Switchboard Upgrade Before Solar: A Corrimal Homeowner's Guide

If your Corrimal home still has a switchboard with ceramic fuses and no safety switches, it will almost certainly need upgrading before solar can be connected. That is not an upsell. A solar system adds new circuits to the board, and new work has to meet the current wiring rules. This guide explains how to tell what you have, what an upgrade involves, and how it should appear on a quote.

The short answer

• Ceramic fuses, no RCDs (safety switches): expect an upgrade before or during the solar installation.

• Circuit breakers and at least one RCD, with spare space: often fine as it is, or needs only a small change.

• A meter board that may contain asbestos: leave it alone, and make sure the quote says how it will be handled if it has to change.

• On the quote: switchboard work should be its own line, with the reason. Not mentioning it on an older home means either the board is fine or nobody looked.

Why older Corrimal homes are affected

Corrimal grew around a colliery that opened in 1883, and homes across 2518, from Tarrawanna to Bellambi, span many decades of building. A switchboard fitted forty or fifty years ago was designed for a few lighting and power circuits and an electric hot water system. It was never meant to take a solar inverter, and it usually lacks the space and protection that current rules require for new circuits. Our Corrimal solar page covers the rest of what an older home adds to the job.

How to tell what you have

Open the switchboard cover and look. You do not need to touch anything.

The simplest step: take a photo of the open board and send it to us before the assessment. We can usually tell you from the photo whether an upgrade is likely.

What a switchboard upgrade involves

1. A new enclosure with room for the existing circuits and the solar.

2. Circuit breakers in place of fuses, and RCD protection for the circuits that need it.

3. A labelled solar main switch, so the system can be isolated safely.

4. Testing of the existing circuits as they are moved across. Faults found in old wiring are reported to you, not hidden.

The power is off while the work is done, usually for part of a day. Where we can, we do it on the same visit as the solar installation, so you have one shutdown rather than two.

The meter and the meter board

Solar needs a meter that can record power flowing both ways. Your retailer arranges it, and we coordinate the timing. In older homes the meter board itself can be the issue. Some were made with a backing panel containing asbestos. It is safe left alone, but it must not be drilled or cut, and if it has to be changed to fit new equipment, it is replaced by someone qualified to handle it under the asbestos safety rules. That should be identified at the assessment and priced, not discovered on the day.

How it should appear on your quote

On an older home, compare quotes on this line first.

• Named and priced separately, with the reason ("ceramic fuses, no RCD protection, no space for solar circuits").

• Or ruled out in writing ("switchboard inspected, suitable as is").

• Not "subject to inspection" with no figure. That leaves the price open until install day.

Our solar quote checklist covers the other lines worth comparing.

Other things worth checking on an older Corrimal roof

• Tiles and roof sheets. Older terracotta tiles can be brittle and older iron can be thin. Broken tiles should be allowed for in the quote.

• Salt air. Homes near Bellambi and Towradgi beaches need coastal-grade mounting. Our Illawarra salt and corrosion guide lists the questions to ask.

• The escarpment. On the western streets closest to it, winter afternoons can end early. We check the winter sun path at the assessment. Our Illawarra solar guide explains how it affects a roof.

Does the rebate cover switchboard work?

No. The federal STC discount applies to the solar system only. Corrimal is in STC zone 3: in 2026 a 6.6kW system earns 45 certificates, about $1,710 off the price, and a 10kW system 69 certificates, about $2,622. The solar rebate calculator checks it for your postcode, and the 6.6kW package page shows what the system includes. Switchboard work is a separate cost. Our Wollongong solar cost guide sets out system prices and the other common extras.

Common questions

Do I need a switchboard upgrade for solar?

Not always. If your board has circuit breakers, RCD protection and spare space, it may be fine. If it has ceramic fuses and no RCDs, an upgrade is almost certain.

How long does a switchboard upgrade take?

Usually part of a day, with the power off while the work is done. It can often be done on the same day as the solar installation.

Can I install solar now and upgrade the switchboard later?

Generally not. The solar circuits are new work and have to meet the current rules when they are connected, so the board has to be ready first.

Is an old switchboard dangerous?

An old board without RCDs gives less protection against electric shock than a modern one. Even without solar, upgrading it is worth considering, and adding solar is a natural time to do it.

Do you install in East Corrimal, Tarrawanna, Towradgi and Bellambi?

Yes, across the whole 2518 postcode. Our office is in North Wollongong, a short drive away, and we also install in neighbouring Fairy Meadow and Wollongong.

Next step

Send us a photo of your open switchboard and we will tell you whether it is likely to need work. For a solar estimate, the solar system size calculator takes about two minutes. See how we install in Corrimal.