Service Business

A mid-size solar installation business with 8 crew and 6 sales staff pays $199–400/seat/month for Aurora Solar, Pylon, or SolarPlus. 14 staff = $2,800–5,600/month in licensing costs alone. That's $33,600–67,200/year to manage quotes, schedules, and paperwork in someone else's SaaS. The real problem isn't appointment booking — it's the gap between what these systems handle (lead management, job scheduling) and what actually crushes a growing solar business: roof design integration (SketchUp models, drone LiDAR point clouds, shadow analysis), STC rebate calculator + automated CER submission (the $3,800–7,000 incentive per residential install is dead money if filed manually — takes 2 hours per claim, 40+ claims/year = 80+ hours @ $35/hr = $2,800/yr in pure admin waste), system quote generator (hardware pricing updates from suppliers, labour cost estimates per roof complexity, design hours baked in), install scheduling across multiple crews and multi-day roofs (crew A does Day 1 on-roof work, crew B does Day 2 electrical, final crew tests + commissioning), post-install commissioning workflow (inverter config, app setup, client training, warranty registration), and Australian compliance (CER registration for large-scale solar, STC eligibility verification, CEC accreditation tracking, electrical safety standards). Aurora Solar, Pylon, and SolarPlus handle lead capture and job dispatch. They don't touch roof design workflows, STC claim automation, quote generation with live pricing, multi-crew scheduling for sequential installs, or commissioning checklists. Custom platform for an 8-crew solar operation = $95–140k build (roof design + STC automation + quote generation + scheduling + commissioning + compliance). Year one: $110–150k. Year two: $3.5–4k/year hosting. Break-even: month 18–20. A solar business running 8 crew in a subscription SaaS cycle of $33.6k–67.2k/year + manual STC claim labour + spreadsheet scheduling is bleeding money the moment crew count exceeds 8.

