Solar and Battery Installation in Melville, Applecross and Booragoon
Quick Answer: Yes, we install solar and batteries across the City of Melville, including Applecross, Booragoon, Melville, Mount Pleasant and Bull Creek. Our office is at 16 Ogilvie Rd, Mount Pleasant, inside the City of Melville, and every install is done by our in-house SAA-accredited electricians. Most rooftop solar here doesn’t need City of Melville planning approval, but heritage-listed and strata properties need extra checks first.
If you live in Applecross, Booragoon or anywhere else in the City of Melville, you’ve probably had solar quotes from companies based a long way from your street. That matters less than people think for the panels themselves. It matters more when you want someone to look at your roof, answer a question about your battery, or come back after the job is done.
This guide covers what’s different about installing solar and batteries in the City of Melville: the housing, the trees, the council rules, strata and heritage checks, and what to expect from quote to switch-on.
Why City of Melville homes suit solar
Most homes in the City of Melville are detached houses, which usually means a roof you control and room for a decent-sized system. In the 2021 Census, 75.9% of occupied private dwellings in the City of Melville were separate houses, 18.6% were semi-detached, row or townhouses, and 5.4% were flats or apartments (ABS QuickStats, City of Melville).
Ownership is high too. Around 40.5% of homes were owned outright and 34.8% were owned with a mortgage in the same Census. Owner-occupiers can make long-term decisions about their roof, which is what solar and batteries are.
| Home type in the City of Melville | Share of dwellings (2021) | What it means for solar |
|---|---|---|
| Separate house | 75.9% | Usually your own roof and switchboard. The simplest path to solar and a battery. |
| Semi-detached, row or townhouse | 18.6% | Often strata. Check who owns the roof before you get quotes. |
| Flat or apartment | 5.4% | Roof is almost always common property. Needs a strata decision. |
Riverside and character homes
Applecross, Mount Pleasant, Attadale, Alfred Cove and Bicton all run along the Swan and Canning rivers. Many homes here are older character houses, two-storey rebuilds, or homes with complex roof lines. These roofs are fine for solar, but they take more planning. Panel layout often has to work around hips, valleys, skylights and roof-mounted air-conditioning. Two-storey roofs also need proper height safety on install day.
Trees and shade
Shade is the main thing to check on a Melville roof. The City puts its tree canopy at about 12.5% and has set a target of 15%. It also says about 45% of its urban forest is on private land (City of Melville). In practice that means a lot of mature trees close to houses, especially in older streets.
A tree that shades part of your roof at 3 pm in June can cut output from a whole string of panels. We look at where the shade falls across the year, not just on the day we visit. Sometimes the answer is a different panel layout. Sometimes it’s a smaller system that avoids the shaded section altogether.
Worth knowing: Don’t plan to remove a tree to make room for solar without checking with the City first. Trees are a live issue in Melville, and the City is actively working to keep canopy on private land.
What an install looks like here
A typical City of Melville install has four stages: a site visit, a written quote, a Western Power application, and install day. Because our office is in Mount Pleasant, most Melville suburbs are a short drive away.
- Site visit. We look at your roof, shade, switchboard and meter box, and go through your power bills. This is where we spot older switchboards that may need work before solar or a battery can be added.
- Written quote. You get a system design, the equipment list, and the rebates that apply to you. No pressure to sign on the day.
- Western Power application. Every new solar or battery system on the Perth grid needs connection approval from Western Power before it’s switched on. We lodge this for you.
- Install day. Our own electricians fit the panels, inverter and any battery, then test and commission the system.
Every install is done by our in-house SAA-accredited electricians. We don’t use subcontractors. Our workmanship is covered by a 20-year warranty, and if something we installed fails, our 48-hour fix-or-replace guarantee applies. See our solar installations in Perth page for more on how we work.
Batteries and the WA Battery Scheme for Synergy customers
If you’re a Synergy customer in the City of Melville, the WA Residential Battery Scheme offers up to $1,300 towards an eligible home battery. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries program applies as well, so many households can use both. Horizon Power customers can get up to $3,800 under the WA scheme, but Perth metro homes, including the City of Melville, buy their power from Synergy.
