Off Grid Living
Firstly, an apology to the readers. We were so swamped during April that I didn’t get time to write a column for the last edition of Chitchat. Locally and Australia wide installers and suppliers have been swamped as everyone rushed to install as many 50Kw battery systems as they could before the rebates changed on the 1st of May.
There are still shortages of solar panels and racking as a result and things like conduit, thanks to the Iran war. Suppliers are “rationing” supplies on many items, and it is sure making for interesting times especially when trying to source all the gear for upcoming projects.
There was some massive news recently with the announcement that SMA have pulled out of Australia. Ridiculous Clean Energy Council (CEC) regulations that dictate suppliers must test and certify their equipment constantly has meant that some are just no longer interested in supplying this country. I mean look, it’s good that we have regulations that stop cheap nasty products being installed, but it’s gone past the pendulum to ridiculous. Whilst SMA will have a support team for existing customers there will be no new SMA products available in Australia. It’s shameful really!
On a more positive note, we are past the 1st of May which means the Cheaper Home Batteries Program has reduced but there are still healthy rebates to be had. If you are thinking of joining the massive push to off grid then you need to really study the word “patience”. Pretty much 90% of the decent installers I know are booked for months and months. I know I am at least 3 weeks behind in quotes. But don’t be deterred just talk to an installer sooner rather than later. Just understand you will likely be joining a queue.
I will admit that the volume of people wanting to be more grid independent has surprised me. There is a massive movement of people wanting to explore how they can have power independence. Whether that be completely off grid OR a grid connected system that only uses the grid as a last resort.
From very small systems to massive systems there are ALL walks of life making the move. Once the realm of the hairy legged wombat with tin foil hats the off grid realm is now adorned with all walks of life. But don’t worry, we still get our share of hairy legged wombats in Childers…and ya’ll know who you are.
I feel like Optimus Prime (without the sexy voice) when I put a call out to all sparkies who are thinking about moving into grid or off grid power systems. Please come and play, we all need you! I know local electricians Makilec are looking for someone and we can help you get started with training. It’s a real privilege being the provider of someone’s off grid power system and you meet a bunch of really nice folk…and a few hairy legged wombats!
For those who are 100% off grid, as we enter the cooler months with shorter daylight hours and less sun strength we need to just be mindful of our usage and be a little more conservative. Add this to cloudy days and you can soon find yourself needing the generator as a backup. So now is a great time to charge its battery, blow the cobwebs out of the generator, shout it an oil change and make sure the fuel is not old. I use fuel stabiliser in mine to make it last longer. Even give it a run for 20 minutes to make sure its ship shape. Childers Spares will have most of what you need. Trust me, when you really need it….it isn’t funny if the thing doesn’t run. So a little maintenance now can save tears later.
Anyway, nice Chit Chattin to you all again.
Megsy Out
Supplied by Jason Marshall.
Chitchat Newspaper. June 2026.