Why Aurora Solar, Pylon & SolarPlus Fall Short at Scale

Aurora Solar is built for solar installers: lead capture (homeowner enquiry), site survey (street view to roof pitch, solar window, shade), quote generation (system size, hardware, cost). Works fine for a single solar designer managing 10–15 quotes/month. But a solar installation business with 8 crew does 40–60 installs/year, meaning 50–80 quotes/month from sales staff. Aurora Solar has a design module (imports Google Street View, estimates roof pitch, draws rectangles for panel placement), but it's slow: 20–30 min per roof to model shade, place panels, estimate yield. 50 quotes × 25 min = 1,250 min = 21 hours/month of sales staff time in Aurora design. Faster: upload SketchUp model (if the builder has one) or drone LiDAR point cloud (fast-growing solar installers now buy drones, shoot LiDAR, import into design software). Aurora Solar doesn't import SketchUp or LiDAR natively — you have to export to a format, re-import, re-model. Manual re-work = 15 min per design = 750 min/month = 12.5 extra hours lost to format conversion. Total design time: 33.5 hours/month in Aurora. LiDAR-native design software (like Pylon, which has LiDAR import) is faster (10 min per design after LiDAR import), but still manual. Custom system: upload drone LiDAR or SketchUp model, system auto-detects roof planes, auto-places panels (60 cell, optimised for sun angle + shade avoidance), auto-calculates yield, auto-estimates install hours (simple flat roof = 1 day, complex multi-plane = 2–3 days), auto-generates quote with hardware cost + labour cost + STC rebate (already calculated). Design time: 4 hours/month. Savings: 29.5 hours/month (team focus shifts to sales, not design drudgery). STC rebate is the biggest cash lever in solar. Residential install (5 kW system) gets $3,800–7,000 STC rebate (depends on state, season, system size, CEC accreditation). Installer must file with the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) with: system design, installer accreditation, CEC certificate of compliance, inverter data, CEC-registered installer signature. Then CER approves, and rebate flows to the customer or (more common) installer claims it as credit against company tax. This is 1.5–2 hours per claim: log into CER portal, fill out forms (system size, state, date, customer name, TFN, address), upload PDF design, sign, verify accreditation, submit. 40 installations/year × 2 hours = 80 hours @ $35/hr = $2,800/year of pure admin labour. If you miss a claim? Customer expects $5k rebate, you forgot to file, customer goes to another installer. If you file late (>10 business days after install, per CER rules), the rebate may not process in time. Manual STC filing is chaos. Aurora Solar, Pylon, and SolarPlus don't auto-file STC claims — they have CER integration (you can link your CER account), but you still manually fill out the form and hit "submit." Custom system: install is complete, crew uploads final inverter serial, system auto-populates CER form (customer name, address, TFN, system size, accreditation number, design PDF), auto-submits to CER portal same day (zero delay, zero missed deadlines). System tracks: "Claim #40: 5.5 kW system, submit date Jun 12, CER reference AC-123456, rebate $6,100, expected credit Jun 30." You get STC cash-in-hand on-time, every time. Quote generation in Aurora Solar and Pylon is manual: you know hardware cost from suppliers (panels $0.25/W, inverters $800–2k, mounting hardware $200–500), you estimate labour hours (1 day per 5 kW rough guess), you add margin (30–50%), you generate a quote in Aurora. But hardware prices change weekly (panels dropped 12% in the last 18 months). You're updating your price list manually — or Aurora is pulling from a generic database that's outdated. Labour estimate is rough: some roofs are simple (flat, clear, single plane), others are nightmares (2 storeys, multiple pitch angles, tight roof access, 3-phase wiring upgrade needed). A 8 kW system on a simple flat roof: 1.5 days labour. Same 8 kW on a 2-storey pitched roof with wiring upgrade: 3 days labour. Quote cost ranges from $2,500–5,500 labour depending on site complexity. Arborgold's quote is static ($2,500 labour base), ignoring site difficulty. Pylon lets you add labour overrides, but you're manually adjusting per quote. Custom system: ingests live supplier pricing (API pulls panel cost, inverter cost, DC cable cost daily from wholesalers), stores roof design (simple vs complex tier), auto-calculates labour hours (flat = 1.5 days, pitched = 2.5 days, complex multi-plane = 3.5 days), auto-generates quote: "$8 kW system, $2,400 hardware (panels + inverter + racking), $3,500 labour (2.5 days @ $1,400/day crew rate), $6,100 STC rebate (customer nets $2,300 cost after rebate). Final price: $3,800." Quote is accurate, competitive, and customer-ready in 2 hours (design + quote). Install scheduling is the next pain point. A solar install spans 1–3 days and requires 2–4 crew (roofers, electricians, final testers). Day 1: on-roof work (remove tiles, install mounting, drop panels, secure DC cabling). Day 2: electrical work (run AC cables, install inverter, breaker, grid export meter). Day 3: testing, commissioning, customer handoff. You've got 8 crew split into roofers, electricians, and testers. Aurora Solar and Pylon schedule jobs on a calendar: you see "Jun 15: Job #123 (8 kW, Mr Smith, 2 days)." But they don't tell you: "Roofers (crew A, B) are booked Jun 15–16 for Job #123. Electricians (crew C, D) are