Service Business

An electrician doing side-work solar installs faces a compliance nightmare. Your core work is switchboards, VCLs (Victorian Certificate of Likely hood), electrical safety certificates — all state-mandated daily. Your solar side-work brings STC rebates ($3,800–7,000 per install, 40/year = $152k–280k annual rebate cash flow), grid connect applications (NSW requires DNSP approval per DNSP rules by postcode), warranty maintenance scheduling (post-install battery checks, inverter firmware updates, performance monitoring). You're juggling three separate compliance regimes: electrical (switchboard certs, safety certs, state licencing), solar (STC claims, CER registration, CEC accreditation), and grid connection (DNSP forms, AS/NZS 4777 standard, postcode export limits). Generic electrical SaaS (like Tradify, Real Contracts) handles job quoting and invoice generation — they don't touch solar compliance. Generic solar SaaS (Aurora Solar, Pylon) handles STC claims and design — they ignore electrical switchboard certs, safety certs, and recurring service workflows. You're running two separate systems, two separate workflows, two separate compliance tracking lists. One missed CER STC filing deadline = $6,100 rebate lost. One missed switchboard CoC = legal liability + customer trust killed. One missed crew electrical licence renewal = crew can't work on switchboards (state law). A combined-trade custom platform fixes this: single source of truth for STC claims, grid connect forms, switchboard certs, electrical safety certs, licence tracking, and recurring service scheduling. Build once, scale to 6–8 crew electricians, ship $152k–280k annual STC rebate flow with zero manual filing overhead.

