Solar Installers Back-Office Services
Back-office services for solar installers. Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting payroll, industry-specific bookkeeping, compliance and IT suppo
Applicable Award
Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020
Running a solar installer business means juggling operational demands with administrative complexity. Award-compliant payroll, BAS obligations, supplier management, and compliance tracking all compete for time that should be spent on customers and growth. Valont provides back-office services specifically configured for solar installers, with genuine understanding of the award provisions, financial metrics, and operational realities that define your industry.
The Award: Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020
Classifications: Electrical worker classifications. CEC-accredited installer requirement.
Ordinary hours: 36 hours per week with RDO system
Penalty rates: Standard electrical penalties. Roof work triggers height money.
Minimum engagement: 4 hours casual minimum
Key allowances: tool allowance, licence allowance, height money (mandatory for roof installations), electrical licence allowance, travel/fares
Getting these provisions wrong creates systematic underpayment that compounds with every pay period. The Fair Work Ombudsman actively monitors compliance in this sector, and the penalties for deliberate underpayment were significantly increased under recent legislation. Valont's payroll specialists configure your payroll software with the exact award rules for each employee classification, eliminating manual interpretation errors.
Challenges Specific to Solar Installers
- CEC accreditation compliance — Clean Energy Council installer accreditation and STC/LGC certificate creation
- STC (Small-scale Technology Certificate) management — creation, registration, and assignment to agents
- Rapidly changing technology — panel and inverter pricing, battery storage emerging revenue stream
- Height money for all roof installations — mandatory allowance impacting every installation
- Government rebate and incentive tracking by state — varying schemes affecting customer pricing
- Warranty management — panel, inverter, and workmanship warranties with different terms
These aren't generic business challenges — they're the specific operational and compliance issues that solar installers owners deal with daily. A generalist bookkeeper or payroll provider may not understand or address them. Valont does, because our service is configured around your industry's actual requirements.
Financial Metrics That Matter
Standard P&L reporting isn't enough for solar installers. You need industry-specific metrics to make informed decisions:
Revenue per kW installed, installation margin, STC value, warranty claim rate, average system size trend, battery attachment rate
We configure your reporting to track these metrics monthly, giving you the visibility to identify margin drift, optimise operations, and make confident business decisions based on data rather than gut feel.
How Valont Helps Solar Installers
Finance Hub
Industry-configured bookkeeping with OpenSolar, Solargain, simPRO → Xero/MYOB, CEC portal, REC Registry. BAS prepared from correctly coded, fully reconciled data. Real-time reporting with the industry-specific metrics above. Cash flow forecasting that accounts for your seasonal patterns and payment timing.
People Hub
Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020-compliant payroll processing. Every employee classified correctly, every penalty rate calculated accurately, every allowance applied. STP reporting with each pay run. Superannuation initiated on schedule. Ongoing payroll audits reviewing all classifications and rates against current award provisions.
Operations Hub
Managed IT support and Essential Eight cybersecurity. Your POS, accounting, payroll, and rostering systems monitored and maintained. Data backup with regular restoration testing. Staff devices protected with endpoint security. MFA enforced across all business-critical systems.
Indicative Pricing
5-20 employees: Finance + People Hub $1,500-$3,500/month. Operations Hub adds $80-$200 per user per month. Fixed-fee, no hourly billing, month-to-month engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you understand the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award?
Yes. Our payroll specialists are experienced with the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 including its classification structure, penalty rate schedule, allowance provisions, and overtime calculations. We configure payroll software (KeyPay or Employment Hero) with the specific award rules and conduct quarterly audits to ensure ongoing compliance.
Can you integrate with our existing software?
Yes. We integrate with the industry-standard platforms: OpenSolar, Solargain, simPRO → Xero/MYOB, CEC portal, REC Registry. We work within your existing systems and recommend changes only where they deliver genuine operational benefit.
What makes Valont different from a general bookkeeper?
A general bookkeeper processes transactions. Valont configures your entire back-office around solar installers-specific requirements — from award-compliant payroll and industry-specific reporting metrics to integrated IT and cybersecurity. We understand the operational challenges unique to solar installers and build our service around them.
How much does this cost for a solar installer business?
5-20 employees: Finance + People Hub $1,500-$3,500/month. This replaces the combined cost of separate bookkeeper, payroll provider, and the owner's admin time. Fixed-fee with no hourly billing — the same price regardless of how many questions you ask.
Built for Solar Installers, Not Adapted From a Template
Your back-office should understand your industry. Ours does.
Book a Discovery ConversationOur Services
Integrated back-office for Solar Installers businesses.
Finance Hub
People Hub
Operations Hub
Growth Hub
Ready to streamline your Solar Installers back-office?
Get a free assessment of your current back-office operations and see how Valont can help.