Next steps: Go Solar for Strata FAQs
Approval FAQs
By-laws: Will we need to pass a by-law to install solar?
Only where it is requested by an individual or group of lot owners where the benefit is for their private use.
Where the solar system benefit is hosted on the common shared roof and the electricity generated is used for the common area or house electrical meter, then no by-law is required.
Council approval -Will we need planning approval for or inform the Inner west Council of our solar installation?
In many cases, solar installations are Exempt Developments, which means you don’t need planning approval from Council. If your installation is larger than 100kw or your building is a Heritage Item or is in a Heritage Protection Area, obtaining council approval may be required. To check if this applies to your building, visit Council’s Development Approvals for Solar web page where you will also find guidance on Council’s streamlined process for fee free solar-only applications.
Heritage: Our strata building is either a listed heritage item or is in a heritage conservation area. Is solar approval required from Council?
When adding solar panels to a property with heritage significance, it's important to respect these values.
In some cases, solar installation on a heritage property may not need planning approval. The Development approvals for solar - Inner West Council page under the Heritage drop down section outlines three steps to see whether you fall into this category (known as "Exempt Development").
If you don't fall into this category, you may still be able to install solar – but you will need planning approval from Council (ie lodge a Development Application). See How to apply if you need development approval, below. Council can assist you to work out the best options to install solar and retain your property's heritage significance.
Financial FAQs
Payback: what solar payback can I expect?
Your specific payback will depend on:
- how much electricity you use & the times you use electricity
- your electricity tariffs - what you pay for grid energy & what tariff the retailer offers you for the solar you export (feed in tariff)
- the size of the solar system
- the solar panels tilt, orientation and shading
In Sydney and on the coast of NSW, each kW of solar panels creates approximately 4 kWhs of electricity a day. A 5kW solar system will generate 20kWh a day, for example, and this changes in summer and winter.
Rental: If we don’t have the money to pay for the installation upfront, can we rent the solar equipment?
Yes, there is the option of a Power Purchase Agreement, where your building effectively purchases the solar energy produced from the rooftop system for a set for kWh rate, which is often below the grid purchase rate, listed in cents per Killowatt hour (kWh). These PPA agreements are typically long term contracts for 7-15 years.
Another option for larger flat roofed buildings that can host 40kW sized systems and above is a modular relocatable Solpod offering. The pre-fabricated system is installed via crane.
Solpod systems can be rented or purchased outright. Outright purchases can qualify for the Instant Asset Write-Off through the Australian Tax Office. Find out more at Relocatable solar for business - Inner West Council
Solar on strata complicating factors : Are there any differences between freestanding and strata properties that would make solar less attractive to strata titled properties?
Strata properties generally have more than two stories which require either a scissor lift or a crane to lift the solar panels up to the roof. Hence extra costs. These additional costs are factored into the indicative project costings in the feasibility reports.
Cable runs could also be extensive in strata properties as the main switch room could be far away from the roof. This can also increase the installation price. The proposed project costings in the solar feasibility allow for an electrical cable run from the roof to the electrical switch rooms.
Solar export charge: What is this? Will we be impacted by a new tax on exporting solar to the electricity grid?
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), the rule-maker for the Australian energy market, announced a rule change for rooftop solar from 1 July 2025, when electricity networks such as Ausgrid in NSW will be required to offer a choice of tariffs to solar owners.
The two options are a free basic service with a lower solar export threshold, or a higher level of service in return for unlimited exports most of the time but a network levy at some times eg in the middle of sunny days in autumn and spring, when electricity demand is low but solar output is high. This has been labelled in the media as a solar tax. For more information, view Council’s 2021 AEMC solar export rule change fact sheet
Time of Use Tariff: Where there is a TOU tariff, are you using the highest peak rate in your feasibility report payback calculations & not a weighted average?
For simplicity, the solar feasibility reports used the total cost divided by the total usage to get the average rate.
Warranty: What type of product or installation warranty should we look for?