Eligibility has conditions, and they change. Our WA Battery Scheme eligibility checklist walks through them step by step.
A battery suits you best if you’re exporting a lot of daytime solar and then buying power back in the evening. It suits you less if your home is empty most evenings or your solar system is already small for your usage. The battery we install is the Sigenergy SigenStor. We’ll size it to your evening usage rather than the biggest unit that fits on the wall. Our solar battery page explains how we size batteries.
Council, strata and heritage checks
Most City of Melville homes don’t need planning approval for rooftop solar. The City says you do not need planning or development approval to install solar panels on a property where the Residential Design Codes (R-Codes) Volume 1 apply. Where the R-Codes don’t apply, panels are exempt if they’re on the roof, parallel to the roof angle, and the building isn’t a heritage-listed place (City of Melville planning exemptions). These exemptions sit under clause 61 of the deemed provisions in WA’s Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015.
| Your situation | What to check before install |
|---|---|
| Standard house, panels flat on the roof | Usually no planning approval needed. Western Power approval still required. |
| Heritage-listed property | Check the City of Melville Heritage List and talk to the City’s planners before you sign. |
| Strata villa, townhouse or apartment | Check your strata by-laws. If the roof is common property, get written strata approval first. |
| Tilted frames or ground-mounted panels | Ask the City. The exemption wording refers to panels parallel to the roof. |
Strata. In a strata scheme, the roof is often common property. That means the strata company, not you, decides what goes on it. Get written approval before you book an install, and check whether your by-laws say anything about where inverters and batteries can go.
Heritage. If your home is on the City’s Heritage List, don’t assume the exemption applies. Contact the City’s planning team before you sign a quote.
Suburbs we cover nearby
We install across the whole City of Melville. Suburbs we regularly work in include:
- Applecross
- Ardross
- Mount Pleasant
- Booragoon
- Bicton
- Attadale
- Bateman
- Bull Creek
- Willagee
- Myaree
- Alfred Cove
- Leeming
- Murdoch
- Winthrop
- Kardinya
Further afield, see our Perth service areas guide for the rest of the metro area.
Visit or call us
Talk Energy Solar & Battery has been installing in Perth for 7+ years, with 5,000+ installations completed. We’re rated 4.8 stars from 300+ Google reviews. Our office is in the City of Melville, so if you’re in Applecross or Booragoon, we’re local.
- Address: 16 Ogilvie Rd, Mount Pleasant WA 6153
- Phone: (08) 6255 5914
- Email: wattsup@talkenergy.com.au
- Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
- WA electrical contractor licence: EC15564
Get a free quote, call (08) 6255 5914, or use our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Do you install in Applecross and Booragoon?
Yes. We install solar and batteries in Applecross, Booragoon and every other suburb in the City of Melville. Our office is at 16 Ogilvie Rd, Mount Pleasant, a few minutes away. Every install is done by our in-house SAA-accredited electricians, not subcontractors.
Do I need City of Melville approval for rooftop solar?
Usually not. The City of Melville says solar panels don’t need planning approval on properties where the R-Codes apply. Where they don’t apply, panels are exempt if they sit on the roof, parallel to the roof angle, on a building that isn’t heritage listed. Heritage-listed homes and strata properties need extra checks, and every system still needs Western Power connection approval.
Can I get the WA Battery Scheme rebate?
If you’re a Synergy customer, you may be eligible for up to $1,300 under the WA Residential Battery Scheme. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries program can apply as well. Eligibility has conditions, so check our WA Battery Scheme eligibility checklist or ask us when we quote.
How long does an install take?
Most standard home solar installs are done in one visit. Batteries, two-storey roofs and switchboard upgrades can add time. Before install day, Western Power needs to approve the connection, which we lodge for you. We confirm your timeline in writing with your quote.
Do you service systems installed by other companies?
No. We only service and repair systems that Talk Energy installed. That’s how we can stand behind our 20-year workmanship warranty and 48-hour fix-or-replace guarantee. If your system was installed by another company, contact that installer or the equipment manufacturer.