Why Separate Systems Break Combined Electrical-Solar Trades

A 6-electrician solar-electrical business might look like: 3 senior electricians (switchboard work, electrical design, crew supervision), 2 solar specialists (roof work, panel installation, inverter config), 1 apprentice (assist both trades, learn switchboard + solar). That's 1 FTE dedicated to each trade, plus cross-training. Revenue split: 60% electrical work (switchboards, VCLs, circuit upgrades, safety certs, industrial wiring), 40% solar (new installs, battery add-ons, inverter upgrades). Income breakdown: electrical = $280k/year (4 jobs/month @ $12k avg, 48 jobs/year), solar = $180k/year (10–12 solar installs/year at $15k–18k all-in post-STC rebate pass-through). Total revenue: $460k/year. Compliance overhead: electrical workflow (Tradify or equivalent: $150–300/mo = $1,800–3,600/yr per 6-person team), solar workflow (Aurora Solar or Pylon: $250–350/mo × 6 = $18k–25.2k/yr for the team, because solar SaaS charges per-seat), recurring service scheduling (Calendly or Housecall Pro: $200–400/mo = $2,400–4,800/yr). Total SaaS cost: $22.2k–33.6k/year. Add manual labour: STC filing (80 hours/year @ $40 electrician rate = $3,200/yr, vs solar installer $35 = $2,800/yr; electricians cost more), switchboard CoC generation (1 hour per job × 48 electrical jobs = 48 hours/yr @ $40 = $1,920/yr), electrical safety cert generation (30 min per job × 48 jobs = 24 hours/yr @ $40 = $960/yr), crew licence tracking (2 hours/month = 24 hours/yr @ $40 = $960/yr), recurring service scheduling admin (3 hours/week = 156 hours/yr @ $25 admin rate = $3,900/yr). Total labour overhead: $11k/yr. Combined SaaS + labour: $33.2k–44.6k/year. That's 7–9.7% of revenue burned on administrative systems and manual compliance workflows. And you've still got gaps: Tradify doesn't know about STC claims. Aurora Solar doesn't generate switchboard certs. Housecall Pro doesn't track electrical licence renewal. You're jumping between three systems, three login screens, three separate job records. A customer calls: "Invoice for the switchboard work also includes the solar install I did for you last month." You pull up Tradify (finds the switchboard invoice), then Aurora Solar (finds the solar job), manually cross-reference to generate a combined bill or eat the admin overhead. Crew scheduling is fractured: electrician Sarah does switchboard work Mon–Wed, solar install Thu–Fri. Tradify shows switchboard calendar, Aurora Solar shows solar calendar, but they don't talk to each other. You text Sarah separately for each system or manually merge the calendars in Google Calendar (now three calendars to manage). Compliance gaps are the killer: STC filing deadline is Jun 25 (10 business days post-install). You miss it if the job isn't flagged in your calendar. Tradify and Aurora Solar both have calendar reminders, but if you're using Tradify for electrical work and Aurora Solar for solar, and the same crew member does both, the reminder lands in two places (you might see one, miss the other). Switchboard CoC is state-specific (NSW vs VIC vs QLD all have different forms, different state authorities, different timing rules). You generate the CoC manually (1 hour in Word/PDF form), print, sign, file. 48 jobs/year × 1 hour = 48 hours = $1,920/yr wasted on form generation. Electrical safety certificate (post-electrical work on any property, required by state law) must be issued per job. Tradify has a template, you fill it out, generate PDF, sign. 48 jobs × 30 min = 24 hours = $960/yr. Crew electrical licence tracking: you've got 6 crew. Each has an electrical licence (e.g., NSW Electrical Contractor, VIC Electrician, QLD License to work with electricity) expiring at different dates. Plus CEC accreditation (if they do solar). Plus SafeWork NSW clearance (if they work on switchboards in NSW). You're tracking 6 × 3 = 18 compliance dates in a spreadsheet. Spreadsheet gets stale. Someone doesn't renew, they work on a switchboard anyway, you're liable. Recurring service: post-install, you sell "warranty maintenance" — quarterly battery check, annual inverter firmware update, 5-year inverter wellness inspection (SMA requires inspection to validate warranty). This is $500–1,500/year recurring revenue per customer. But you're manually booking these in Housecall Pro, manually creating work orders, manually invoicing. 40 solar installs/year × 25% adopt maintenance plan = 10 recurring customers × $1,000/yr = $10k recurring revenue. Manual booking overhead: 10 customers × 4 bookings/year = 40 bookings × 15 min per booking = 600 min = 10 hours/yr @ $25 = $250/yr labour (looks small, but 40 customers = $2,500/yr admin overhead). You're also losing revenue: customers forget renewal dates, you forget to send reminder invoices, 30% don't renew (6 customers × $1,000 = $6,000 lost recurring revenue from poor reminder systems). Electrical + solar combined: you need one platform that: generates STC claims, submits to CER, tracks rebate pipeline; generates switchboard CoCs (state-specific templates with auto-fill), electrical safety certs; tracks DNSP grid connect rules per postcode, generates grid connect applications; books recurring maintenance, sends automatic customer reminders, re-books next cycle; tracks crew electrical licence, CEC accreditation, SafeWork clearance expiry across the team; consolidates all compliance dates in one dashboard; shows job revenue split (electrical vs solar per contract, so you can analyse which trade is more profitable). Generic systems can't do this. Combining them costs $33.2k–44.6k/year + manual overhead + compliance gaps. Custom platform: single source of truth, zero gaps, auto-reminders, state-specific templates, recurring revenue engine.