booked Jun 16 for Job #123 (electrical day 2). Testers (crew E) booked Jun 16 afternoon." You're manually texting crew: "A + B, roof work Jun 15–16 Mr Smith. C + D, electrical Jun 16 Mr Smith." If a roofer gets sick, you're reshuffling all three days across 4 roofers, retelling all 8 crew. Pylon and Aurora don't show bottleneck: if you're short roofers for Jun 15–16, system doesn't warn you. Custom system: auto-schedules based on crew availability, skill (roofer vs electrician), and job dependency (electrical day 2 can't start until roofing day 1 finishes). System warns: "Jun 15: only 2 roofers available, but 3 roofs scheduled. Delay 1 roof to Jun 18?" Multi-day installs snap together: Day 1 roofing, Day 2 electrical, Day 3 test — system reserves the right crew in sequence. If a roofer drops out, system auto-bumps roofer-dependent jobs to next available slot. Post-install commissioning is the final handoff. Once electrical work is done, system generates a commissioning checklist: "Inverter model: SMA SunnyBoy 10, serial XYZ. Config: single-phase, 10A export limit. Breaker: 2-pole 32A, RCD 30mA, double-pole switch. Meter: export meter XYZ (net-zero setup). Grid connection: approved by DNSPs (distributor network service provider) on Jun 16." Crew (final tester) works through checklist: "Inverter powered on, firmware version 1.23, check. Grid export meter linked, check. Client app (SMA Sunny Portal) activated, check. Client trained on inverter display: yield today, annual projection, etc." Crew uploads final photos (inverter, breaker, meter, customer holding app), client signs off, warranty registration auto-generates (inverter: 10-year SMA warranty, system: 25-year CEC performance guarantee). Aurora Solar, Pylon, and SolarPlus don't have commissioning workflows — you're texting crew: "Final test tomorrow, check this list," handing them a PDF, hoping they don't skip steps. Custom system embeds the checklist, crew checks boxes, system verifies all steps complete before marking job "live." Australian compliance is where these SaaS systems really fall apart. Clean Energy Regulator (CER) requires: system installer must be CEC (Clean Energy Council) accredited, STC claims must be filed within 10 business days of install, large-scale solar (>100 kW) requires additional CER registration. SolarPlus and Aurora Solar have CER forms, but they don't auto-populate. Pylon has better CER integration (auto-imports accreditation data), but you're still manually filing. Electrical standards: install must comply with AS/NZS 4777 (grid-connected solar systems) and local DNSP rules (distribution network operator for your state — Ausgrid in NSW, Energex in QLD, etc.). DNSP rules vary by postcode: some areas are "no export" (you can't send solar power back to grid — surplus is wasted), others allow 5 kW export, others allow full export. Your quote must say: "Export limited to 5 kW per DNSP approval" or "Net-zero system (no export), surplus battery storage recommended." Pylon and Aurora have DNSP rules by state, but not by postcode. Custom system: ingests DNSP postcode-level rules (API pull from DNSP, cached weekly), auto-warns sales staff: "36 Maple Avenue (postcode 2000): Ausgrid allows 5 kW export max. This 8 kW system will be limited to 5 kW export. Recommend 3 kW battery add-on." Quote adjusts: "Export-limited 8 kW system, $3,500 labour, $5,900 rebate (reduced from $6,100 due to limit), customer nets $2,400 after rebate." Warranty registration: all solar hardware (panels, inverter, optimisers, etc.) comes with warranty — panels 25 years, inverter 10 years, optimisers 12 years. You must register each piece with the manufacturer within 90 days of install or warranty voids. 40 installations/year × 4 items per install = 160 warranty registrations. Manual: 160 × 5 min = 800 min = 13 hours/year @ $35/hr = $455/year labour. Custom system: post-install, crew enters inverter serial + panel serial + optimizer serials + install date, system auto-registers each warranty with manufacturer (SMA, Fronius, Huawei, etc. APIs), tracks warranty expiry dates, alerts you 30 days before expiry if a customer claims a defect (you can fast-track warranty claim within the window). The total cost of Aurora/Pylon/SolarPlus at scale: licensing ($33.6–67.2k/year for 14 staff), manual roof design labour (12.5 hours/month × 12 × $35 = $5,250/yr), STC filing labour (80 hours/year × $35 = $2,800/yr), manual quote time beyond system (10 hours/month × 12 × $25 sales hourly = $3,000/yr), installation scheduling chaos (3 hrs/week × 52 × $25 = $3,900/yr rework), commissioning checklist scramble (2 hrs per job × 40 jobs × $25 = $2,000/yr), warranty registration labour (13 hours/yr × $35 = $455/yr). Total annual cost: ~$50.5k–89k (software + labour). Custom platform: $110k build (roof design integration + STC automation + quote generation + scheduling + commissioning + compliance), $3.5k/year hosting. Year one: $113.5k. Year two: $3.5k. Break-even: month 18 (1.5 years). Year three: $120.5k cumulative. At year three, Aurora/Pylon/SolarPlus + manual labour = ~$152k–267k (3 × $50.5k–89k average). Custom has paid for itself and continues to save $50.5k/year in labour + licensing. By crew count, custom is justified above 8 crew (40+ installs/year). A solar business scaling from 4 → 8 → 12 crew (10 → 40 → 80 installs/year) over 2 years pays subscription + labour bleed ~$101k cumulative. Custom costs $110k once, eliminates labour bleed, and scales infinitely. By year 3, custom saves $152k+ in labour + subscription.

