What Happens on Solar Installation Day? A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Solar installation day looks intimidating from the outside — scaffolding, racks of panels, a team on your roof — but the actual process is well-rehearsed and predictable. For a typical 6.6kW system on a tile or Colorbond roof in NSW, the on-site work takes 6–8 hours, with most homeowners barely noticing apart from a brief power-off window. Here's what happens hour by hour, what to expect, and how to prepare your home.

The day before: what we set up

For most Illawarra installs, scaffolding goes up the day before installation. This is a NSW SafeWork requirement for any roof work above 2 metres. The scaffolding crew typically arrives between 7am and 10am, takes 90 minutes to erect, and sits unobtrusively along one side of your house overnight.

You don't need to do anything for scaffolding day — the crew handles everything. We do ask that you move cars from the driveway and flag any garden beds we should avoid. On Colorbond roofs without a clear access path, we sometimes use a cherry picker instead, which arrives the morning of install.

7:30am — The crew arrives

Our standard install crew is three people: a CEC-accredited installer (lead), a CEC-accredited electrician, and a roof labourer. For larger systems (10kW+) or battery installs, we add a fourth team member.

The lead installer does a 15-minute walk-through with you to confirm: panel layout matches the design you signed off, inverter location is where you expected, isolator placement is acceptable (typically near the meter box), and any specific access constraints (children, pets, garden features).

This is the moment to flag any last-minute concerns. We've had homeowners ask to nudge a panel by half a metre to avoid sight lines from the kitchen window — totally fine if we catch it now, much harder once panels are mounted.

8:00am — Panels go up to the roof, racking begins

Two crew members head to the roof. They start by marking out rafter positions (using a stud finder from inside the roof cavity in some cases), then installing the mounting feet that bolt directly into the rafters.

For tile roofs, this means lifting tiles, fitting the mounting bracket, and either grinding a small notch in the tile or replacing it with a flexible flashing tile. For Colorbond roofs, brackets clamp directly to the standing seams without penetrating the metal — no holes, no leak risk.

The aluminium rails go on next. By around 9am, you'll see the skeleton of the array — empty rails sitting in their final positions. This is when most homeowners first realise how the panels will actually look from the street.

9:00am — Inverter mounting and DC cabling

While the roof team continues, the electrician focuses on inverter installation. Most inverters mount on an exterior wall in shade, ideally near the meter box. For Wollongong homes, the side or rear of the house facing south or east is typical.

The inverter itself is a 20–30kg wall-mounted unit, roughly the size of a small fridge for hybrid models. The electrician drills mounting points, hangs the bracket, lifts the inverter into place, then runs DC cabling through the wall cavity or external conduit up to the roof.

Conduit runs are something to discuss before the day. Most homeowners want them tucked away, painted to match the wall, or run inside the roof cavity. We try to plan the cleanest route at quote stage, but final decisions sometimes have to happen on-site.

10:00am — Panels are installed

This is the satisfying part. The roof team lifts each panel into position (panels weigh 22–25kg each), clamps them to the rails, and connects the MC4 cables to the next panel in the string. A 6.6kW system means 16 × 415W panels, taking roughly 90 minutes to mount and connect once the rails are in place.

By 11am for most jobs, the roof looks done — black panels, tidy rows, no exposed cabling. From the ground, the install looks finished, but the electrical work is just getting started.

11:00am — Power off, switchboard wiring

This is your only meaningful disruption. The electrician needs to disconnect mains power for 30–45 minutes to install the AC isolator, run cabling from the inverter into the switchboard, and add the new solar circuit breaker.

We give you 10 minutes warning. Save anything on computers, pause any cooking, and queue up a podcast for the kids if needed. The Wi-Fi router and fridge will both lose power. Everything comes back on as soon as the electrician finishes the switchboard work.

If you work from home and have critical Zoom meetings, tell us at quote stage — we can usually schedule the power-off for lunch, or run a temporary generator to keep specific circuits live.

12:00pm — Commissioning and testing

Power is back on. The electrician now energises the inverter for the first time, runs the commissioning sequence (typically a 15-minute automated test), and confirms each string of panels is producing the expected voltage and current.

You'll hear a soft fan whir from the inverter and see status LEDs go through their startup sequence. The Fronius, Sungrow, GoodWe and SolarEdge inverters we install all have built-in Wi-Fi — we connect them to your home network and configure the monitoring app while we're on-site.

For battery installs, this stage takes another 60–90 minutes — the battery has its own commissioning sequence, plus communication setup with the inverter and grid forming verification.