What Custom Replaces: Six Features Electrician-Solar Combined Trades Need

1. STC Rebate Calculator + Automated CER Submission (Same as Solar-Only, But More Critical)

Solar install complete (Jun 15). Electrician crew uploads final inverter serial + grid connect approval letter (from DNSP). System calculates: "8 kW system, postcode 2000 (Ausgrid, 5 kW export limit). STC eligible: 56 STCs @ $109/STC = $6,100 rebate. Installer: Your Electrical Company (ABN 12345678901, CEC-Level 3 accreditation, expires Dec 2026)." System auto-populates CER claim form: customer name + TFN + address + system size + installer accreditation + inverter serial + install date + design PDF. System auto-signs using your CER account (pre-linked), uploads design, submits to CER same-day. CER approves in 3–5 business days. Rebate lands in company bank account. For a 6-crew electrician-solar business doing 10–12 solar installs/year (side-work) + 48 electrical jobs/year: 10 solar installs × $6,100 avg rebate = $61k rebate cash flow. Manual filing: 2 hours × 10 claims = 20 hours @ $40 = $800/yr. Custom system: 5 min × 10 claims = 50 min @ $40/hr = $33/yr. Savings: $767/yr. But the real win is: zero missed deadlines (every single STC claim files on-time), zero late rebates (customer happy, you paid on schedule), zero CER audit risk (claims are properly documented, audit-ready). STC claims are also revenue-positive for electricians: you can either pass the $61k rebate to the customer (reducing their cost, making your quotes more competitive) or keep it as company margin (electrician mark-up on solar, not visible in the quoted customer price). Custom system tracks rebate pipeline: "YTD STC claims: 8 filed, 7 approved ($43.1k cash received), 1 pending (filed Jun 25, expect approval Jul 2)." This is crucial for cash flow: you know exactly when $6k+ rebate hits your account.

2. Grid Connect Application Workflow (DNSP Per-Postcode Rules + AS/NZS 4777)

In Australia, grid-connected solar requires DNSP approval before final commissioning. DNSP = Distribution Network Service Provider (Ausgrid in NSW, Energex in QLD, United Energy in VIC, etc.). Rules vary by postcode: some areas are "no export" (you can't send solar power back to grid), others allow 5 kW export, others allow 10+ kW. Application process: you (electrician) get customer address, check DNSP rules, submit grid connect application (includes system design, inverter model, export capacity, customer details), wait for approval (usually 2–5 business days), DNSP issues "Network Congestion Consent" or "Grid Export Approval." System saves days of back-and-forth. Custom platform: sales staff enters customer postcode, system auto-displays: "Postcode 2000 (Ausgrid Sydney CBD): max export 5 kW. Your quoted 8 kW system will be limited to 5 kW export. Customer will see system generating 8 kW peak, but grid export capped at 5 kW (excess stored in battery or wasted). Recommend 3 kW battery add-on to store excess." System flags this in the quote: "8 kW solar (5 kW export limit) + 3 kW battery (optional) = $16k system cost. Without battery: wasted solar on high-generation days." Quote is honest, customer knows constraints. Post-sale, if customer approves, crew generates grid connect application: system auto-fills DNSP form (postcode, system size, inverter model, customer name, address, TFN, electrician ABN + licence). Electrician reviews, hits "submit to DNSP." System tracks approval status: "Submitted Jun 15, DNSP approval expected by Jun 20, current status: awaiting DNSP review." Approval arrives (email to electrician), system auto-captures reference number, stores in job record. Crew final-commissions knowing DNSP has approved. No surprises on Day 3 (electrical day) when DNSP approval isn't ready yet. Manual grid connect: each application is 30–45 min of form-filling, postcode lookup, manual DNSP rule check (if you don't know the rules, you have to look them up online or call DNSP). 10 solar installs/year × 40 min = 400 min = 6.7 hours @ $40 = $268/yr. Custom system: 5 min per application (system fills 90% of form, electrician reviews + submits) × 10 = 50 min @ $40 = $33/yr. Savings: $235/yr. But bigger win: zero approval delays (DNSP rules are baked-in, no manual postcode lookup), zero quote surprises (customer knows about export limits before committing), zero final-day rework (approval is done before commissioning).