What Custom Replaces: Six Features Solar Installers Need

1. Roof Design Integration (SketchUp + Drone LiDAR)

Sales staff gets a lead: "36 Maple Avenue, wants 8 kW solar." Crew flies a drone, shoots LiDAR, uploads 3D point cloud (2–3 min capture time). System ingests LiDAR, auto-detects roof planes (ridge lines, valleys, pitch angles), shows 3D visualization to sales staff: "Roof: 2-plane pitched (East/West facing), 35° pitch, 18° shade (tree nearby). Panel area: 28 sq m available (fits 56 × 400W panels = 22.4 kW theoretical, but customer wants 8 kW = 20 panels)." System auto-places 20 panels optimised for sun angle (East: 10 panels, West: 10 panels, staggered for shade avoidance). Alternatively, upload SketchUp model (if building design exists), system imports geometry, auto-calculates panel layout, yields annual production estimate (8 kW on East/West = 11,200 kWh/year at Sydney latitude, minus 18% shade loss = 9,184 kWh/year realistic). Design time: 4 hours total (drone flight + cloud processing + system design + yield estimate). Aurora Solar design tool: 25–30 min per roof (Google Street View + manual drawing). SketchUp/LiDAR + custom system: 10 min per roof (import + auto-place + yield estimate). 40 roofs/year: Aurora = 16.5 hours/month (33 hours total across design team). Custom = 6.5 hours/month (13 hours total). Savings: 20 hours/year in design labour = $700/year.

2. STC Rebate Calculator + Automated CER Submission

Installation complete (Jun 15). System calculates: "8 kW system, Sydney (postcode 2000), install date Jun 15, 2026. STC eligible (CER accreditation verified). Rebate: $6,100 (56 STCs @ $109/STC baseline, adjusted for season)." System auto-populates CER claim form: "Customer: Mr Smith, TFN: 123456789, Address: 36 Maple Ave Sydney NSW 2000, System size: 8 kW, Installer: Your Company (ABN 12345678901), Inverter: SMA SunnyBoy 10, Panels: Jinko 400W, Install date: Jun 15 2026." System auto-signs with your CER accreditation (pre-linked), uploads design PDF, submits to CER portal same-day (no delay). CER approves in 3–5 business days, rebate credit lands in company bank account (or customer's if you're passing it through). Manual filing: 2 hours per claim × 40 claims/year = 80 hours @ $35 = $2,800/year labour. Custom system: 5 min per claim (hit "submit", system does the rest) × 40 = 200 min = 3.3 hours @ $35 = $116/year labour. Savings: $2,684/year. Plus: zero missed deadlines, zero late filings, 100% STC cash secured on-time.

