Happy Solar Family: Annandale

Jane Paes, a student in building design, lives in Annandale with her husband Wil Honner and their two children. 

When Jane and Wil embarked on their recent renovations, they knew they wanted an all-electric home – first stop? Rooftop solar. 

They now power their house with a 17-panel, 7.83 kilowatt system with Trina panels run through a SolarEdge inverter. 

“We wanted to make our renovation as environmentally conscious as possible. Rising costs of energy were a concern and we wanted to have more control over where our energy’s coming from,” says Jane.

“I found Inner West Community Energy through the Facebook page, Renovating Mums – Sydney. “Everyone asks, ‘Where do I start with solar panels?’ and other people who’ve used you guys suggested the group, so I got the contact details from the IWCE Facebook page and sent an email to Gav, the project manager.

“I wasn’t interested in getting lots of different solar quotes. When you’re going through renovations, you want it to be as simple a process as possible. [IWCE preferred solar installer] Lynton Electrical came and gave us a quote, which Gav reviewed. Having someone who’s seen a lot of quotes, has more knowledge and is looking over it, gives you clarity and confidence in what you’re doing. 

“Lynton Electrical were practical in choosing something that was in our price range and giving recommendations on how much we needed. I managed to do the heat pump hot water research, but panels and inverters? I really needed some external input on that and independent input. 

“We disconnected from gas as we weren’t going to use it and we heard that gas is linked to asthma and respiratory issues. It was quite straightforward – they had to come in and dig it up, but a renovation is the best time to be doing that. 

“IWCE gives you peace of mind and I have recommended IWCE on several occasions!”