Solar and electrical contractor in Ocean Shores, NSW
Ocean Shores, north to south
Ocean Shores was laid out as an estate in 1977, and it still reads that way: long curving streets, a golf course, a shopping centre at Ocean Village and houses on blocks of similar size. The north is flat, close to the beach, with the Capriconia Canal and the north arm of the Brunswick River running through it, and it backs onto Billinudgel Nature Reserve. The south is raised, with sea views. We work in all of it, and the two ends need quite different things.
Most blocks on streets like Yallakool Drive have a driveway wide enough for a ladder and our vehicle, though cul-de-sacs and curving streets can fill up with parked cars. Meter boxes are usually at the front boundary or on the front wall of the house. On the bush blocks near the reserve the driveway can be long and steep, with leaf litter on the roof and bush right up to the fence. Tell us if there is a locked gate and whether dogs are about.
Housing here is mainly from the 1980s onward, single and two-storey, in brick and lightweight cladding, with tile or sheet roofs. Switchboards from that time often have no spare space left, and rooms and sheds have been added since. In the south, roofs get strong sun and sea breeze. In the flat north, blocks near the Capriconia Canal sit low and can flood in heavy rain, so we think about where equipment sits.
What we do here most
What Ocean Shores keeps needing
A planned estate of similar houses on very different ground means the same questions come up again, but the answer changes from street to street.
Solar
Solar for a raised sea-view house in the south
Houses in the southern streets get a lot of sun and a lot of wind coming off the ocean. We check the roof for tile or sheet type, the fixings and how exposed each face is. Panels on a roof that is open to the sea breeze need to be fixed properly, and we look closely at that before the panel layout.
Batteries
Battery for a flat northern street near the canal
A house on the flat ground near the canal or the north arm of the river may be one of the first to lose power in a storm. A battery in the garage needs to be well above the floor and away from where water might lie. We look at the wall, the access and where the cable will run before we suggest a position.
Repairs
Chewed cable on a bush block beside the reserve
Properties backing onto the nature reserve have animals in the roof space and cables run outside through bush. A fault that comes and goes, or a circuit that trips only after rain, can be a cable that has been gnawed or has a damp joint. We trace the circuit, find where the damage is and fix it properly.
Commercial
Shop near Ocean Village with a busy switchboard
A shop in or near the Ocean Village shopping centre has fridges, lighting and signs on circuits that were wired when the centre was built. We find out what has been added since, test each circuit under load and leave the board labelled, so the next fault can be found quickly by whoever opens it.
If it is urgent
If the power fails in Ocean Shores during a storm
- 1Look at your switchboard without opening it, and check whether the main switch or one circuit has dropped, then look outside to see whether the street lights and the neighbours' windows are dark too.
- 2Leave any fallen wire, any water-soaked power point and any battery or inverter that is wet or smells of burning alone, and keep children and pets away from the garage. Do not go under trees near the lines.
- 3When you call, tell us your street, whether you are on the flat northern side or the raised southern side, and whether the block backs onto the nature reserve or the canal.
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 Ocean Shores, NSW
The twenty things we do across the Northern Rivers all turn up in Ocean Shores, but the ones that count change between the sea-view streets, the canal streets and the bush blocks.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Solar and electrical work in Ocean Shores
Tell us your street and whether the house is in the northern flat streets, the raised southern streets or on a bush block. That one answer tells us what ground, roof and access to expect.
0417 415 47424 hours a day, 7 days a week
Not urgent? Send us the job instead