3. System Quote Generator with Live Pricing

Sales staff takes a 6 kW solar enquiry. System pulls live pricing: "Panel cost: $240/kW × 6 = $1,440 (Jinko 400W @ $240/kW, refreshed daily). Inverter cost: $1,200 (SMA SunnyBoy 6). Racking: $400. Cabling: $300. Breaker + RCD: $120. Total hardware: $3,460. Labour: 1.5 days @ $1,400/day crew rate = $2,100. STC rebate: -$5,500 (6 kW system, Sydney, current seasonal factor). Customer net cost: $3,460 + $2,100 - $5,500 = $60 (rebate nets the whole install cost)." System generates professional quote PDF in 2 minutes: hardware breakdown, install timeline (Jun 22–23), warranty summary, grid export limits per DNSP. Customer approval link embedded. Sales staff sends quote, customer approves online (sign + pay deposit), job auto-queues for scheduling. Aurora Solar: manual quote (pick hardware from dropdown list, estimate labour by experience), 15–20 min per quote. Pylon: similar (dropdown + manual adjust), 15–20 min. Custom system: 2 min per quote (hardware pricing is live, labour is auto-calculated from design, STC is auto-calculated from postcode/season). 50 quotes/month: Aurora/Pylon = 12.5 hours/month. Custom = 1.7 hours/month. Savings: 130 hours/year in quote time (sales team focuses on closing, not admin) = $5,200/year labour savings.

4. Install Scheduling + Multi-Crew Dispatch

40 installations/year, 8 crew (4 roofers, 2 electricians, 2 testers). Each install: Day 1 roofing, Day 2 electrical, Day 3 testing. System auto-schedules: "Jun 15–16 Job #40 (8 kW, 36 Maple Ave): Roofers A+B (Day 1), Electricians C+D (Day 2), Testers E+F (Day 3). Roofer A: 36 Maple roof work Jun 15 7am–5pm. Roofer B: ditto. Electrician C: 36 Maple wiring Jun 16 8am–4pm. Electrician D: ditto. Tester E: 36 Maple commission Jun 16 4pm–6pm." Calendar sent to all 6 crew same-day. If Roofer A calls in sick Jun 15, system recalculates: "Roofer A unavailable. Reassign to Roofer H (available Jun 15–16). Notify Roofer H + Job #40 of change." Crew gets SMS: "Updated schedule: now roofing 36 Maple Jun 15–16 with Roofer B." Bottleneck alert: "Jun 22–23: 3 roofs scheduled, only 4 roofers available (one on leave). Delay 1 roof to Jun 25?" You approve, job bumps, electrician + tester schedules auto-adjust. Aurora Solar and Pylon: manual calendar management (you assign jobs, text crew). Chaos if crew changes. Custom system: automatic crew dispatch, change management, bottleneck alerts. Multi-day job dependencies (roofing must finish before electrical can start) snap together automatically. Savings: 3 hours/week in scheduling + rework = 156 hours/year = $4,550/year labour.

5. Post-Install Commissioning Checklist

Day 3 testing, crew opens app, system generates commissioning checklist: "Inverter: SMA SunnyBoy 10. Serial XYZ. Steps: (1) Power on, observe LED, (2) Check firmware version in display (current: 1.23, required: 1.23+), (3) Verify AC output breaker (2-pole 32A, marked 'Solar')." Crew checks boxes as they go. "(4) Grid export meter installed? Photo + serial number. (5) Meter linked to inverter? Check BMS (battery management system) or grid export data in inverter display shows current flow." Crew uploads photo of meter + SMA display showing yield. "(6) DNSP export limit: system limited to 5 kW export per postcode rules. Verify inverter 'Max Grid Power' = 5,000 W." Crew checks inverter settings, screenshots, uploads. "(7) Customer app setup: download SMA Sunny Portal, link to system, show customer live yield on dashboard." Crew sets up on customer device, customer sees "Today: 32 kWh (9am–4pm), Annual estimate: 9,184 kWh." Checklist complete. System auto-generates: final sign-off PDF (all steps ticked), warranty registration (inverter SMA 10-yr, panels CEC 25-yr, system install CEC 25-yr performance guarantee), customer handoff brochure (how to read inverter, what to expect yield-wise, DNSP export limit, contact if problems). Aurora Solar: no commissioning workflow. Pylon: generic checklist, not structured by component. Custom system: inverter-specific, DNSP-aware, customer-ready in 30 min (vs 2+ hrs manual with Pylon). Savings: 1.5 hours per install × 40 installs = 60 hours/year = $2,100/year labour.