Products
Good quality tier 1 solar panels offer a performance warranty of up to 85% efficiency within 15 –25 years
The first part of the system to fail will be the solar inverter, which is the box that is attached to a wall or fit inside a switch room. Good quality inverter brands will offer a 10 year product warranty
Installation
Look for accredited installers with a 5 year workmanship warranty. The Clean Energy Council is the national industry accreditation body that enforces minimum performance standards.
See Approved solar system components (technical) for further information
Safety FAQs
Fire safety: are there any additional fire safety infrastructure measures that may have to be installed because of installing a rooftop solar system for our strata?
There has been bad press lately about poor solar installations leading to fires. We recommend a Clean Energy Council (CEC) certified installer who will take care with installation of AC isolators and install high quality isolators.
Glare: Is glare an issue with solar panels?
The glare impact is low. Solar panels have a very low reflection and reflect less than grass or green trees on glare indexes.
Extreme weather: can it damage my solar panels?
It's very unlikely. In order to pass Australian standards, solar panels must be able to withstand the direct impact of hail stones with a diameter of 35mm – roughly the size of a golf ball. But just in case, we do recommend adding your solar system to your home insurance.
Power outages: can they affect my solar system output?
It’s very unlikely. In order to pass Australian standards, solar panels must be able to withstand the direct impact of hail stones with a diameter of 35mm – roughly the size of a golf ball. But just in case, we do recommend adding your solar system to your home insurance.
Roof anchor points: are these required for solar installation and or maintenance?
Roof safety anchor points come standard with modern steel or colourbond roofing. They allow for the clipping in of safety harnesses worn by the solar installers. For non metal roofs, some installers may install temporary edge protection, which is similar to a hand rail for installation safety.
Technical FAQs
Approved solar system components: Where can I find a list of products approved for sale in Australia?
Solar inverter approvals can be checked via https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/industry/products/inverters/approved-inverters
Always choose a solar inverter that includes a Wi-Fi/App monitoring function. Solar panel module approvals can be checked via https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/industry/products/modules/approved-modules
Cleaning: how do we maintain the solar panels to ensure good performance?
You need to look out for build-up of dirt, grime, sap or berries from neighbouring trees or bird droppings.
If the panels are installed on an angle, either on a tilted tiled or metal roof or mounted onto a tilted frame on top of a flat roof, rain will usually be sufficient to self-clean the solar panels. We mainly recommend a tilt angle of 7 to 10 degrees for the solar panels to be self-cleaned.
For solar systems that are heavily impacted by factors that can soil the panels, you may wish to schedule an inspection or clean alongside any other roofing work conducted to minimise call out costs.
Electrical capacity
Would the installation of rooftop solar increase the total power available to our building? Does this change if we add batteries or a solar sharing system?
The total amperage (amps) which is a measure of electrical capacity into the building from an outside source (sub-station/link-box) does NOT increase if solar photovoltaic panels are installed and connected to the common area meter.
After installation of a solar photovoltaic system, the maximum amps that can be consumed inside the building is the same. The solar system just makes the energy (kWh) which is consumed inside the building cheaper.
This is still the same if you install batteries or go with a solar sharing system for individual apartments. None of these projects increases the capacity into the building from the grid in amps.
If our strata property has electrical capacity constraints eg residents can’t change from gas to to electric induction cooktops, how can we increase the supply?
To increase the external power supply to the building, you could contact a Level 2 electrical contractor for a quote on increasing the supply into the building e.g. adding 100amps to the supply (this is not able to be done by local electricians).
Electricity Meters
What is the difference between analogue, digital and smart meters?
Analogue meters are the original meters used by electricity companies to measure electricity usage. These meters are being replaced by more modern electronic meters which have a digital display.
There are mainly two types of digital meters, interval meters and smart meters. While both of these meters record electricity usage in 30-minute intervals, smart meters can be read remotely (replacing the need for a meter reader to come to your property and manually read your meter).
The installation of solar requires an electricity meter which allows for bi-directional flow of electricity (i.e. allows for import and export of electricity). All smart meters allow for a bi-directional flow of electricity. However, only the newer version of interval meters have this capability.