3. Switchboard Certificate of Compliance (State-Specific Templates)

Electrical work in Australia requires a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) issued by the electrician to the customer. It's state-mandated: NSW (SafeWork NSW form), VIC (VicSafe form), QLD (WorkSafe Queensland form), WA (WorkSafe WA form). Each state has a different form, different timing requirements, different authorities. When you wire a switchboard (customer has old 1-phase 60A panel, you upgrade to 3-phase 100A), you issue a CoC: "Installation completed by [electrician name + licence number + date]. Switchboard upgraded from 60A SP to 100A 3-phase. Circuit breakers: 2× 20A (general circuits), 1× 32A (AC air-con), 1× 63A (hot water). RCD protection: 30mA test passed. Earth continuity: verified per AS/NZS 3000. Certificate of Compliance issued [date signed]." Form is state-specific, timing varies (NSW requires CoC within 10 business days, VIC requires it sooner), and you must lodge with the relevant state authority (SafeWork NSW, VicSafe, etc.). Manual process: you fill out the form (30 min per job), print, sign, file with state authority, give customer a copy. 48 electrical jobs/year × 30 min = 1,440 min = 24 hours @ $40 = $960/yr labour. Custom system: you select state (NSW), system loads NSW SafeWork form template, auto-fills: electrician name + licence number (from your crew database), customer address, work description (switchboard upgrade), circuit details (your crew entered these in the work order), date. Electrician reviews, signs digitally, system auto-submits to SafeWork NSW portal (if you're linked), stores copy in job record, generates customer PDF. Time: 2 min per job × 48 = 96 min = 1.6 hours @ $40 = $64/yr. Savings: $896/yr. Plus: zero missed deadlines (system knows NSW 10-day rule, alerts you), zero wrong-state forms (VIC electrician doesn't accidentally use NSW form), zero compliance risk (every job has CoC on file, state authority has record).

4. Electrical Safety Certificate (Post-Install Checklist + Daily Risk)

Any electrical work on a property requires an "electrical safety inspection" and certificate of safety. This is not the same as the CoC — it's a separate compliance step. You do switchboard work, you issue a "Certificate of Electrical Safety" (state-specific again): "Electrical installation inspected. Results: [list each circuit tested, RCD tested, earth continuity tested, voltage tested, load tested]. All tests passed. Installation is safe for use." Customer gets the cert, they file it, insurer may ask for it (buildings over 5 years old). Generating this is manual: you do the inspection (30 min on-site per job), write results in a notebook, return to office, type up the cert (30 min), generate PDF, sign, send to customer. Time per job: 60 min @ $40 = $40 labour. 48 jobs/year × 60 min = 48 hours = $1,920/yr. Custom system: electrician on-site uses mobile app to log inspection (photos of switchboard, breaker, RCD, earth test results). App stores photos + test values. Electrician hits "complete inspection." System auto-generates certificate: "Electrical Safety Certificate — [customer name + address + date]. Circuits tested: [list from job], RCD tested: passed (trip time 25ms, spec <30ms), Earth continuity: verified per AS/NZS 3000, Voltage: 230V (spec 230V ±10%), Load test: 63A @ 3-phase, RCD protected. Certificate issued by [electrician name + licence]." PDF auto-generates, customer can view online or download. Time per job: 5 min (photos + app submission) @ $40/hr = $3.33 labour. 48 jobs × 5 min = 240 min = 4 hours = $160/yr. Savings: $1,760/yr. Daily risk reduction: every job has an inspection record + certificate, reducing liability if customer claims work was faulty (you have proof you tested everything).

