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Registered electrical contractor REC26104
Your roof, electricity use and plans for the future are different from your neighbour’s. Your solar system should be different too.
Chief Electricians designs and installs solar panels for Cheltenham homeowners, from Pennydale to the residential streets behind Charman Road to and surrounding Westfield Southland. We assess your roof, electricity bills, switchboard and future energy needs before recommending a system.
You receive a home solar installation designed to produce useful solar electricity, reduce the power you buy from the grid, and support future upgrades such as a home battery installation, switching from gas to electric appliances, or purchasing an electric vehicle.
A well-designed system helps you produce green energy where you use it. During daylight hours, your home uses solar electricity before drawing power from the grid.
That can help you:An older system may still produce power but no longer cover enough of your household consumption. Panels can lose output, inverters can fail and the system size that suited your home ten years ago may be too small for the way you use electricity now.
Before recommending an upgrade, we inspect:
Adding more panels to an existing solar energy system is sometimes possible. In other cases, installing a separate system or replacing ageing equipment produces a better result. We will explain the practical and financial differences before you decide.
Homeowners replacing or expanding a system installed more than ten years ago may be eligible for solar panel rebates.
With quarterly power bills between $500 and $1,000, this homeowner wanted a solar and battery system designed for faster payback and stronger protection during blackouts.
The tiled roof needed careful planning due to its shape. After assessing the available space, we installed a 9.5kW solar system using 20 AIKO Neostar panels, paired with 24kWh of Sigenergy battery storage.
The hybrid system stores spare solar power for use later and allows the panels to recharge the battery during a daytime blackout when conditions permit.
This homeowner already had a 6kW solar system and Tesla Powerwall 2 home battery at their Cheltenham home. They wanted to add additional solar panels where possible.
We sought approval to keep the existing inverter and add another, and United Energy approved it. We then installed 15 x Jinko Solar Tiger Neo panels and a Sungrow residential inverter, totalling 6.6 kW of solar power. This was AC coupled to the existing battery, allowing surplus solar energy to be stored for later use.
This is the average amount of solar energy that falls on the Cheltenham area. Roof direction, shade and weather will change how much power your panels make.
The Clean Energy Regulator had recorded 2,299 small solar systems in postcode 3192 by 31 July 2026.
From 1 July 2026, some United Energy customers with a zero export limit can apply for flexible exports. Eligible systems may export up to the inverter limit or 10 kW when the local grid has space.
Cheltenham is in STC Zone 4. This zone helps set the federal discount for an eligible solar system.
We start with your roof and power use.
First, we use clear aerial images and solar design software. This helps us map the size, slope and direction of each roof section. It also shows where shade may fall during the year.
Shade can come from a nearby two-storey home, a large tree or part of your own roof. A quick look from the street may not show the full problem.
We also review up to 12 months of power bills or smart-meter data. This tells us how much power you use and when you use it.
We then work out the panel count, roof layout and inverter size. If roof space is tight, we can compare higher-output panels with standard panels. You will see how much extra power they may produce and what they cost.
Once you are happy with the plan, we visit the property. We check the roof, switchboard, meter and cable path before ordering the equipment.
Cheltenham is in the United Energy area. Before installation, we apply for approval to connect your solar system to its network.
This approval tells us how much power your system may send back to the grid. This amount is called an export limit.
We also help with the Victorian solar panel rebate and the federal STC discount. If you add a battery, we can handle the federal battery certificate discount too.
Townhouses and units may need written approval from an owners corporation. We can provide the roof plan, panel mounting details and proposed cable path. Sending these details early can prevent delays.
Many home solar installations take one day. A battery, switchboard upgrade or difficult roof may add another day.
Older Cheltenham homes sometimes have switchboards that have been changed many times. They may need new safety switches or more space before solar can be connected. We check this before installation and include any required work in the quote.
Once the panels and inverter are installed, we arrange the required electrical inspection. The licensed inspector checks the work and issues the inspection record. We also provide the required Certificate of Electrical Safety.
Next, we complete the United Energy connection steps and test the inverter. Your energy retailer may also need to update the meter or its settings.
Before we leave, we show you the monitoring app. You can use it to check how much power your system makes and how much your home uses.
