? Send us the job instead