5. Recurring Service Scheduling + Warranty Maintenance Engine

Post-solar-install, you offer "Warranty Maintenance Plan": quarterly battery health check (voltage balancing, thermal scan for failed cells), annual inverter firmware update (SMA pushes updates yearly, you apply them), 5-year system wellness inspection (SMA requires inspection to validate 10-year inverter warranty). Customers pay $500–1,500/year for this (recurring revenue). Scheduling is manual nightmare: you do 10 solar installs/year, 70% of customers buy maintenance (7 customers), each needs 4 visits/year = 28 recurring appointments. Manual tracking: spreadsheet with customer name + next appointment date. You remember to call/email customer 2 weeks before appointment, customer books, you enter in calendar, crew shows up. If you forget the reminder, customer doesn't book, you lose the appointment, customer churns to competitor. Custom system: post-install, crew marks job "maintenance plan active: quarterly battery check + annual firmware + 5-year wellness." System auto-schedules first appointment (3 months post-install): "Customer: Mr Smith, 36 Maple Ave, System: 8 kW, Battery: 10 kWh. First maintenance visit: Sep 15, 2026 (90 days post-install). Work order auto-created: battery thermal scan, firmware check, performance log update." System sends customer reminder email + SMS: "Your solar warranty maintenance is due Sep 15. Click to confirm appointment or reschedule." Customer confirms, appointment locked. 2 weeks before, system sends crew SMS: "Sep 15: Mr Smith (36 Maple Ave, battery thermal + firmware check, 1 hour)." Crew shows up, runs thermal scan on battery (IR camera on phone, system logs temp distribution), checks inverter firmware version (system compares to latest SMA version, warns if outdated), updates if needed, uploads photos + results. System auto-generates invoice: "Battery thermal scan: $150, Firmware update: $100, Total: $250 (covered by annual maintenance plan, $0 due from customer)." Next appointment auto-schedules: Dec 15 (3 months later). Customer never has to think about it. 7 customers × 4 visits/year = 28 recurring appointments. Manual reminder + scheduling: 28 × 10 min = 280 min = 4.7 hours @ $25 admin rate = $117/yr. Manual invoice generation: 28 × 5 min = 140 min = 2.3 hours @ $25 = $58/yr. Total manual overhead: $175/yr. Custom system: 0 manual overhead (all auto-scheduled, auto-invoiced). Plus: reduced churn (customers don't forget to renew), higher repeat revenue (28 visits/year × $250 = $7k recurring revenue; with 30% churn due to poor reminders, you lose $2,100 revenue/yr). Custom system reduces churn to 5–10% (proactive reminders + automatic re-booking), adds $1,260–1,890 recovered revenue/yr. Total win: $175 labour savings + $1,260 recovered revenue = $1,435/year from recurring service engine alone.

6. Crew Electrical Licence & Accreditation Tracking

You've got 6 crew. Each has: electrical licence (NSW Electrical Contractor, or VIC Electrician, or QLD License to work with electricity, etc.; renewed every 3 years), CEC accreditation (if they do solar work; renewed every 3 years, requires 5-day course + ongoing CPD), SafeWork NSW clearance (if they work on switchboards in NSW; checked annually via SafeWork register). Tracking is a nightmare spreadsheet. Sarah's CEC accreditation expires Dec 2026 (6 months away). She needs to re-do the 5-day course ($1,500–2,500) before Dec or she can't design/install solar. If you forget, Dec arrives, she can't work solar, you're short a crew member for 2 weeks while she does the course. Manual tracking: spreadsheet with crew name + licence type + expiry date. You set a calendar reminder 2 months before (Oct 2026: "Sarah — CEC expires Dec, enrol her in course"). Reminder lands in your calendar, you might miss it if you're busy. Licence status isn't visible to crew; Sarah doesn't know her accreditation is about to lapse. Custom system: crew database with 3 expiry dates per crew member (electrical licence, CEC accreditation, SafeWork clearance). System auto-calculates: "Sarah: Electrical licence (NSW) expires Dec 18, 2026 (7 months), CEC (Level 3) expires Dec 12, 2026 (6 months, ALERT: renewal due). SafeWork NSW (active, no expiry listed)." System shows on dashboard: "Crew compliance: 6 crew total, 0 expired, 1 expiring within 6 months (Sarah — CEC, action required by Nov 2026 to renew by Dec)." System sends Sarah an email (60 days before expiry): "Your CEC accreditation expires Dec 12, 2026. Renew now to avoid work interruption. [Link to CEC renewal page + recommended courses]." Sarah clicks, enrolls in 5-day course (scheduled Nov, completes before expiry), uploads new certificate. System updates: "Sarah: CEC renewed, now expires Dec 12, 2029." Cost to you: zero additional overhead (system sends reminder, crew manages own renewal). Manual overhead: 2 hours/year managing crew accreditations across 6 crew = $80/yr @ $40/hr. Custom system: zero manual overhead. Plus: zero work stoppages from expired licences (you always know who's current + who's expiring), zero legal liability (you can prove crew are accredited if SafeWork audits you).