6. Australian Compliance Tracking (CER, STC, CEC, DNSP)

System dashboard: "CER Accreditation: Your Company (ABN 12345678901), Level 3 (small-scale solar + wind), expires Dec 2026. ALERT: Renewal due. CEC Accreditation: Installer ID: CEC-12345, 5 crew certified (Dave, Sarah, Tom, Lisa, Mike). Expired: none. Expiring within 6 months: none. STC Filings (current month): 4 submitted, 3 approved by CER, 1 pending (submitted 4 days ago, expect approval Jun 25). YTD STC value: $242k (40 installations × avg $6,100 rebate). DNSP Rules (NSW): Ausgrid postcode 2000 (Sydney CBD) allows 5 kW export. Postcode 2100 (Pennant Hills) allows 10 kW export. System auto-warns sales: "6 kW system at postcode 2000: will be limited to 5 kW export. Recommend 1 kW battery." Warranty Tracking: 40 installs this year, 158 warranty registrations (panels + inverters + optimisers). All registered within 90-day window. 0 expired, 0 at-risk." Aurora Solar doesn't track CER renewal, CEC accreditation, DNSP postcode rules, or warranty expiry. Pylon has CER integration, but not accreditation renewal or crew cert tracking. Custom system: centralised compliance dashboard, auto-reminders (CER renewal 60 days before expiry, crew cert renewal 60 days before expiry), DNSP postcode rules embedded (sales staff can't quote a 10 kW system for a 5 kW export postcode without warning), warranty tracking (auto-registered, expiry alerts). Savings: 2 hours/month compliance admin = 24 hours/year = $840/year labour, plus zero compliance risk.

The ROI Math: 8-Crew Solar Installer (40–50 Installs/Year)

A 14-staff solar operation (8 crew + 6 sales) doing 40–50 installs/year at $8–12k per system = $320k–600k/year revenue. Current overhead: Aurora Solar ($199–399/mo avg $300 × 14 staff = $50,400/yr), Pylon ($150–350/mo avg $250 × 14 = $42,000/yr), SolarPlus ($200–400/mo avg $300 × 14 = $50,400/yr). Add labour bleed: manual roof design (12.5 hrs/mo × 12 × $35 = $5,250/yr), STC filing (80 hrs/yr × $35 = $2,800/yr), manual quoting (10 hrs/mo × 12 × $25 = $3,000/yr), scheduling chaos (3 hrs/week × 52 × $25 = $3,900/yr), commissioning admin (1.5 hrs × 40 jobs × $25 = $1,500/yr), compliance overhead (2 hrs/mo × 12 × $35 = $840/yr). Total annual cost: ~$66.2k–78.5k (software + labour). Custom platform: $110k build (roof design integration + STC automation + quote generation + scheduling + commissioning + AU compliance), $3.5k/year hosting. Year one: $113.5k. Year two: $3.5k. Break-even: month 18 (1.5 years). Year three: $120.5k cumulative. At year three, Aurora/Pylon/SolarPlus + manual labour = ~$198.6–235.5k (3 × $66.2k–78.5k). Custom has paid for itself ($113.5k cost) and continues to save $66.2k/year in labour + subscription. By year 5, custom has saved: ($113.5k year 1 + $3.5k year 2 + $3.5k year 3 + $3.5k year 4 + $3.5k year 5 = $127.5k cost) vs ($66.2k × 5 = $331k manual cost). Custom saves $203.5k by year 5 and continues to scale to 15+ crew infinitely (no per-seat licensing).

