Frequently asked questions

SolShare dynamically shares solar electricity across apartment units, maximising the use of generated solar energy and minimising the need to feed excess power back to the grid.

An algorithm within the SolShare unit monitors the available solar power and energy loads at each connection point to determine the required power and where it is needed.

The SolShare delivers solar under a ‘fair-share’ algorithm. The SolShare monitors how much energy each apartment is using (energy demand) and sends solar to where it’s needed, maximising the savings for everyone in the building.

However, to ensure everything’s fair, the SolShare logs how much solar has been delivered to each unit, and if it identifies that a unit has received more than the others, it will start reducing the amount of solar it sends to that unit until the others catch up.

No – while we typically see all tenancies enjoy the benefits of solar, your building may choose to allocate solar to only a subset of all tenancies. If a resident chooses to opt in at a later date, they may be required to contribute to the strata fund.

As an owners’ corporation, you’ll need to agree on how much solar energy each apartment (and the common light and power, if applicable) should receive. There’s flexibility in how allocations can be set – your solar partner can help you decide what works best for your building.

Common approaches include:

• By lot entitlement: This method is sometimes required to meet eligibility criteria for certain grants or rebates.

• Equal share per apartment: Each connected apartment receives the same share of the solar energy generated.

Keep in mind that the configuration of your building’s electrical connections will influence what allocation options are possible.

Once you’ve agreed on your preferred approach, discuss it with your solar partner. They’ll provide options that reflect your building’s needs and ensure your system is set up for fair, effective energy sharing.

Yes, any connection can be added to a SolShare system, including the common light and power.

This isn’t necessary because solar energy is distributed to each resident according to the fair-sharing algorithm, chosen by the owners’ corporation.

Using this algorithm, SolShare delivers solar energy to residents based on their active consumption needs.

As a result, allocations will occur at different times during the month, aligning with periods when solar energy is most valuable for each resident. When you don't require as much energy, your neighbours will enjoy a larger allocation, and vice versa.

The algorithm keeps a history of energy use and distribution, and can be set to ensure the correct allocation of solar power.

Depending on the number of apartments in your building and the available roof space, the typical solar capacity allocation per tenancy ranges from 1 kW to 5 kW.

The kW rating for your tenancy is averaged across the whole building.

Since SolShare uses an algorithm to optimise solar allocation, you may receive a significantly higher allocation in kW when you need it most: when you are actively using electricity.

Yes – the SolShare monitoring portal, SolCentre, can be made available to each tenant to monitor their own solar allocation and usage data.

Your building manager, strata manager or solar installer can be given access to see the solar generation and allocations for the building as a whole.

No – each monitoring portal only shows a user’s own energy usage and allocation information.

Any additional access granted to building managers, strata managers or solar installers will only show solar generation and allocation for the entire building and common areas.

You will receive a FiT for any unused solar energy allocated to you if you have a bi-directional smart electricity meter (contact your solar installer to set this up) and you have chosen a tariff with your electricity retailer that includes a FiT.

The shared solar system is owned through the owners’ corporation assets, so when an apartment is sold, an equal portion of the shared solar system is included in the purchase through those assets.

You’ll pay the solar installer chosen by your owners’ committee, who will oversee the installation of the complete solar system, including your SolShare(s).

Your solar installer will typically invoice for the full solar PV system (including SolShare).

As a building, this may be paid in several ways, including:

1. from your building’s sinking fund and/or,
2. by raising an additional levy to be paid per tenancy and/or
3. with a loan accessed through a finance provider,
4. or, with a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) through a PPA Provider.

Your solar installer and strata management can help determine the options available for your building, and you can read more about the above options here.

Installing a solar system (shared or otherwise) in common areas of your building (e.g., the roof, electrical cabinet/risers) requires approval from the owners’ corporation by vote.

Voting is typically conducted at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) or at a Special or Extraordinary General Meeting (SGM or EGM).

The shared solar feasibility assessment we provided includes more detailed information about this process, or you can find a more detailed breakdown for each state on our blog.

If you have further questions, please contact your owners’ corporation manager.

