New build solar panels for Queensland builders.

Solar belongs in the build program, not after handover. New build solar panels now sit beside NatHERS, electrical selections, roof works, metering, and final commissioning. The cleanest result comes when the system is designed from plans, priced before contract, installed at the right construction stage, and documented before the owner takes possession.

Trade Solar supplies that trade lane. We design from the plan set, quote builder-direct packages, install through licensed crews, handle STC paperwork, and support Energex or Ergon connection requirements across the build. We work with Queensland builders only — never homeowners direct.

Where solar fits in the program

New build solar starts before the roof is on. The electrical layout, roof plane, inverter position, switchboard allowance, and metering pathway all affect cost and site risk.

A post-handover retrofit can work for an owner. It is the wrong model for a builder running fixed-price contracts and repeated designs.

The useful handover point is the plan set. That gives enough information to size a compliant system, check roof orientation, flag shading risk, nominate inverter location, and prepare a package the selections team can sell without redesigning the house.

Installation then splits into two practical stages. Roof work — including the panels, rails, and roof penetrations — happens when access is clean and the site super can coordinate scaffold or edge protection. Final-fit and commissioning happen once electrical works, meter position, and network approval are ready. This keeps the solar trade inside the normal construction rhythm.

Why solar panels are a compliance lever

Solar is not only an owner upgrade. Under NCC 2022 it is a NatHERS compliance lever. Since 1 May 2024, every new dwelling in Queensland must meet a 7-star building-shell rating plus a separate Whole-of-Home energy budget, adopted through Queensland Development Code 4.1.

Houses must score at least 60 out of 100 on the Whole-of-Home assessment. On-site renewable energy — a rooftop PV system — offsets the regulated energy use counted in that budget. It cannot buy back the thermal star rating, but it is often the cheapest way to move the Whole-of-Home number.

That matters when a design is short on performance. Solar panels give the estimator a clean line item and give the energy assessor a predictable input, without triggering drafting changes, structural review, or client re-selection on glazing, wall build-up, roof colour, or insulation scope. The compliance path is set out in NatHERS 7-star compliance with solar, and the cost-per-star maths is in the NCC 2022 solar margin analysis.

The framework is stable. Building ministers have paused further residential energy-efficiency changes to at least mid-2029, and NCC 2025 adds no new residential energy stringency. A package specified now holds for the rest of the decade.

What the solar panel package includes

A new build solar panel package should be simple enough for sales and precise enough for construction. The builder needs a price, system size, equipment schedule, roof layout, inclusions, exclusions, and install assumptions. The site team needs the same scope converted into practical milestones.

• Plan-based PV design using the roof layout and electrical assumptions.
• Package pricing for standard inclusions and upgrade paths.
• Panel, inverter, isolator, and cabling specification.
• Roof-stage installation planning with site access assumptions.
• Final-fit commissioning and handover documentation.
• STC assignment, SRES paperwork, and registered-agent lodgement support.
• Energex or Ergon connection support where the build requires it.
• Warranty pathway for the builder and homeowner after completion.

Builders can align those inclusions with the standard offers on solar packages, then use project-specific design when the elevation, roof pitch, estate rules, or client upgrade changes the system.

Panel and inverter selection

Panel choice is a compliance and warranty decision, not a badge. Only modules on the Clean Energy Council approved-products list are eligible for Small-scale Technology Certificates. STC eligibility is what makes the SRES discount available, so the equipment schedule and the paperwork have to match.

Inverter sizing is set by the connection. On single-phase supply, 6.6 kW is the largest PV system that avoids being export-limited by the distributor. Three-phase lots and larger roofs open up bigger arrays and battery-ready designs, but the phase and network setting are confirmed before a size is promised to the client.

Trade-only, not a national retailer

National new-build installers sell a retail-plus-battery bundle to the homeowner and pass volume pricing through the builder. Trade Solar runs a different model: builder-direct supply and install with the margin kept in the build, not a consumer brand bolted onto the contract. The comparison is set out in Compare and the operating model in the builder-only solar pathway. We are Queensland-focused, across both Energex and Ergon distribution areas.

Energex and Ergon timing

Queensland network timing is not a decoration. It affects when a system can be approved, commissioned, and handed over. Energex and Ergon requirements vary by site, phase, inverter capacity, export setting, meter status, and whether the build needs additional network review.

The key is to start early enough that approvals do not sit on the critical path. Builders should avoid discovering export limits, phase issues, or meter dependencies when the home is already approaching practical completion. The process detail is in the Energex connection timeline. For regional projects the same discipline applies under Ergon.

Selections and contracts

Solar performs best as a controlled selection. The client can choose a base system, a battery-ready upgrade, or a larger PV size where the roof and network allow it. The builder keeps scope tight because the offer is already documented.

The selections sheet should state system size, equipment class, monitoring inclusion, switchboard assumptions, access assumptions, and any known distributor constraints. It should also define what happens if the client requests extra capacity after contract. That prevents a simple PV upgrade from becoming a drafting, roofing, electrical, and network variation all at once. How this reads in the contract is covered in solar in builder contracts.

Build-stage checklist

1. Send the architectural plans, electrical mark-up, roof material, phase information, and estate requirements.
2. Confirm the target system size, package tier, inverter location, and battery-ready requirement.
3. Price the system before contract or before selections sign-off.
4. Coordinate roof-stage install with scaffold, access, and site-super approval.
5. Complete final-fit once the electrical works and meter pathway are ready.
6. Submit STC paperwork and connection documentation.
7. Commission, hand over documents, and record warranty details.

This is the low-friction version of new build solar. It treats PV as a trade package with defined commercial and construction controls.

New build solar panels: builder FAQ

Do new build solar panels count toward NatHERS in Queensland?

Yes, on the Whole-of-Home side. Under NCC 2022 a Queensland house needs a 7-star shell and a Whole-of-Home score of at least 60. On-site PV offsets the regulated energy use in that score. It does not lift the thermal star rating, which is a fabric measure.

What size solar system fits a single-phase new build?

6.6 kW is the largest system that avoids export limiting on single-phase supply. Larger arrays need three-phase or a distributor-approved export setting, confirmed before the size is quoted.

When in the build do the panels go on?

Roof work happens at roof stage, while scaffold and edge protection are in place. Final-fit and commissioning happen after electrical works, the meter position, and network approval are ready.

Are the panels eligible for STCs?

Only Clean Energy Council approved modules are eligible for Small-scale Technology Certificates. Trade Solar specifies eligible equipment and lodges the SRES paperwork as registered agent.

Does Trade Solar sell to homeowners?

No. Trade Solar is builder-only. Design, supply, install, STC paperwork, and warranty support run through the builder, not a direct-to-consumer channel.

Send the plan set

Trade Solar works with Queensland builders who need solar designed, priced, installed, and documented before handover. Send the plan set and build location. We will return a package-ready scope with the assumptions made clear. See how we work with builders or request a design for a Queensland new build solar package.