Chief Electricians are a local team of dedicated solar electricians. When you work with us, you get:
Solar Accreditation Australia accredited designers and installers
Qualified, in-house electricians, with all work completed by our team
A personalised design based on your home and energy needs
A neat and tidy crew that cleans up after themselves and you can trust to be in and around your home
We’ve completed hundreds of completed home and business projects. To read our feedback, take a look at our Google and Solar Quotes reviews on this page.
Founder Adam Bau has more than ten years of trade experience. He leads a team that takes care with design, installation and follow-up support.
Chief Electricians has Solar Accreditation Australia-accredited designers and installers. Their qualifications cover:
Chief Electricians is also a New Energy Tech Consumer Code Approved Seller. This means the business has agreed to rules for sales, quotes, installation and customer support.
We are a Victorian Registered Electrical Contractor, REC 26104, and a member of the National Electrical and Communications Association.
United Energy sets the grid connection rules for Cheltenham. Chief Electricians handle these steps for you.
We Get Approval Before Work Starts: We apply for grid approval and confirm the export limit before installation. This prevents a lower export limit from becoming a surprise after the system is fitted.
We Meet Victoria’s Solar Control Rules: New and upgraded Victorian solar systems must support the state’s emergency backstop rules. This allows the network to lower or stop solar exports during a grid emergency. We install an approved, internet-connected inverter and set it up for the United Energy network.
We Set Up and Test the Inverter: An incorrect inverter setting can cause voltage faults or connection problems. We apply the required grid settings, test them on site and check that the inverter can communicate with the network.
We Help Eligible Homes Use Flexible Exports: United Energy introduced flexible exports on 1 July 2026. The first stage is for eligible customers who receive a zero export limit. Instead of being blocked from all exports, an eligible system can send power to the grid when the local network has space. The limit can rise to the inverter’s capacity or 10 kW. It may drop for short periods when the grid is busy. United Energy says customers in its trial could export without limits more than 90% of the time. We check whether your property can take part and complete the required setup.
We Design for Three-Phase Homes: Many new townhouses and renovated homes have three-phase power. This affects the inverter choice, system layout and export settings. We check your power supply before choosing the equipment. This helps make sure the system works as planned on all three phases.
A 10 kW solar system starts from about $10,500 before rebates. Smaller systems may cost less. The final price depends on the system size, panel and inverter brands, roof access and switchboard work. Chief Electricians provides an itemised quote, so you can see what is included.
The answer depends on your power use, system size, electricity plan and export rate. A home that uses more solar power during the day may save more than a home that exports most of it.
We use your bills to estimate annual savings and the likely payback time. This estimate is included with your solar design.
Yes. Many Cheltenham townhouses and units can have solar. You need enough roof space assigned to your property. You may also need written approval from the owners corporation. We can prepare the plans and equipment details it may ask for. Small or split roofs need careful panel placement. Skylights, air conditioners and shade must also be included in the design.
Eligible Victorian households can receive a solar panel rebate of up to $1,400. They may also apply for an interest-free loan of the same amount. For applications made from 1 July 2026, the combined taxable income of all owners must be less than $150,000 a year. The property must also meet Solar Victoria’s other rules. Eligible systems can also receive a federal solar tax credit discount. Its value changes with the system size, installation date and certificate price.
No. Solar panels can lower your power bill without a battery. A battery stores spare daytime solar for use at night. It may suit a home that exports a lot of solar and uses more power after sunset. It may not offer the same value for a home with little spare solar. We can include a battery with a new system or add one later.
Yes. A home EV charger can use power from your solar panels. Charging during sunny hours can reduce the amount of grid power used by the car. We can design the solar system and EV charger together, or add a charger to an existing system.
Chief Electricians is based in Braeside VIC 3195, around ten minutes from Cheltenham shops in light traffic. Read our reviews to see how we solved different roof, shading and energy-use challenges across Bayside and south-east Melbourne. This makes it easy for us to attend site checks, installations and follow-up visits. If you need help after installation, we are likely close by for any troubleshooting or after-installation care.
Book a no-obligation solar assessment with Chief Electricians.
We will review your roof, power use, switchboard and future plans. You will receive a solar design and quote tailored to your home.
Chief Electricians handle the design, grid forms, rebate paperwork, installation and testing. Call 1300 223 323 or contact our team to book your assessment.