No – all necessary electrical work for installing the shared solar system typically occurs in common areas, such as on the roof, in electrical cabinets, in risers and in switchboard rooms.

SolShare 1: Yes, you can install your own battery to increase the amount of energy you use. We normally recommend installing solar without a battery first, and using data from our free SolCentre portal to determine the optimum battery size. Consult your solar installer for the best options.

SolShare 2: Yes, because the SolShare is a shared system, your batteries will be shared as well. This means that rather than needing to buy an expensive battery for every connected unit, you simply buy a communal battery that everyone uses when they need it. This greatly increases their value for money. We still recommend installing solar without a battery first, and using data from our free SolCentre portal to determine the optimum battery size. Consult your solar installer for the best options.

As with all solar installations, every connected unit must have a smart electricity meter.

If your building doesn't have smart meters, don’t worry, our certified SolShare installation partners will be able to guide you through upgrading the technology.

Residents can also contact their energy retailer directly and upgrade the meters in advance.

SolShare maximises the potential of the available roof space by delivering solar electricity to connected apartments when they need it most. Therefore, as little as 1kW per apartment (3 or 4 solar panels) is enough to achieve a significant reduction in electricity bills.

SolShare is best installed in buildings where each unit has its own retail meter or National Metering Identifier (NMI). Nevertheless, there's no technical barrier to installing a shared solar system in an embedded network.

We suggest consulting your embedded network provider to confirm that there are no contractual issues with installing a shared solar system in your building.

Typically, this should not be an issue. Your solar installer will consider this when designing the solar system for your building.

SolShare is modular and scalable, making it suitable for apartment buildings of many sizes. Each SolShare unit can connect up to 15 single-phase apartments, and each building can have multiple SolShares installed.

SolShare has a 10-year product warranty, details outlined here.

Most solar components have an expected lifespan of between 10 and 25 years. The operating life of SolShare is expected to exceed its product warranty period.

Speak to your solar installer about the warranties associated with their workmanship and the products they include in your system.

Your solar installer is the go-to expert for all aspects of your solar system, including SolShare.

Before work begins, we suggest that you discuss your installer's workmanship (installation) warranty, the warranties for each product in your solar system, and any post-installation support offered.

A significant advantage of SolShare's shared solar system is that each tenant can choose their electricity retailer, and you are not required to use the same retailer as your neighbour.

That said, if your building functions as an embedded network, you will still purchase electricity from your embedded network operator.

When installing several EV chargers in an apartment building, it's important to assess the existing electrical infrastructure and any existing shared solar system.

While SolShare distributes solar energy to an EV charger just as it would to any electrical load in your apartment, we suggest you consult an energy expert experienced in designing and installing EV chargers in multi-unit buildings.

That said, if communal EV's were added, they would be connected to the common area load and utilise the common area allocation. If individual EV's were added, the energy would come from that tenancy's allocation. In both cases, additional electricity from the grid may be needed for a full and recurring charge. 

SolShare provides solar energy to EV chargers like other electrical loads, but additional electricity from the grid may be needed for a full charge, depending on the charger.

Connecting a slow EV charger is pretty straightforward, but high-powered or rapid chargers may require approval from your owners’ corporation.

This can happen if you mainly use energy at night, when less solar energy is available. If your solar system setup doesn't include a battery, solar energy must be used when it is generated.

Don't worry; you will still benefit from your energy retailer's feed-in tariff for your portion of solar energy produced.

To utilise more of your solar allocation, try adapting your energy usage to use more during daylight hours and implementing some of the tips we outline here.

When you don't use electricity in your tenancy for extended periods (an entire calendar month or longer), you can still benefit from your allocated solar via the feed-in tariff (FiT) paid to you by your electricity retailer.

A feed-in tariff (FiT) is offered in most Australian states and is the payment you receive for sending solar energy back to the grid, with the rate set by your energy retailer. If you receive a FiT, it will be shown on your electricity bill as a negative amount (i.e., money given back to you!).

The average FiT rate for exported solar is ~5¢-8¢ per kWh, while the rate for energy you use from the grid is ~33¢ per kWh. Depending on your energy use and solar system size, monthly credits can range from ~$5 to $20.