1:30pm — Walk-through and paperwork

Before we leave, the lead installer walks you through:

• How to read the inverter screen and identify the system status
• How to use the monitoring app on your phone
• Where the AC isolator and DC isolator are (and how to switch them off in an emergency)
• What the warranty covers and what to do if anything trips
• A reminder that the system is producing power but not yet exporting to the grid

You'll sign the certificate of compliance (the legal document confirming the install meets AS/NZS 5033 and AS/NZS 4777). We submit the STC paperwork, the Endeavour Energy or Essential Energy connection application, and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program rebate paperwork on your behalf within 48 hours.

2:30pm — Site clean-up and scaffolding removal

The crew clears all packaging, panel offcuts, cable scraps and any roof debris. We use magnetic sweepers across driveways to catch any stray screws or fragments. Scaffolding either comes down the same afternoon or the following morning, depending on the scaffolder's availability.

By the end of the day, your property should look exactly as it did before — except for the 16 new panels on the roof and a tidy inverter on the wall.

The next 7–14 days: meter reconfiguration

Here's the part most homeowners aren't expecting: even after install day, your system isn't exporting power yet. Endeavour Energy (Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama) or Essential Energy (Shoalhaven and south) needs to reconfigure your meter to record bidirectional flow.

This typically takes 7–14 business days. During this period, your system is generating and self-consuming, but any solar surplus is exported to the grid for free (unrecorded). Your retailer reads the new meter on their normal cycle and feed-in credits start appearing on the next bill.

You don't need to do anything during this wait. The meter electrician knocks on your door, swaps the meter (5-minute job), and leaves. No appointment needed in most cases.

Use our free Solar Savings Calculator to estimate your daily generation and what the new bills will look like once the system is fully active.

What can go wrong on install day (and how we handle it)

Honest answer: stuff occasionally goes wrong, and a good installer manages it. Most common issues:

Switchboard upgrade required: About 1 in 8 Illawarra installs reveals a switchboard that doesn't meet 2026 NSW regulations once we open it. We carry common breakers and main switches on the truck, so most upgrades happen the same day for an extra $400–$800. Larger upgrades are quoted on the spot and scheduled for a later visit.

Asbestos discovered in eaves or roof: Older Illawarra homes (pre-1985) sometimes have asbestos in roof structures. If we find it, we stop work and bring in a licensed asbestos removalist. Adds 1–2 weeks but is non-negotiable.

Tile breakage: Concrete and terracotta tiles are brittle. We typically break 1–3 tiles per install and replace them from your existing roof spares (most homes have a stack in the eaves). If you don't have spares, we source matching tiles before completing the job.

Weather: We don't install in rain or winds above 40km/h — both are SafeWork requirements. If your install day forecasts rain, we'll usually call you 24 hours ahead to reschedule.

How to prepare your home

Three days before install, we send a checklist. The essentials:

• Clear roof access (move bins, trim overhanging branches if discussed at quote)
• Move cars off the driveway by 7am on install day
• Secure pets indoors or off-property — ladders and an open meter box aren't dog-friendly
• Charge laptops/phones to 100% the night before in case of unexpected power-off extension
• Save and back up important work the morning of install
• Make sure someone over 18 is on-site to sign paperwork at end of day

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be home all day?

Someone over 18 needs to be on-site at the start (for the walk-through) and end (for the certificate of compliance signature). The middle of the day, you can leave if needed — let us know how to contact you. We never leave the property unattended while the meter box is open.

Can I work from home during the install?

Yes, with the exception of the 30–45 minute power-off window mid-morning. The roof and electrical work generates moderate noise — drilling, hammer drills on tile roofs, occasional shouting between crew. Most home offices manage fine with headphones; sensitive video calls should be moved to a coffee shop for the day.

When does my system actually start saving me money?

Self-consumption savings start the moment the system is commissioned (usually around 1pm on install day). Feed-in tariff credits start once Endeavour or Essential Energy reconfigures your meter, typically 7–14 days later. Your first lower bill should arrive within 1–3 months depending on your billing cycle.

What if it rains on install day?

We monitor the BOM forecast 48 hours out. If rain is likely or wind is forecast above 40km/h, we'll call you 24 hours ahead to reschedule — usually to within the same week. We never install in wet conditions; it's both a safety hazard and a warranty risk.

How long does battery install add to the day?

Adding a Powerwall 3 or BYD battery typically extends the day by 2–3 hours. For complex hybrid setups (battery + EV charger + smart load management), some installs run a second day. We quote total install time as part of your contract so you know exactly what to expect.

Ready to get your personalised quote? Contact our CEC-accredited team — we'll call you back within 5 minutes.