Solar and electrical contractor in Coorabell, NSW
Coorabell, out on the acreage
Coorabell is a rural locality about sixteen kilometres inland from Byron Bay, spread along Coorabell Road and Coolamon Scenic Drive. It has no shops and no footpaths, a community hall that dates from 1920, and a settlement history as a staging post on the old road between Lismore and Brunswick. Most of the work sits on acreage: a house, a few sheds, a dam, paddocks and often a second dwelling. Nothing is close, so the first question is always how far the supply runs.
Off Coolamon Scenic Drive and Possum Shoot Road, driveways are long, often gravel, and sometimes cross a creek or a cattle grid before they reach the house. Gates are usually locked or hold stock, so we ask for the code or a time to meet you. The meter may be at the road boundary, hundreds of metres from the house, with a long cable running between. Parking is never a problem, but wet weather on a steep gravel drive can be. Tell us what the surface is like.
Houses range from old farmhouses to new builds and owner-built dwellings, with outbuildings of all ages. Cables between the house and a shed or pump are long, and long runs lose voltage unless they are the right size, so we measure and check them instead of assuming. Big shed roofs can suit solar well. The Essential Energy power comes in on rural lines through trees, so outages are more likely here, which is why people ask about batteries.
What we do here most
What Coorabell keeps needing
On acreage the work runs along long cables and across several buildings, from the road to the sheds and the pump at the dam.
Electrical
Long cable run to a shed or pump
A shed or water pump far from the house often runs on a cable that was laid a long time ago and is thin for its length. Lights dim and motors struggle. We measure the run, check what is on it and look at the switch at each end, then tell you whether the cable is the problem or something at the load is.
Solar
Solar on a large shed roof
A big shed near the house can carry more panels than the house roof, with a clean unshaded face. We check the roof and its framing, the distance back to the main switchboard and whether the shed has its own board. A long cable back to the house needs to be sized for that distance.
Commercial
Small farm gate or packing shed supply
A hobby farm that sells produce can have a packing shed, a cool room and a roadside stall that all run from a supply laid out for a house. We look at what runs when, what trips the board and how the stall is powered, and recommend changes that fit the way the farm actually works.
Batteries
Backup for outages on a rural line
Properties at the end of a rural line may be among the last to be restored after a storm. We look at which loads you actually want running, such as fridges, lights, the water pump and the internet, and where a battery can stand safely under cover away from where the dogs and children are.
If it is urgent
If the power goes out on a Coorabell property
- 1Look at the switchboard without opening it and check whether a switch has dropped, then look down the driveway to see whether a tree or branch is on the line to your gate or the road.
- 2Leave any fallen or sagging wire, and any switchboard in a shed that is wet, alone, and keep animals and children away from it. Do not walk out to the road meter box if the ground is flooded or lines are down.
- 3When you call, tell us the road, how far the house is from the gate, whether the gate is locked and what the driveway is like in wet weather.
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 Coorabell, NSW
Of the twenty things we do across the Northern Rivers, the ones that matter on Coorabell acreage are those that deal with long cable runs, outbuildings and a supply that is less certain than in town.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Solar and electrical work in Coorabell
Tell us roughly how far the house is from the road gate and whether any shed or pump is further than the house. That distance decides the cable, the visit time and what to bring.
0417 415 47424 hours a day, 7 days a week
Not urgent? Send us the job instead