Your solar installer can assist with the FiT meter reconfiguration, but it may take time for your Distribution Network Service Provider (DNSP) and energy retailer to process it. Contact your solar installer or strata manager if you don't see it on your bill within a few months.

Once the SolShare(s) for your building have been ordered, you can register for SolCentre by visiting solcentre.allumeenergy.com and registering your account.

Once our team processes your request, you can access the portal from your web browser. We recommend bookmarking the page or using the ‘add to Home Screen’ option in your mobile browser to add a shortcut to your phone's home screen so you can return to it easily.

Our technical support team will help you activate/deactivate your SolCentre portal registration. Please send us an email with your address and anticipated (or actual) move-in/out date at: support@allumeenergy.com.au

Of course, if you're moving into another multi-tenant building that doesn't yet have solar, get in touch with us to see how you and your new neighbours can benefit from solar, too!

You can view your tenancy's data in the SolCentre monitoring portal after the SolShare(s) in your building are fully online, which may take a few weeks after they are physically installed.

At this time, SolCentre allows for one login per tenancy.

To view up-to-date data in SolCentre, each SolShare must have:

• power supplied from the grid;
• a fully-operational inverter;
• a strong, stable internet connection.

If you can see load data but not solar data, it may mean that you have already received your allocated share of solar power for the month, and other tenancies are catching up.

If no data is displayed and your internet connection has been offline for an extended period, the last two weeks of available data will appear on your SolCentre dashboard once it is reconnected.

If you experience prolonged periods (over a week) without solar or load data, we recommend contacting your solar installer for assistance in investigating the issue.

SolCentre shows how energy flows in and out of your apartment over time. Each line represents something slightly different:

• Solar consumed: The solar energy you actually used in your apartment.
• Energy demand: Your apartment’s total electricity use, from all sources (solar + grid).
• Solar delivered: The amount of solar energy the SolShare system allocated to your apartment.
• Solar exported: Any allocated solar you didn’t use, which was sent back to the grid. You may be eligible for a feed-in tariff for this exported energy, depending on your electricity retailer.

SolShare works on a monthly allocation basis. Each apartment is set to receive a fair share of solar over the course of a calendar month.

If your apartment used more than its share earlier in the month, SolShare may prioritise other apartments later on to keep things balanced. Over the full month, everyone still receives their agreed allocation.

That’s SolShare doing exactly what it’s designed to do.

SolShare responds to real-time energy use in your apartment and delivers solar when you need it most. This helps maximise on-site solar use and reduce how much electricity you need to buy from the grid – saving you money.

Yes, if you’re authorised by your owners’ committee – usually, the strata or building managers have access to common area data.

To request access, send us a copy of an electricity bill for the common light and power meter that shows your name. Once confirmed, we can enable access to that data in SolCentre.

At this time, data downloads aren’t available directly in SolCentre.

If you need a copy of your data, your building or asset manager can request it from us on your behalf.

No – to save you from downloading an app and dealing with constant updates, SolCentre is accessed through a web browser at solcentre.allumeenergy.com.

Tip: You can add SolCentre to your phone’s home screen so it works like an app. Most devices offer an “Add to Home Screen” option in the browser menu.

SolCentre shows data in one-hour blocks, made up of shorter five-minute intervals.

Within an hour, your energy use can change a lot. You might export solar during some five-minute periods and use grid power during others. When this is averaged over the hour, it can appear as if both things happened at once – even though they occurred at different times.

Example: For the first 30 minutes, you might have 1kWh of solar delivered but 0kWh of energy demand, resulting in 1kWh of solar exported.

In the next 30 minutes, you might have 0kWh of solar delivered but 2kWh of energy demand, resulting in a larger hourly average of energy demand (2kWh) than the solar delivered (1kWh), but the hour still contained solar exported.

SolShare only manages how solar is shared – it doesn’t control or change how electricity is used in your apartment.

Any electricity use you see at night is coming from appliances or systems in your home. If something looks unusual, your electricity retailer is the best place to start.