Australian Solar Compliance & Regulations

Solar installation in Australia requires CEC accreditation (Clean Energy Council), electrical licensing (varies by state), and compliance with Clean Energy Regulator (CER) STC scheme rules. CEC accreditation: installers must be certified Level 1 (design only), Level 2 (design + install up to 5 kW), or Level 3 (all system sizes, grid connection, large-scale solar >100 kW). Your business must maintain accreditation (annual fee ~$500–1,000), and all crew must be CEC-certified (5-day course per crew member = $1,500–2,500 per person). Accreditation expires every 3 years; renewal requires evidence of continuing education and zero complaints (system tracks automatically in custom platform). Electrical licensing: grid-connected solar requires electrical work (wiring, breakers, meters, grid connection). Installer must have electrical trade licence (varies by state: NSW requires Electrical Contractor licence via SafeWork, QLD requires License to work with electricity, WA similar). Licensing is usually held by the business owner, but electricians on crew must be licensed or supervised by licensed person. As you scale from 8 → 15 crew, you need more licensed electricians or a second licensed supervisor. STC rebate (Small-scale Technology Certificate): residential installs <100 kW get STCs worth ~$109 each (seasonal variation, declines over time). 5 kW system = ~56 STCs = ~$6,100 rebate. Installer claims rebate on customer's behalf, files with CER within 10 business days of install. Late filing = reduced rebate or no rebate. CER audit: if you file 50+ STC claims/year, CER may audit (1–2 installations at random, verify design was proper, install was proper). Audit failure = reclaim rebate from customer (expensive). Custom system auto-fills CER claims per AS/NZS 4777 (grid connection standard) and logs design/install photos (audit-ready). Large-scale solar registration: if you install >100 kW in a year (utility-scale projects), those systems require separate CER registration and different STC scheme (LEC = Large-scale Generation Certificate). Custom system flags when a project crosses 100 kW, adds LEC claim workflow. Electrical safety: all wiring must comply with AS/NZS 4777 (grid-connected solar standard) and local DNSP rules. DNSP (distribution network service provider) by state: Ausgrid (NSW), Energex (QLD), United Energy (VIC), etc. They set export limits per postcode and require "Solar Ready" meter upgrade (costs $200–500, customer pays). Custom system checks postcode DNSP rules, warns sales: "This system exceeds DNSP export limit — customer needs export limiting inverter or battery," preventing over-quotes. Warranty: panels warranted 25 years (performance guarantee: panels degrade <0.8%/year). Inverter warranted 10 years. System installer must register all warranties within 90 days. Failure to register = warranty void. Custom system auto-registers (APIs to SMA, Fronius, Huawei, etc.), tracks expiry, alerts you. Warranty registration is compliance for customer relationship (if panel fails year 8, you can claim warranty; if not registered, customer sues you).

Six FAQs

Can we migrate from Aurora Solar to custom without losing lead/job history?

Yes. Aurora Solar exports all leads, quotes, jobs, and crew assignments as CSV. Custom system imports historical data in hours, maintains customer + property profiles, uses past job patterns to predict crew assignments and forecast STC rebate pipeline. You start with a clean interface but keep all customer relationships + install history intact (for warranty claims, repeat customers, system expansion quotes).

How does the system know DNSP export rules for every postcode?

System pulls DNSP postcode-level rules from a cached database (updated weekly). Rules include: max export (0 kW = no export, 5 kW = limited, 10 kW = higher limit, "all" = unlimited). Sales staff enters customer postcode, system auto-displays: "Postcode 2000: Ausgrid max export 5 kW. Your 8 kW system will be export-limited to 5 kW. Recommend 3 kW battery to store excess." Quote auto-adjusts for export limit (inverter programming changes, STC rebate reduced slightly for non-standard grid config).

Can we track crew productivity and system design quality?

Yes. System logs per-crew metrics: "Dave (Roofer): 25 roofs/year, 0 rework jobs (quality: 100%), avg install time 1.45 days (baseline 1.5 days = efficiency 97%), 4.9/5 customer rating (30 reviews). Sarah (Electrician + Designer): 8 new designs/month, 4.8/5 rating, 100% CER STC approval first-submit (zero claim rejections)." System identifies: best roofers (assign complex multi-plane roofs), best electricians (assign new grid export types), best designers (design-heavy projects). This drives crew development + customer quality.

What if crew forgets to upload final commissioning photos?

