Solar questions, straight answers

Sun Current is a Victorian solar and battery company that has been installing since 2012. It started in Narre Warren and is now based in Williams Landing in Melbourne's west. Sun Current designs and installs residential solar panels, home batteries, EV chargers, inverter replacements and commercial solar, and handles the rebate paperwork for its customers.

Sun Current's office is at Suite 502, Level 5/87 Overton Rd, Williams Landing VIC 3027. You can call 1300 251 533 or email [email protected].

Sun Current installs across metropolitan Melbourne, Geelong and the Surf Coast, the Mornington Peninsula, and regional Victoria including Ballarat, Bendigo, the Macedon Ranges, the Yarra Valley, West Gippsland and the Bass Coast. There is a page for every suburb and town covered at suncurrent.com.au/solar-installers/.

Sun Current is an approved seller under the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC), and its systems are designed and installed by CEC-accredited installers.

Sun Current has been recognised as a Top 10 residential solar company in Victoria (SunWiz), a Top 10 solar installer in Victoria in 2022, and the No. 1 solar and battery company in Melbourne's west.

Sun Current works with proven tier-1 manufacturers including Jinko Solar panels, Sungrow and GoodWe inverters and batteries, and Sigenergy battery systems. The right combination depends on your home, budget and plans.

Request a free quote online at suncurrent.com.au or call 1300 251 533. Sun Current does a free on-site or virtual energy assessment, then provides a written, itemised quote with your eligible rebates and STCs already applied.

Yes. Sun Current checks your eligibility and manages the paperwork for federal STCs, the Solar Victoria solar panel rebate and the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount as part of every quote.

Yes. Sun Current regularly replaces inverters, adds batteries and repairs systems installed by other companies, including installers that are no longer in business.

It depends on the system size, the panels and inverter you choose, your roof and your switchboard. Federal STCs are deducted upfront, and eligible households may also get a Solar Victoria rebate. We give you a clear, itemised quote with rebates already applied, so you know your real out-of-pocket cost.

We work it out from your actual power bills, when you use energy during the day and whether you plan to add a battery or an EV. Many Melbourne homes suit a system in the 6.6 kW to 10 kW range, but the right answer depends on your usage and your roof space.

Yes. Panels generate on cloudy days too, just less than in full sun, and Melbourne gets plenty of strong sun across spring and summer. We design your system around your roof's orientation and shading so it performs well year-round.

Most residential installs are completed in a single day once your quote is accepted and the paperwork is in place. We handle the grid connection paperwork with your distributor too.

Yes. We regularly take on jobs other installers turn down, including steep roofs, awkward layouts and older switchboards that need rewiring — always installed safely and to CEC standards.

Yes — through the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which gives a discount on eligible home batteries via small-scale technology certificates. Victoria no longer runs its own separate battery rebate. Since May 2026 the discount is tiered by battery size and steps down every six months, so the amount depends on your battery and your install date. We confirm your discount in your quote.

It depends on how much power you use after the sun goes down, the size of your solar system and whether you want backup during outages. For many homes, a battery that covers the evening peak and overnight base load is the sweet spot. We size it from your actual usage data.

Usually, yes. Depending on your current inverter, we'll either connect a battery through a hybrid inverter or add an AC-coupled battery alongside your existing system. We'll inspect your setup and recommend the most cost-effective option.

Only if it's installed with backup capability. Not every battery setup provides backup by default, so let us know if that's important to you and we'll design the system — and choose which circuits to back up — accordingly.

With low feed-in tariffs, storing your own solar for the evening is often worth more than exporting it. Whether a battery pays off for you depends on your usage pattern, your solar size and the current discount. We'll give you an honest assessment — including when a battery isn't the right call yet.

It depends on the charger you choose, the distance from your switchboard to where you park, and whether your switchboard needs an upgrade. We inspect your setup and give you a fixed, itemised quote.

Yes. A solar-integrated (solar-aware) charger can direct surplus solar into your car during the day instead of exporting it to the grid for a few cents per kWh. If you're out during the day, a battery or off-peak scheduling can help too.

No. Most homes charge perfectly well on single-phase power, typically at around 7 kW. Three-phase power allows faster charging if your car supports it. We'll tell you what your property can handle.

We install quality smart chargers that work with all common EVs sold in Australia, and we can match the charger to your solar inverter and battery so everything works together. Ask us about the options for your setup.

Yes. We install workplace and commercial charging for staff, fleet and customer vehicles, and can pair it with a commercial solar system to cut running costs.

For most businesses, yes — because you use the bulk of your power during the day, when solar generates. Every kWh you produce and use on-site is a kWh you don't buy at commercial rates. We'll model your expected savings and payback from your actual usage data.

Systems up to 100 kW can generate small-scale technology certificates (STCs), which reduce the upfront cost. Larger systems can create large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) over time. Depending on your business structure there may be tax benefits too — check with your accountant. We handle the certificate paperwork.

We size it from your electricity interval data, your tariff structure, your roof space and your grid connection limits. The goal is to cover as much of your daytime load as possible without over-exporting.

We plan installs around your operating hours and keep any switchover to a short, scheduled window. Most of the work happens on the roof, away from your customers and staff.

Yes. We design solar for farms and rural properties — from sheds, pumps and cool rooms to larger rural systems — including sites that need a tailored mounting or cabling solution.

Common signs include error or fault lights on the inverter, a blank display, a monitoring app showing zero or unusually low production, or power bills that have crept back up. If you notice any of these, get in touch and we'll diagnose it.

Inverters usually need replacing before your panels do — often somewhere around 10 to 15 years, depending on the brand, the conditions and how hard the inverter has worked. Panels typically last considerably longer.

If you're thinking about adding a battery in the next few years, a hybrid inverter is often the smartest replacement. It lets you add a compatible battery later without replacing the inverter again.

Yes. We regularly replace and upgrade inverters on systems installed by other companies, including ones that are no longer in business. We'll check your panels and wiring at the same time.

It's matched to the size and layout of your solar array and your grid connection rules. We'll check your existing panels and recommend an inverter that fits — or advise if adding panels at the same time makes sense.

Eligible households can get a Solar Victoria rebate of up to $1,400 on a new solar panel system, plus the option of an interest-free loan of the same amount. On top of that, federal STCs reduce the price of almost every home solar system, whether or not you qualify for the Solar Victoria rebate.

Victoria no longer runs its own battery rebate — the Solar Victoria battery loan closed in 2025. Victorian households can use the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program instead, which gives an upfront discount on eligible batteries and has no income test.

From 1 July 2026, the combined taxable income of the household must be under $150,000 a year (it was $210,000 before). The property must also be owner-occupied and valued under $3 million, among other conditions.

Yes. They are separate programs. If you install solar panels and a battery together, eligible households can receive STCs and the Solar Victoria rebate on the panels, and the Cheaper Home Batteries discount on the battery.

No. Both are delivered as a point-of-sale discount — your installer claims the certificates and takes the value off your quote. The Solar Victoria rebate needs an eligibility check before installation, which your retailer starts with you.

Yes, gradually. The STC discount for solar falls a little each year until the scheme ends in 2030, and the battery discount now steps down every six months. Installing sooner generally locks in a larger discount.