What happens on solar installation day in Perth

Your solar system has been quoted, ordered, and scheduled. Installation day is typically 6–10 hours for a standard residential system. Here's what happens, in order, so you know what to expect.

Before the crew arrives

What you should do:

• Confirm the appointment 24 hours before (installers have high rescheduling rates, especially in busy seasons)
• Ensure clear access to the roof from the most practical side of the house
• Clear the area around your electrical switchboard of any stored items
• Identify where you want the inverter mounted (if not already specified in the quote — typically garage wall or on the house wall near the switchboard)
• Have someone at home for the full day; the crew will need meter access and may have questions

Phase 1: Site assessment and setup (1–2 hours)

The crew (typically 2–3 people) begins with a site walk-through to confirm:

• Roof access routes and panel layout
• Inverter mounting location
• Cable run from roof to inverter to switchboard
• Switchboard condition vs quote specification (if the quote included a switchboard upgrade, this is when it's assessed in person)

What changes on the day: It's not uncommon for the crew to identify a minor variation — a different cable run to avoid a concrete soffit, a panel moved to avoid a shade obstacle, or a switchboard upgrade that wasn't in the original scope. These should be discussed with you before proceeding and any cost variation agreed in writing.

Phase 2: Roof work (2–4 hours)

The crew installs mounting rails on your roof, then attaches the panels. For a 6.6kW system (typically 15–16 panels), this takes approximately 2–4 hours depending on roof complexity.

What they install:

• Mounting rails (aluminium) attached to roof trusses through the roof cladding
• Flashing and weatherproof seals at each penetration
• Solar panels clipped to the rails
• DC cable runs from panels down to the inverter location
• DC isolator (safety disconnect switch) near the panels

What you might notice:

• Drilling and hammering on the roof (normal)
• Workers moving across the roof in harnesses on steep roofs
• Temporary cable visible down the side of the house

Phase 3: Electrical work (2–3 hours)

While roof work continues, the electrician works on:

• Mounting and wiring the inverter to the wall
• Running AC cables from the inverter to the switchboard
• Installing the generation meter (to measure solar output)
• Switchboard modifications: adding RCDs/MCBs if required, wiring the solar circuit, installing the main solar AC isolator
• If a battery has been included: mounting and wiring the battery unit

Switchboard work requires the mains power to be off. You'll typically lose grid power for 30–60 minutes during switchboard work. Alert anyone in the household who needs to save open documents.

Phase 4: Commissioning and testing (1–2 hours)

The electrician and installer power up the system and confirm:

• Inverter is communicating with panels and showing positive output
• Generation meter is registering correctly
• No error codes on the inverter
• AC isolator switches work correctly
• Monitoring system (inverter app) is set up and showing live data

You should be present for commissioning. The installer will show you the monitoring app on your phone, explain the inverter's display, confirm what the export limit has been set to in the inverter firmware, and demonstrate how to read the generation display.

Phase 5: Handover documentation

Before the crew leaves, you should receive:

Essential documents:

• Certificate of Compliance (electrical) — this is a legal document confirming the installation meets current WA wiring standards; keep it permanently
• System performance sheet — showing panel brand/model, inverter model, expected annual generation
• Western Power connection application acknowledgement — confirmation the application has been submitted (you do NOT get network approval on the day; this takes 4–20 weeks)
• Inverter warranty card or registration instructions
• Monitoring app login details

Ask if not provided:

• The DC isolator location and type (confirm it's the current non-recalled model)
• Roof penetration location diagram (for future roofing work)
• Any photos taken during installation

After installation day: what happens next

Smart meter upgrade: Western Power will arrange for your accumulation meter to be replaced with a smart meter after the network connection is approved. This process typically takes 6–12 weeks after the connection approval.

DEBS activation: DEBS export credits don't appear on your Synergy bill until the smart meter is installed and Synergy has activated the solar export tariff on your account. Contact Synergy after meter installation to confirm DEBS activation.

First bill: Your first electricity bill after installation likely won't include DEBS credits. The second or third bill will show DEBS credits appearing once the meter and tariff are in place.

Monitoring from day 1: Your inverter monitoring app works immediately — you can watch live generation from installation day. The monitoring data is independent of Synergy's metering.

Installation timelines vary with system size, roof complexity, and crew size. Document requirements apply to Western Australian electrical work under WA electrical safety regulations.