The ROI Math: 6-Crew Electrician-Solar Combined Business

A 6-crew electrician-solar operation: 3 senior electricians (switchboard work), 2 solar specialists, 1 apprentice. Annual revenue: $460k (60% electrical, 40% solar). Current overhead: electrical SaaS (Tradify: $150–300/mo = $1,800–3,600/yr), solar SaaS (Aurora Solar: $250–350/mo × 6 crew = $18k–25.2k/yr), recurring service scheduling (Housecall Pro: $200–400/mo = $2,400–4,800/yr). Total SaaS: $22.2k–33.6k/year. Add labour overhead: STC filing (20 hours/yr × $40 = $800), switchboard CoC generation (24 hours/yr × $40 = $960), electrical safety cert generation (24 hours/yr × $40 = $960), crew licence tracking (24 hours/yr × $40 = $960), grid connect applications (6.7 hours/yr × $40 = $268), recurring service admin (4.7 hours/yr × $25 = $117), lost recurring revenue from churn (30% × 7 customers × $1,000 = $2,100/yr). Total annual cost: ~$28.2k–39.5k (SaaS + labour + lost revenue). Custom platform: $145k build (STC automation + grid connect workflow + switchboard/electrical CoC generation + recurring service engine + crew tracking + combined dashboard), $4.5k/year hosting. Year one: $149.5k. Year two: $4.5k. Break-even: month 20 (1.67 years). Year three cumulative: $158.5k. At year three, current system cost: ~$84.6–118.5k (3 × $28.2k–39.5k). Custom breaks even in month 20 and saves $28.2k–39.5k/year in labour + SaaS + recovered revenue going forward. By year 5, custom costs $149.5k + (4 × $4.5k) = $167.5k. Current system costs ~$141k–197.5k (5 × $28.2k–39.5k). Custom saves $0–30k by year 5 (depending on how many solar installs scale), but eliminates all compliance risk (zero missed licence renewals, zero switchboard CoC delays, zero STC filing failures). A 6-crew business scaling to 10 crew by year 3 (increasing solar installs from 10 to 20/year, electrical jobs from 48 to 80/year) sees: current system cost bloat to $45k–65k/yr (more SaaS seats, more manual admin); custom system cost stays at $4.5k/yr (zero per-seat licensing). By year 5, custom has paid for itself ($167.5k build cost is matched by labour + SaaS savings across 5 years), and year 6 onwards, custom saves $40.5k–60.5k/year infinitely as the crew scales to 15–20 people.

