Off Grid Solar Systems, Sunshine Coast & Hinterland

Rural and acreage properties

Homes and sheds out on acreage where the power lines stop well short of the house, or where running a new pole every 40 metres up a long driveway simply is not worth it.

No mains connection, or a steep connection quote

New builds and remote blocks where the network connection quote comes back at tens of thousands of dollars. A standalone system often costs less than the poles and wires alone, and there is no quarterly bill afterwards.

Sheds, cabins, studios and granny flats

Detached buildings that need reliable power without the cost and disruption of trenching a supply out from the main house or the street.

Blackout resilience on a weak grid

Properties on the fringe of the network that cop frequent or long outages. A hybrid system keeps the essentials running when the grid drops, and can be built out toward full independence over time.

Hybrid system

Solar and a battery do the heavy lifting, but the property stays connected to the grid as a backstop. It rides through most outages on the battery and is more forgiving to size. A sensible starting point when a grid connection already exists.

• • Grid stays connected as a safety net
• • Easier and cheaper to size than full standalone
• • Runs the essentials through most outages
• • Can be built out toward full independence later

Fully standalone (true off grid)

No connection to the mains at all. Your solar, battery and an optional backup generator cover every kilowatt the property uses. The right answer for remote blocks with no supply, or where the connection quote is simply too big to justify.

• • No grid, no power bill, no daily supply charge
• • Sized for your worst month, with days of autonomy
• • Backup generator covers long spells of bad weather
• • Often cheaper than a remote network connection

Who installs off grid solar on the Sunshine Coast?

Nuvolt Electrical Solutions installs off grid and hybrid solar systems across the Sunshine Coast, its hinterland and Noosa from our workshop in Nambour, and travels further for off grid work, including the South Burnett. Every off grid system is designed and signed off by an SAA accredited stand alone power systems designer and built by our licensed Queensland electricians (licence 92489). You deal directly with the contractor doing the work.

What is a stand alone power system?

A stand alone power system, often called a SAPS or an off grid system, is a solar array, a battery and an inverter that power a property with no connection to the electricity network, usually with a backup generator for long spells of bad weather. It has to cover every kilowatt the property uses, so the design and sizing matter far more than on a grid connected home.

Why do you not fit 5kW inverters off grid?

Because they cause nuisance tripping. On a grid connected house the network absorbs the surge when a bore pump, compressor or welder starts. Off grid, the inverter has to supply that surge on its own, and when it cannot, it trips and the whole property goes dark. As an example, a GoodWe 5kW unit delivers 5 kVA continuous and 10 kVA for 10 seconds, while its 10kW sibling delivers 10 kVA and 20 kVA. We size for the heaviest load that can start while everything else is running, and we explain the numbers in your quote.

What kind of batteries do you use off grid?

High voltage lithium battery systems, such as the GoodWe ESA, which run at several hundred volts and stack in modules. We do not install low voltage 48V systems such as Victron or Selectronic. Both approaches are legitimate and good installers specialise in them. If that is what you are after, we will tell you on day one rather than quote you something different.

Do off grid solar systems get the federal rebate?

The solar panels in an off grid system can create small scale technology certificates (STCs), the same federal incentive grid connected solar gets, when an SAA accredited stand alone designer and installer is on the job. The value comes off your quote and we handle the paperwork. Whether the federal battery discount applies to an off grid battery depends on the program rules at the time, and we check it for your system before quoting.

Is there an off grid solar calculator?

Our online solar calculator is built for grid connected homes, so it will not size an off grid system properly. For off grid, send us a list of what you run, especially pumps, aircon, workshop gear and anything with a motor, plus a winter power bill if you have one. We work out the array, battery, inverter and generator as part of your free estimate, which starts once your photos arrive.

Which areas do you cover for off grid work?

The Sunshine Coast and its hinterland, including Maleny, Montville, Kenilworth, Conondale and Mapleton, the Noosa hinterland including Pomona, Cooran and Kin Kin, and the South Burnett around Nanango and Kingaroy. We travel further across South East Queensland for the right off grid job, so ask if you are outside those areas.

What is the difference between off grid and hybrid?

A fully off grid, or standalone, system has no connection to the mains at all. Your solar, battery and backup generator have to cover every kilowatt the property uses. A hybrid system stays connected to the grid and uses it as a backstop, so it is more forgiving to size and it keeps you running through outages. If a grid connection already exists, hybrid is usually the smarter starting point. If there is no connection, or the connection quote is huge, a true standalone system makes sense. We work out which one fits your block and your budget before quoting.

Will an off grid system really run my whole house?

Yes, when it is designed around your actual usage rather than a guess. We look at what you run and when, from the fridge and lights through to the pumps, aircon and any welder or workshop gear, then size the solar, battery and generator so the system keeps up in the worst month of the year. Getting that sizing right up front is the whole job. An undersized system leaves you rationing power, and an oversized one just costs more than it needs to.

Do I need a backup generator with an off grid system?

Not always, but on a fully standalone system it is cheap insurance. Instead of paying for a much larger battery to cover the rare run of dark, wet days, a right sized battery plus a generator covers those stretches at a lower overall cost. On most builds the generator ends up running only a handful of times a year. We will tell you honestly whether your site needs one.

Is off grid cheaper than connecting to the mains?

Often, yes, for a remote or rural block. When the network connection quote runs into the tens of thousands for new poles and wires down a long driveway, a standalone system can come in under that figure, and there is no ongoing power bill or daily supply charge afterwards. We are happy to compare the two honestly for your site so you can make the call with real numbers in front of you.

Can you upgrade my existing solar to off grid or hybrid?

In many cases, yes. We assess your current panels, inverter and switchboard, then work out whether we can build on what is there with a hybrid inverter and battery, or whether a standalone design is the better path. You can see more about our grid connected work on our solar and battery page, and we scope any off grid upgrade the same careful way.