System doesn't mark job "complete" without photos. Crew gets a reminder: "Complete job? Upload inverter photo + grid export meter photo + SMA display screenshot (showing yield) + customer-with-app photo." If not uploaded by 6pm same day, system alerts you: "Job #40 (36 Maple Ave, Dave, Jun 16) — no commissioning photos uploaded. Follow up with crew." You can request crew re-visit for photos or mark complete without photo (reduces audit readiness for CER). This incentivises photo discipline and protects you in a CER audit.

Can we integrate with accounting software (MYOB, Xero, QuickBooks)?

Yes. Custom system auto-generates invoices + journal entries per install date. You export to Xero via API (built-in integration). Hardware cost, labour cost, STC rebate, customer payment, all sync. Payroll, GST, deductions link. CER STC claim tracking is exportable for tax (you track STC revenue vs payable liability). Equipment depreciation (roof hooks, scaffolding) is logged per job for asset depreciation schedules. No double-entry, no spreadsheet chaos.

How do we handle system upgrades or battery add-ons for existing customers?

System stores customer property profile + existing system data (8 kW solar from 2025, no battery). Customer calls 2 years later: "Add a 5 kW battery." System auto-generates upgrade quote: "Existing: 8 kW solar (system performing well, 9,100 kWh/year avg). Upgrade: 5 kW / 15 kWh battery (Tesla Powerwall 3 or similar). Battery cost: $7,500 (hardware + install labour 1.5 days @ $1,400 = $4,600 labour, with install discount for existing customer)." System creates separate work order (battery install doesn't require full re-wiring, just DC coupling). Crew installs battery, tests grid integration (solar → battery → home load → grid export in sequence), uploads commissioning photos. STC rebate: battery alone doesn't qualify, but system flags: "Upgrade install. CER rules: if you upgrade solar capacity (e.g., add panels to existing 8 kW), new portion may attract new STCs. Battery alone does not. No STC filing for battery-only upgrade." System prevents over-claiming STC (common compliance error).

The Bottom Line

Aurora Solar, Pylon, and SolarPlus work for small installers (1–3 crew doing 5–10 installs/year). But an 8-crew solar operation doing 40–50 installs/year across Sydney drowns in manual roof design labour (12.5 hrs/month, $5,250/yr), STC filing chaos (80 hrs/year @ $2,800/yr, zero automation), quote generation admin (10 hrs/month, $3,000/yr), installation scheduling scramble (3 hrs/week rework, $3,900/yr), commissioning photo relay (1.5 hrs × 40 jobs, $1,500/yr), and compliance tracking overhead (2 hrs/month, $840/yr). These systems are lead managers + dispatchers, not operational platforms. Custom platform costs $110k upfront, $3.5k/year ongoing. Aurora/Pylon/SolarPlus cost $42.6k–50.4k/year in licensing + $18.9k/year in labour bleed = ~$66.2k–78.5k/year. Year one: custom is expensive. Year two: break-even (month 18). Year three: custom has paid for itself and saved $66.2k+ in labour + subscription. You own the roof design integration (SketchUp/LiDAR), the STC automation (auto-file $6,100 rebates), the quote generation (live pricing, labour cost), the scheduling engine (multi-crew, multi-day install dependency), the commissioning workflow (checklist + photo proof), and the compliance dashboard (CER, STC, CEC, DNSP tracking). Aurora Solar owns your $42.6k/year subscription. An 8-crew solar business scaling from 10 → 40 → 80 installs/year over 3 years bleeds $198.6k+ to SaaS + manual labour. Custom costs $110k once and scales to 30 crew, $0 per-seat licensing. Own your design tool. Own your STC automation. Own your quote generation. Own your crew scheduling. Own your customer relationships. Own your compliance.

Ready to build a custom operations platform for your solar installation business? Check Aidxn's custom software packages, or book a call to discuss your current crew size, install volume (per month/year), pain points with Aurora/Pylon/SolarPlus, STC filing burden, DNSP postcode complexity, and scaling plans (8 → 15 → 20 crew).