Australian Compliance: Electrical + Solar Combined Rules

Electricians doing solar work must comply with three regulatory regimes: electrical (state-mandated trade licensing + CoC + electrical safety), solar (CER + CEC + STC scheme), and grid connection (DNSP rules + AS/NZS 4777). Electrical licensing: varies by state. NSW requires "Electrician" (general wiring) or "Electrical Contractor" (supervise others, design). VIC requires "Electrician" with "high-risk" endorsement for switchboard work. QLD requires "License to work with electricity" with various levels. WA similar (state-issued). Licensing is 3-year cycle; renewal requires evidence of CPD (continuing professional development) hours. Your system tracks per-crew electrical licence, alerts when 6 months from expiry. CER (Clean Energy Regulator): oversees STC rebate scheme. You must be CEC-accredited (Clean Energy Council, Level 3 for solar installs of any size), your installers must be CEC-accredited (Level 2 or 3), and you must file STC claims within 10 business days of install. CER audit: if you file 50+ STC claims/year, CER may audit 1–2 installations at random. Audit failure = reclaim rebate + penalties. Custom system auto-files per CER rules, logs all photos/design docs (audit-ready). STC scheme: residential installs <100 kW get STCs (~$109 each, seasonal variation). 8 kW system = ~56 STCs = ~$6,100 rebate. Large-scale (>100 kW) = different scheme (LEC = Large-scale Generation Certificate). Your system flags when a project crosses 100 kW, switches to LEC workflow. Switchboard certification: post-electrical work, you must issue CoC within 10 business days (NSW rule, other states vary). CoC form is state-specific (SafeWork NSW form SWF10, VicSafe form, etc.). Lodging is mandatory with state authority. Failure to lodge = no CoC on file, customer has unsertified electrical work (reduces property value, breaks insurance), you're liable. Custom system generates state-specific CoC, auto-submits (if state authority accepts online submission), tracks lodgement. Electrical safety certificate: separate from CoC. Post-any-electrical-work, you issue a safety cert (inspection results: RCD tested, earth continuity verified, voltage checked, load tested). Some states require this, others recommend it. Custom system generates from inspection photos + test results, auto-populates. DNSP grid connect: required for any solar system. DNSP approval process takes 2–5 days. Rules vary by postcode (Ausgrid NSW rules differ by suburb postcode). Custom system checks postcode-level DNSP rules, alerts sales staff to export limits, generates grid connect application form per DNSP specs. Failure to get DNSP approval = system can't be commissioned legally (you can't send power to grid without DNSP consent). AS/NZS 4777: Australian standard for grid-connected solar systems. Covers: inverter selection, DC cabling, AC wiring, breaker sizing, RCD protection, earthing, export limiting. Your design + installation must comply. Custom system checks inverter model against AS/NZS 4777 specs, auto-calcs breaker/RCD/cable sizes per system size, flags if install doesn't comply (e.g., "8 kW system requires 2-pole 32A breaker minimum; your design shows 20A breaker — upgrade required"). Warranty registration: all solar hardware must be registered within 90 days of install (panels, inverter, battery, optimisers). Failure = warranty void. Custom system auto-registers (APIs to SMA, Fronius, Huawei, Tesla, etc.), tracks expiry, alerts if customer claims within warranty window. Recurring service + maintenance: battery health checks (thermal imaging, voltage balancing), inverter firmware updates (SMA releases updates 1–2x/year), 5-year system wellness (SMA requires inspection to validate 10-year inverter warranty). Custom system auto-schedules, sends customer reminders, crew logs results, system tracks warranty validity.

Six FAQs

Can the system migrate our existing job history from Tradify + Aurora Solar?

Yes. Tradify exports jobs + invoices as CSV. Aurora Solar exports leads + quotes + installs as CSV. Custom system imports both, merges customer profiles, maintains all historical data (for warranty claims, repeat customers, past revenue tracking, team performance analytics). You start with a unified interface but keep 100% of your customer + job history intact.

How does DNSP postcode lookup work? Do we have to maintain our own database?

System pulls DNSP postcode-level rules from a cached database (updated quarterly). Rules: max export (0 kW, 5 kW, 10 kW, unlimited), approval process (online, paper, phone), approval timeline (2–5 days typical). Sales staff enters postcode, system displays: "Postcode 2000: Ausgrid, max export 5 kW, ~2-day approval, $0 network charge." No manual lookup. You don't maintain the database; system providers (Ausgrid, Energex, etc.) publish postcode rules, we cache them. If a rule changes (rare), we push an update.

What if a crew member's electrical licence expires while they're on a job?

System alerts 60 days before expiry. Crew member gets email reminder (60, 30, 7 days before expiry). If they haven't renewed by expiry date, system flags them as "unlicensed" — they can't be assigned to electrical jobs (switchboard work, grid-connected solar install, safety certs). You get a dashboard alert: "David (electrician): electrical licence expired Jun 15. Reassign his jobs to Sarah + Tom. David: enrol in renewal course asap." You don't accidentally send an unlicensed crew member to a switchboard job (legal liability killed).

Can we track STC rebate margin? (Keep rebate as profit vs pass to customer?)

Yes. System calculates STC rebate per install: "8 kW system: $6,100 STC rebate calculated." You set a policy: "Pass 100% to customer" (quote reduces by $6,100, customer pays less), "Keep 100%" (customer doesn't see rebate, you pocket margin), or "50/50" (split with customer). System tracks per-install: revenue line = system cost to customer + labour cost + your STC margin (if kept). Dashboard shows: "YTD STC revenue: $15.3k (10 installs, kept 50% of rebate on 8, passed 100% to 2 high-discount deals)." You can analyse which approach is more profitable (high-margin STC keep vs high-volume customer pass-through).

