Solar leader powers up on the South Coast

This is branded content for SolarHub.

If there's one thing that will have Luke Dalla smiling it's a glorious, sunny day on the South Coast of New South Wales.

The Batemans Bay-based regional manager of a leading energy business, SolarHub, has a passion for harnessing the sun's rays to power up a cleaner and more energy efficient lifestyle for the region.

"When the sun's out, our customers can run their homes and vehicles off the sun, and share their excess energy with the electricity grid," he said.

Mr Dalla and his South Coast team are at the moment particularly excited, celebrating the latest development of the business in the region - the opening of its new purpose-built office, showroom and warehouse at Batemans Bay on the Princes Highway.

The building has been taking shape over the past 12 months. In the showroom there will soon be a walk-through demonstration mini home that will showcase all of the smart appliances and products a fully electrified, energy-efficient home has.

The opening of its new site comes five years after Mr Dalla opened SolarHub's South Coast office in Batemans Bay, starting out with just himself, an apprentice and an electrician.

Today, the operation on the coast is nearing 20 full time employees with a Batemans Bay and Bega presence. The team of passionate and experienced locals has expanded its services from premium solar and energy storage to now also electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions for homes and businesses, air-conditioning, hot water systems and induction cooktops.

"We are an all-electrification business now," Mr Dalla said, "Our goal is to help drive the transition to a more energy-efficient and energy-resilient environment for the South Coast, and help educate and support our customers to make that switch to clean energy."

SolarHub in Batemans Bay is part of the wider SolarHub business which began 12 years ago in Canberra, where it's now the largest and longest-running solar company.

SolarHub South Coast has also grown to be the region's largest solar energy installer, which reflects the support from the local community and demand for high-quality, cost-effective energy solutions.

"We've been astounded by the support from residents and their businesses, "said Mr Dalla.

"Our team strives to excel in all aspects of what we do, and we have our own way of designing solar and battery systems which work alongside our customers own vision of electrification. We focus on quality products and installation, ethical procurement, and safety, and we've noticed that that's the kind of approach our customers are looking for too."

Mr Dalla said the growing demand for residential and commercial solar installations is being boosted by the rising cost of electricity and gas, at the same time as the cost of batteries and EVs continues to fall.

"Battery purchases in the last few years had always been driven from customers wanting to be self-sufficient, producing and using their own energy and having backup functionality so they can continue to run their home if there's a blackout, "he said.

"More recently it's been a mix of self-sufficiency and the economics stacking up, with power prices going up and battery prices going down, with the incentives we offer. For some households, you're now looking at the payback on the purchase being seven or eight years for a high quality solar and battery system that's warranted for ten years on the inverter and battery and 25 years for the solar panels.

The buzz around EVs is also feeding into the demand for solar energy as well as EV charging stations, and it's an area where SolarHub has been very busy.

As well as designing and installing residential solar systems that will cope with the extra power needs to recharge EVs, SolarHub has been helping local businesses with smart strategies to value-add to their service for their customers by offering EV charging.

The SolarHub team recently launched its EV charging network, SolarHub Charge, with the installation of two EV chargers at local business, the Broulee Brewhouse. The project was helped along with a NSW Government Electric Vehicle Destination Charging Grant that's aimed at increasing the number of EV charging stations available.

"We helped the Brewhouse apply for the grant and set the charger up so that they won't have to pay for the extra energy used by their EV customers," Mr Dalla said.

"Electricity costs are already high enough for businesses, but for the Brewhouse their customers are actually helping to pay off the installation cost of the charger each time they recharge their car, so it's a win-win. SolarHub's Charge App and support team manage the EV charger so the Brewhouse can focus on what they do best, brewing beer!

"There's a lot to consider when designing and installing EV chargers. Our team is well trained and able to provide both businesses and residents a solution which is customised for them and works well with the solar system we often install with it."

Mr Dalla said boosting the number of charging stations available on the South Coast was an important factor in continuing to attract visitors to the region.

"People are buying thousands of EVs a month and if they have nowhere to charge them on the South Coast they may drive straight through and stay somewhere else," he said.

"We're working with homes, businesses and local governments to install as many chargers as we can to make sure we're on the map and building for the future. Our local SolarHub team will also provide support and maintenance on the assets we install for years to come."

Part of SolarHub's big picture plan for the South Coast has always involved the construction of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) network for the region.

On the VPP, the batteries in businesses and homes not only help reduce power bills, but they can also assist the grid during peak energy demand, making the grid more resilient as well as offering backup power to customers' households during blackouts.

"It's more than just savings on your energy bill, it's about being part of a bigger project," said Mr Dalla, "a collective effort to create a more energy resilient, sustainable network for the South Coast."

From its humble beginnings in 2018, SolarHub South Coast has grown in leaps and bounds and is now at the forefront of the energy revolution in the region. As it expands its services it is confronting climate change on all fronts, sparing no effort in its objective to electrify the South Coast from Nowra to Eden.

To find out more visit solarhub.net.au