Commercial solar · Townsville & North Queensland
Solar, batteries and off-grid power for North Queensland businesses, designed and installed by our own Townsville team. Run your numbers below, then talk to us about your site.
Our commercial work
Commercial solar is our everyday work. We regularly design and install commercial systems of around 100 kW, including at remote sites all around North Queensland, like Cloncurry.
Every system is planned, approved and installed by the same local team that looks after it for years to come.
Page & PearceCommercial rooftop system by Barra Solar Power
Why it pays for business
Illustration of the general pattern only. Your own usage data shapes the real design.
Offices, shops, workshops and cool rooms draw power through the day, right when panels produce. Solar you use on site is worth far more than solar you export for a small feed-in credit.
Ergon Retail’s small business time of use tariffs (22D, 22E and 24C) charge the most from 5pm to 8pm on weekdays and the least from 11am to 1pm. The right tariff depends on your hours, and we help you check it.
On demand tariffs, part of your bill is set by your busiest 30 minutes between 5pm and 8pm. Solar has mostly finished by then, so a battery is what trims that peak.
How a project runs
One team from start to finish. You deal with the people doing the work, and we handle the Ergon paperwork for you.
We look at the roof, switchboard and how your site uses power across the day.
A system sized to your load, roof and budget, with panel layout and equipment explained.
Systems over 30 kVA need a negotiated connection. Ergon assesses the network and may limit how much you can export.
Our own licensed installers, with the switchboard shutdown planned around your trading.
We set up monitoring so you can see what the system is doing, and we keep an eye on it after handover.
System size and incentives
Two thresholds matter most for business solar: Ergon’s 30 kVA connection limit, and the 100 kW line for federal certificates.
Standard Ergon connection process for the inverter size.
Negotiated connection with Ergon. A design compliance report goes in, and export may be limited.
Up to 100 kW of panels earns STCs as an upfront discount.
Systems installed from 1 October 2026 can choose STCs with a fixed five-year deeming period, or REGO certificates instead.
STC applications for these systems open mid to late November 2026.
Rules as of October 2026, from Ergon Energy Network and the Clean Energy Regulator.
Beyond the roof
Solar is often just the start for a North Queensland business.
A battery carries daytime solar into the evening peak and can trim demand charges. Small businesses can claim the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount on batteries of 5 to 100 kWh, with STCs on the first 50 kWh of usable capacity.
Where the grid is weak or out of reach, we design stand-alone systems. We upgraded the off-grid system at the Hidden Valley resort, which was first installed by another company.
We are based in Townsville, so we are here when you need us. After a cyclone or big storm we check in on our customers and get systems back up as quickly as conditions allow.
Who you deal with
Barra Solar Power is owned by James Laycock, a licensed electrician and solar and battery installer. We have been family owned and based in Townsville since 2013.
Common questions
Before we design anything we check the roof structure, fixings and sheeting condition. Townsville sits in a cyclonic wind region, so racking and fixings are chosen for those wind loads. If the roof is older or may contain asbestos, we raise it early so it can be assessed before any work is planned.
Twelve months of power bills, or interval data if you have it, plus your NMI, trading hours and a few photos of the switchboard and roof. With that we can size the system to how your site actually uses power.
Most of the work happens on the roof. There is a short shutdown when we connect to the switchboard, and we schedule that with you so it suits your trading hours.
Yes. If a battery is on your radar, tell us at the start and we will choose an inverter and switchboard layout that makes adding one later simple.
Possibly. The best tariff depends on your trading hours and when your demand peaks. We look at your usage and talk you through the options; any tariff change is then arranged through your retailer.
Yes, with the building owner’s written consent. Many landlords are happy to agree because the system adds value to the property. We can give you the system details they will want to see.
