The brick veneer homes around Fountain Gate have solid tile roofs and gas appliances that are close to retirement. We design the solar and battery for the all-electric house that is coming, check the original switchboard, and install with our own A-Grade electricians.
Narre Warren grew up around Fountain Gate in the 1980s and 1990s, and the houses from those two decades still make up most of the suburb: brick veneer family homes, some single storey and some double, under concrete or terracotta tile. They were built for gas. The ducted heater in the roof is now 25 to 40 years old, the hot water is gas, and so is the cooktop. Whatever electricity the house uses today, it is about to use a good deal more.
That is the starting point for a Narre Warren solar design. We do not size the array to last year's power bill, because last year the heating was not on the meter. We ask what is likely to change in the next few years, whether that is reverse cycle heating, a heat pump for hot water or a car that plugs in, and we size the panels, the inverter and the battery to carry it. Some roofs here already hold a small early system, and we work out whether it stays, grows or comes off.
The roofs themselves are good to work on. Thirty-odd years of garden growth means we check for shade from trees that were saplings when the house was built, and double-storey homes need a face-by-face layout. The bigger question is usually on the wall, not the roof: an original switchboard has to be right before a battery is connected to it. We look at all of it at the site visit, as part of our wider work in Narre Warren.
Four pieces of one design. Every part is installed by Powerband employees.
Jinko Tiger Neo and Aiko panels on tile-roof brackets, with the layout drawn around hips, valleys, the flue and any tree shade. Single-storey homes usually give us two or three useful faces. Double-storey homes have less roof per face, so the string design matters more.
Sigenergy SigenStor and GoodWe batteries are modular, so a Narre Warren household can start with what the evening needs now and add modules when the heating goes electric. Tesla Powerwall and Sungrow are also fitted. Most go in the garage or on a shaded side wall near the board.
The inverter is the part people undersize. We pick one that can run the battery you will end up with and the loads you are planning, and lodge the export application with the network. Most Narre Warren homes are single-phase, and we confirm the supply before choosing.
Boards from the 1980s and early 1990s were not laid out for solar, a battery and an EV charger. Where the board cannot take the new circuits safely we replace it, leave spare ways for the heat pump and reverse cycle to come, and arrange any meter work with your retailer.
The full range is on our products page.
Tier-one panels with 25-year performance warranties, laid out for the roof faces you have.
Hybrid and string inverters, chosen so a battery can join the system now or later.
Home batteries sized to the evening peak, with backup circuits set up for outages.
Home chargers wired into the same system and set to charge from your solar first.
We have not written up a Narre Warren install yet, so these are the closest: tile roofs and family homes in the neighbouring suburb.
A single-storey home with a tile and tin roof and no solar at all. 27 Jinko panels went on, one row tilted west for late afternoon output, with the battery on a new concrete pad beside the existing switchboard.
23 Jinko panels on a single-storey home, a GoodWe single-phase inverter and two battery modules in the garage. The existing switchboard took the new circuits without a rebuild, so the job stayed lean.
28 Jinko panels on a tile roof, feeding a three-phase Sigenergy inverter with 24.18kWh of storage in the garage on the same wall as the switchboard. Installed over two days.
About 30 minutes from the depot in Somerville, and the same crew from site visit to handover.
Roof faces and tree shade, the switchboard, the meter, and where a battery can sit. We also look at the gas heater and hot water, because they decide the size.
Panel layout, inverter and battery, with a note of what the system will carry once heating and hot water are electric.
Written, after rebates and discounts, with any switchboard work included. Nothing is added on install day.
Solar Victoria eligibility, the federal discounts and the network connection application are lodged by us.
Most single-storey systems take a day. Backup circuits are tested with you, the app is set up and the Certificate of Electrical Safety is issued.
They come from two governments and cover different parts of the system. We check each one against your household before the quote is written.
Cheaper Home Batteries takes around 30 percent off an approved battery. There is no income test, and it is shown on the quote.
Available to eligible owner-occupiers for solar panels and inverters only. The Solar Victoria battery rebate and battery loan both closed in 2025, so batteries rely on the federal discount.
Small-scale technology certificates reduce the price of the solar at the point of sale. They are built into the figure you see, with nothing to claim afterwards.
A solar company sees a roof. We see the heater, the hot water and the board as well, because we replace those too.
We install the reverse cycle systems that take over from ducted gas, so we know what they draw. See heating and cooling in Narre Warren.
A-Grade electricians assess the board on the first visit and price any upgrade into the same quote.
SAA accredited through Solar Accreditation Australia, a New Energy Tech Approved Seller, and nothing subcontracted.
Ten written-up installs next door in Berwick, each with the specification and the owner's review.
Live Google reviews. Look for the Sigenergy, GoodWe and Powerwall jobs.
Something we have not covered? Call 0466 355 441 and talk to an electrician.
It depends on the roof and on what the house will run. The systems we have written up next door in Berwick on similar homes range from about 8kW to nearly 20kW. If the gas heater and hot water are due for replacement, we size for them now.
Either order works as long as the solar is sized for the heating. If the heater is still going, put the solar and battery in first with an inverter that can carry the extra load. If the heater has failed, do the heating first and we design the solar around it.
Sometimes. If the panels still produce well and the roof space is not needed, it can stay alongside a new system. Often the old array sits on the best face of the roof, and replacing it gives far more output. We test it and tell you.
Not always. Two of the three Berwick jobs on this page needed no board upgrade. Where a board has no room or no safe way to take battery circuits, we replace it and include the cost in the fixed quote.
Yes. We bring height access equipment and plan the layout around smaller faces. A double-storey install can take longer than a single-storey one, and we tell you the time in the quote.
No. Solar Victoria now supports solar panels and inverters only. The battery receives the federal discount of around 30 percent, which has no income test.
A site visit, then a written quote showing the roof layout, battery size, any switchboard work and the price after rebates. No obligation.
