Solar and electrical contractor in Possum Creek, NSW
Possum Creek, up in the hills
Possum Creek is a hilly, heavily treed locality in the hills near Bangalow, known for rainforest, valley views and large properties. Almost all the land is rural, and only a few hundred people live here, mostly on bush acreage along Possum Creek Road and the side roads off it. Houses sit on slopes, often partway up a hill, with trees close by on every side. We work out here on houses that are far from each other and further still from town.
Reaching a property off Possum Creek Road is part of the job. Driveways can be steep, narrow and unsealed, and they can be hard to drive after rain. Mobile signal comes and goes. We ask for a pin or directions, and for whether our vehicle will get up the drive loaded. Poles may stand a long way from the house, and cabling to it may be underground or strung through trees. Tell us how the supply reaches you.
Many properties out here are not on town services. Water comes from tanks or a dam, sewage goes to a septic system, and a pump is often part of the electrical load. Some houses are connected to the Essential Energy network and some are off it entirely. Tree cover shades roofs, so a ground-mounted array on a clearing is sometimes better than a roof. The slope matters too, as it changes how we run cable and where we place equipment.
What we do here most
What Possum Creek keeps needing
In the hills, nearly every job comes back to the same things: trees, steep ground, a pump and a long way to the nearest pole.
Off-grid
Off-grid system for a house on a slope
A house a long way up a hill, far from the nearest pole, may suit running on its own power better than a long connection to the grid. We start with what you use, over a day and at night, then work out the panels, the battery and the backup. We also look at where the equipment will sit, clear of damp and animals.
Inverters
Off-grid inverter that shuts down at night
An off-grid inverter that keeps shutting down in the evening is often telling you the battery has been run too low, or a load is bigger than it expected. We read what the system reports, check the battery connections and see what starts up at the time it fails, such as the pump or the freezer.
Repairs
Pump circuit damaged after a storm
Storms bring lightning and falling branches to hilltop properties, and water pumps and bore circuits are often the first things hit. A pump that will not start after a storm can be a tripped switch, a damaged cable or a failed controller. We test the circuit from the board outward and tell you what we find.
Solar
Ground-mounted solar in a clearing
When a roof is shaded by rainforest trees for most of the day, panels on a frame in a clearing can make more sense. We look at where the sun falls through the year, how far the cable has to run back to the house and whether the ground is stable enough to hold the frame.
If it is urgent
If the power fails on a Possum Creek property
- 1Look at the switchboard without opening it, and check whether any switch has dropped, then look at the solar or battery screen if you have one and note any light or message on it.
- 2Leave the inverter, the battery and any cable that has come down or has been chewed alone, and do not run a generator in a shed or in an enclosed space. Keep clear of fallen branches over lines.
- 3When you call, tell us the road, whether you are on the grid or off it, how long the driveway is and what it is like in the wet, and any message showing on the inverter or battery.
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 Possum Creek, NSW
The twenty things we do across the Northern Rivers include a lot that suit the hills of Possum Creek, where steep ground, tank water and distance from the grid decide the design.
Local, and on the phone
Solar and electrical work in Possum Creek
Tell us whether the property is on the grid, partly off it or fully off it, and how long the driveway is. That decides whether the first visit is about a connection, an off-grid design or a repair.
0417 415 47424 hours a day, 7 days a week
Not urgent? Send us the job instead