Getting a property ready for solar
This is the half of a solar job that is not solar. Before a system can be connected, the switchboard has to have a protected way for it and an AC isolator, the existing circuits need RCD protection, and the consumer mains have to be able to carry the load. On a lot of Melbourne housing stock none of those three are true, and it is found on install day.
Litmec specialises in project electrical work — switchboard and supply upgrades, three-phase conversions, full and partial rewiring, renovation and extension rough-ins, and commercial and industrial fitout. Smaller jobs are taken on as part of a larger scope or for established clients.
What we check
- Spare ways at the board, and whether the existing board can be extended or has to be replaced
- What the backing panel is made of — the asbestos-era panels are the single most common reason a solar install stalls
- RCD protection across the final subcircuits, to AS/NZS 3000
- Consumer mains size and condition, and the main earth
- The meter position and whether the meter box has room for what is being added
- Total connected load, if a battery, an EV charger or an induction cooktop is also planned — it is cheaper to size the supply once for all of it
Why the order matters
An accredited installer quotes the system, not the board. If the board cannot take it, the install is stopped part-way and rebooked, and you pay for two mobilisations instead of one. Having the electrical side assessed before the install is booked is simply the cheaper sequence, and it is also the point at which you find out whether the job is a two-hour board extension or a full switchboard upgrade.
The asbestos panel problem
Houses wired or rewired between the 1950s and the 1980s very often have a Zelemite, Ausbestos or Miscolite backing panel behind the fuses. A solar installer will not drill into one, and should not. The panel has to be removed under licensed conditions and the board rebuilt — see asbestos switchboard replacement. It is the most common single reason a booked solar install does not happen on the day.
Who installs the system
Not us. Litmec does not install solar panels. Installing and connecting a grid-connected solar system in Victoria requires accreditation that we do not currently hold, and we would rather say so than take the job and subcontract it quietly. What we do instead is put you in touch with an accredited installer we know and have worked alongside, and handle the electrical side ourselves where a switchboard, mains or supply upgrade is needed to make the system possible. If you want the introduction, ask when you call — see how the solar referral works.
Call 0418 583 097 and we will tell you what the board needs before anyone quotes you a system.
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Request a Quote →Common questions
How do I know if my switchboard can take solar?
Three things decide it: whether there is a spare way for the solar circuit and its isolator, whether the existing final subcircuits have RCD protection, and what the backing panel is made of. A board with ceramic fuses fails all three.
Is it cheaper to do the board before or after the solar quote?
Before. If the board work is found on install day the installer has to come back, and you pay for two visits instead of one. Getting the electrical side assessed first is the cheaper order.
Do I need three-phase for solar?
Not for a typical domestic system. You may need it if you are adding a battery and one or two EV chargers on top, or if the property is already close to its limit with ducted air conditioning and an induction cooktop. See three-phase power upgrades.
Can you do this work if I have already booked an installer?
Yes, and that is the most common way we are called in — the installer has quoted, found the board, and stopped. We can usually get the board done before their scheduled date.
What does it cost?
It is quoted per project after a site inspection, because the cost is driven by the condition of the board, whether the mains and main earth have to be replaced with it, and whether there is an asbestos panel to remove. Quotes are free and fixed-price.