Do we need to upgrade all meters in the building to smart meters?
If you were to install a common area solar system you would have to upgrade analogue or interval meters for the common area meter. If you were to do solar-sharing you would have to upgrade all the digital/interval meters and all the analogue meters for the participating apartments.
Who will upgrade the meters? Does it have to happen before the solar installation?
The solar feasibility report will advise the building whether the electricity meter needs to be replaced to install solar. If this is required, then the solar installer will arrange the installation with your existing electricity retailer.
The smart meters are typically larger in size in comparison with interval meters. The electricity retailer will offer a free upgrade to a smart meter if there is sufficient space on your electrical switchboard, and your electricity meter has a separate circuit breaker which allows power to be terminated without affecting other units.
Electric Vehicle charging:
Can the roof top solar be used to charge electric vehicles?
In the solar for strata feasibility studies, where there is sufficient roof space, a second option of “larger solar” for the common are electricity meter is proposed. Where there is an off-street car park on the site, this option can be to “future proof” the building for when electric vehicle charging will be needed.
If an EV is charging during the day in the car park attached to the common area electricity meter, the electricity produced from the rooftop solar could be used to charge the car when the sun is shining, but it could also be used for other common area services such as operating lifts, lighting, or undercover car park ventilation fans.
If a solar battery is added, it can store any excess solar during the day for EV charging in the evenings or overnight. A more detailed EV charging feasibility report can be purchased separately by the strata committee as it is not part of the solar feasibility report scoping.
How do we manage installing EV charging points in individual parking spaces? If charging outside daylight hours, will this impact the planned size of the rooftop solar system and the battery benefit?
The key decision point for your strata scheme to make is whether it will allow charging off individual apartment meters located in basement carpark areas, or whether it will pass a by-law to ensure all EV charging comes off common area meters. If you do so, you could use a rule of thumb of increasing the size of each common area solar system by 2kW-5kW for each electric vehicle predicted to be charging off each common area solar + battery system.
The solar feasibility reports prioritise common area solar systems/common area solar & battery systems over individual/shared solar systems for individual apartments.
A solar system connected to a common area meter, doesn't increase the capacity of the meterboard to charge an electric vehicle, it only offsets the costs of the electricity which goes into the electric vehicle.
Training resources: How do I find out more about EV charging in strata?
Wattblock has prepared a free EV Charging Readiness for Strata Training course, consisting of 10 modules and a video. Estimated completion time is 3 hours.
Note that Wattblock is an independent consultant and does not receive any commissions from any EV chargepoint manufacturer or installer, electrical contractor, energy retailer or EV manufacturer.
Feed in Tariff (FiT) What its this?
This is the amount the amount your electricity retailer pays you for exporting your excess solar to the grid.
Current solar feed in tariffs offered in NSW range from 0c to 22c per kWh. The FiT value will be credited to the common area electricity account or individual lot resident accounts where an individual solar system is installed (eg on a townhouse). Any credit will not be paid out in cash by the electricity retailer.
Lifting Methods
Different solar installers will quote different methods of transporting solar panels to the roof, depending on their risk profile. The use of any of these methods is at the discretion of a particular solar installer
Lowest cost
- Internal lift + fire stairs to rooftop
- Ladder: 1-2 storeys (~6m)
Mid cost
- Scissor Lift : Up to 4 storeys (~12m) Needs a flat base to be positioned on & located right next to roof
- Cherry picker: 3-10 storeys( ~10-38m ) Uses a knuckle boom and has ability to move laterally
- Small Crane - Up to 7 storeys (~24m) Can be towed behind a ute and driven along a driveway next to a strata building and parked for lift. Able to move laterally
High cost
- Scaffold - any height.
- Large Crane - any height. Able to move laterally. Requires a flat roof to deposit the materials on after lifting (i.e. can't use a crane and store panels on pitched roof) May need council permission to close a lane of a street, hire traffic controllers or put tiger tails on overhead electricity wires
Heat impacts
Will solar panels make my roof or attic hotter?
