Choosing a location for the solar inverter and its cable runs
The inverter has to live on the building for many years, and where it goes decides how it runs, how it gets serviced and how the cables reach it.
12 min read
Topic
Solar
Articles and news about Solar for Australian builders.
Choosing a location for the solar inverter and its cable runs
The inverter has to live on the building for many years, and where it goes decides how it runs, how it gets serviced and how the cables reach it.
12 min read
Structural checks before fixing rooftop solar frames
A solar array adds weight and lifts with the wind, and every load is carried through a few fixings into a frame that may have been built for neither. Here is how to check an existing roof before fixing rails, what to ask for and where the structural risk sits.
11 min read
Metal roof vs tile roof: a builder’s comparison of weight, heat, noise, fire, coast and cost
The metal-or-tile decision is usually made on looks and price. For builders, it is also a structural, thermal, acoustic and durability decision that changes the frame, the tie-down, the sarking and the details. Here is how the two compare.
7 min read
Home battery program passes 500,000 installs: what it means for builders
The federal home battery discount has passed half a million installations in just over a year, with the strongest uptake outside the major cities. Clients will increasingly expect new homes to be battery-ready.
6 min read
Building all-electric homes: the switchboard, appliances and wiring decisions that matter
More new homes are going all-electric, by regulation in some places and by choice in others. The appliances are the easy part. Supply capacity, switchboards, circuits and future-proofing are where builders earn or lose the client’s trust.
8 min read
Solar PV ready: designing new homes for panels and inverters
A solar ready home is not a roof with nothing on it. It is a set of decisions made before the frame goes up — orientation, roof space, cable route, inverter location and the switchboard capacity to take the connection.
11 min read