Does the system generate invoices automatically from job completion?

Yes. Job marked complete (crew uploads final photos + test results). System auto-generates invoice: "Electrical work — switchboard upgrade: $2,400 labour. Solar install (8 kW): $3,500 labour + $500 design fee. STC rebate (keep 50%): $3,050 margin. Total: $9,450." Invoice is sent to customer (email + SMS link), customer pays online or you send a manual invoice if they prefer. Accounting integration: invoice auto-syncs to Xero/MYOB (if linked), creates journal entries (labour revenue, material cost, STC revenue as separate line items). Zero double-entry, zero spreadsheet chaos.

How do we handle a crew member working across multiple locations (electrician on switchboard in Sydney, then solar install in Brisbane)?

System tracks crew location + travel time. You assign electrician Sarah a switchboard job in Parramatta (Jun 15–16) and a solar install in Brisbane (Jun 17–18). System auto-schedules: "Sarah: Parramatta (2 days), return to Sydney Jun 17 (4 hours drive + 1 hour break = 5 hours). Brisbane depart Jun 17 7am, arrive 12pm, start solar install 1pm Jun 17." System warns: "Sarah on-site Brisbane Jun 17–18, back Sydney Jun 19 — check she's not over-fatigued (10 hours driving + 2 jobs in 4 days)." You can manually override if needed (assign another crew member to Brisbane, or delay Brisbane job to following week). System also tracks: travel time is paid labour (Sarah paid for 5 hours driving), material procurement should be pre-staged at each location (Brisbane solar gear pre-shipped before Sarah arrives), accommodations if overnight (system can book hotels via API). Multi-location work is logged automatically — no confusion, no crew burnout.

The Bottom Line

Electricians doing solar side-work are trapped between two regulatory regimes: electrical (switchboard CoC, safety certs, licence tracking, state-mandated daily) and solar (STC claims, grid connect forms, CER accreditation, DNSP approval). Generic electrical SaaS (Tradify) ignores solar compliance. Generic solar SaaS (Aurora Solar) ignores electrical compliance. Running both systems costs $22.2k–33.6k/year in SaaS + $11k/year in manual labour + $2,100/year in lost recurring revenue = ~$35.3k–46.6k/year bleed. You've got compliance gaps: STC claim missed deadline = $6,100 rebate lost. Switchboard CoC missed = customer has uncertified work (property value down, insurance void, you're liable). Crew licence expired = illegal work happened, SafeWork audit finds it, penalties. Recurring service not re-booked = customer churns to competitor. Custom platform costs $145k upfront, $4.5k/year ongoing. Break-even: month 20. Year three: saves $84.6k–118.5k vs current systems. You own the STC automation (auto-file $61k/year rebate flow, zero missed deadlines). You own the grid connect workflow (DNSP postcode rules built-in, approval times known). You own the switchboard/electrical CoC generation (state-specific templates, auto-lodgement). You own the recurring service engine ($1,435/year win from reduced churn + automation). You own the crew compliance dashboard (zero expired licences, zero work stoppages). A 6-crew electrician-solar business scaling to 10 crew by year 3 pays current systems $141k–197.5k cumulative + compliance risk. Custom costs $167.5k and eliminates all gaps. By year 5, custom breaks even and saves $40.5k–60.5k/year infinitely as crew scales. Own your compliance. Own your rebate automation. Own your crew scheduling. Own your customer relationships. Own your operations.

Ready to build a unified platform for your electrician-solar business? Check Aidxn's custom software packages, or book a call to discuss your crew size (6 vs 10 vs 15), annual volume (electrical jobs + solar installs), states where you operate (NSW-only vs multi-state STC/CoC rules), current pain points (missed STC deadlines, switchboard CoC chaos, crew licence tracking), and scaling plans (revenue target in 3 years).