Solar panels absorb energy from the sun and convert some of it into electricity. Some of the energy that isn’t turned into electricity heats up the solar panel. Some of the energy is reflected upwards off the panel, and some of the energy is continues downwards towards the roof (but not very much because there is a space that allows air to flow between the panel and the roof). Some of that last part will be absorbed by the roof and heat up the roof space.
But the great news is that the energy arriving at the roof is much less than it would be if the solar panel wasn’t there (because some is now electricity, some has been reflected and some has heated up the panel). And so much less energy is absorbed by the roof and less heat goes into the roof space.
So, the solar panels will actually have a cooling effect on the roof space! There are a lot of variables that will affect the size of this cooling effect, but there is nothing that would produce a heating effect.
Maintenance
How frequent and costly are solar maintenance checks?
All solar inverter systems come with online monitoring which will automatically alert you if there are any faults. You can also see the performance of the system in real-time.
Maintenance would only be required when a fault occurs. The cost could vary depending on the faults. A typical call out fee for an electrician could be $165 inc GST + $90 per hour
Is any ongoing maintenance service included in the indicative project costing in the solar feasibility study?
No it covers installation and product supply only
Off grid: will the solar system take our strata building off –grid?
No, you will still need to be connected to the grid, as the output of the solar system will not be enough to cover the total electrical needs of the building’s common areas. Once solar is installed, instead of drawing power from the grid, part of the electricity consumption in common areas is supplied by the common area solar system.
The electricity "pressure" coming in to the building from the grid will serve to power the common areas, including the lifts, if there is not enough solar being generated at any particular point in time.
Solar panel placement– flat concrete roof
For tilted panels mounted onto a frame on a flat roof need to leave a gap in between the rows of panels to take into account the shadow cast by the tilted panels.
We mainly recommend a tilt angle of 7 to 10 degrees for the solar panels to be self-cleaned.
Roof infrastructure: aside from the panels, is there any other 'infrastructure' required on the roof, in the meter room, near the battery or anywhere else?
Only AC isolators which are smaller than 15 cm x15cm in dimension.
Solar water heating: is this included in the report?
The solar feasibility report does not factor in the potential to replace the existing thermal solar hot water pre-heating system (for the common hot water) with a heat pump partly or wholly using the photovoltaic solar system output.
It depends on the available roof space, the solar system size & what proportion of the solar energy produced will be consumed on-site during the daytime. For the solar + battery option, there will be less feed-in occurring.
If there was a heat pump installed, one of the two heating cycles could be lined up to consume any excess solar being generated from the rooftop system. However, it is beyond the scope of the current study to estimate exactly what coverage of a heat pump system, as this would depend on the kW rating of the heat pump which is selected for the building.
Structural engineering report: Is this required?
It may be needed depending on the height of the building (to assess windspeed safety) or for particular types of roofs, e.g. those with wooden cross-beams, to see if they will support the weight of a solar system.
Waterproofing impacts: will the installation of solar panels affect the roof’s waterproofing?
For the installation of solar on a waterproofed flat concrete roof, there are mainly two main methods used. One is ballast (no penetration required), while the other one is concrete flush mounting (requires penetration).
Flush mounting is a more common practice when the roof is concrete as it is approximately 30% less expensive than ballast mounting.
In terms of waterproofing, the installer will need to work with qualified roofers who can provide waterproofing around the brackets where penetrations are made and provide a warranty for this new waterproofing.
Other FAQs
Local examples: can you name a few strata buildings in the inner west that have had a solar system installed?
Some strata buildings installed solar in Inner West area that we are aware of include:
- 6-8 Northwood St, Camperdown
- 66 Cambridge Street, Stanmore
- 7 Railway Avenue, Stanmore
- 3 Flour Mill Way, Summer Hill
- 9 Constitution Ave, Dulwich Hill
Further information: where can I learn more about solar for strata?
You can visit the Inner West Solar for Strata program resources page
For more information download the Clean Energy Council Solar guide for consumers - (Oct 2020) PDF
Resources
View the solar for strata webinar recording and resources