Solar Sidekicks Podcast

Solar Sidekicks is the go-to podcast for all things solar, serving up essential insights with a friendly, down-to-earth vibe. Hosted by industry professional Pat Southwell and his co-host Lauren Ciconte , each episode explores technical topics, industry regulations, and the real-world challenges faced by solar installers across Australia. Together they share practical knowledge from the field, tackle important issues affecting the industry, and stand up for what’s right by helping voices be heard on topics that can hit solar installers hard. They also highlight some of the great people working in the industry and help listeners stay across the constant changes in this fast-evolving sector. Whether you’re a solar installer , apprentice, or simply interested in solar, Solar Sidekicks keeps you informed, connected, and up to date with what’s happening in the industry.

Solar Sidekicks Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Pat Southwell, with 68 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Pat Southwell hosts Solar Sidekicks Podcast, a business show with 68 episodes published.

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  Episode #21

  S3E21 – EcoVantage | Nancy Sanjoto & Arlen East

  Sep 14, 20261h 26mS3

  Pat and Lauren are back on the road, heading into Abbotsford to sit down with Nancy Sanjoto and Arlen East from EcoVantage — although Pat has a few early attempts at remembering exactly where they are and how to pronounce the company name, despite the rather large sign sitting next to him. Then it’s into the increasingly complicated world of rebates and certificate schemes. STCs, VEECs, ESCs, PRCs, PDRS, battery incentives, commercial solar and the expanded SRES all get a run as Nancy and Arlen explain what can be stacked, what can’t, and why getting the paperwork sorted before the install starts can be worth a hell of a lot of money. We get into the new NSW battery incentives, what the commercial solar changes could mean for installers and retailers, audits, rogue operators and the amount of responsibility certificate providers carry when something goes wrong. There’s also a cracking example of a 300kW solar job that missed out on an incentive because the call for help came after panels were already on the roof. Lauren also spots a nice connection between EcoVantage and the Women’s Property Initiative, before Pat and Lauren finish with some industry news — including more fines , the NEOVOLT battery situation and another reminder that compliance is getting pretty serious as more money flows into solar and batteries. Rebates, compliance, rogue operators and enough acronyms to confuse just about everyone — thankfully Nancy and Arlen actually know what they all mean.

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  Episode #20

  S3E20 - Meagan Blackney | Six Star Plus

  Sep 10, 20261h 36mS3

  Pat and Lauren are back on schedule and back at Six Star Plus, this time joined by Meagan “Meggsy” Blackney — the Heat Pump Legend. Meggsy’s path into the industry is a good one. She went from eight years at Baby Bunting, to starting in accounts at Six Star Plus, to somehow finding herself right in the middle of the heat pump world — dealing with builders, plumbers, suppliers and plenty of tradie personalities along the way. We get into how heat pumps fit into the electrification push, why some plumbers are still hanging onto gas, the challenges builders face when the rules change, rebates, new builds and the surprisingly difficult job of getting a bloody great hot-water unit across a muddy building site. There’s also a healthy rivalry between the heat pump and PV sides of the Six Star Plus office — and neither side is particularly interested in giving the other one too much credit. Then it’s back into solar industry news. SAA’s new fee for multiple-system sign-off exemptions gets Pat and Lauren fired up, particularly around medium-density and new-build solar. They also look at a recent $40,000 WorkSafe fine involving an apprentice working on a roof without fall protection, and compare it with the LEI prosecution discussed last episode. Along the way we hear about Meagan’s Baby Bunting days, her ability to win over a room full of builders and plumbers, a slightly embarrassing dehydration incident, rooftop heat pumps, Pat’s questionable thoughts about an old hot-water rebate and another rapid-fire segment that gets inappropriate remarkably quickly. Heat pumps, hot water, solar compliance, builders, plumbers and plenty of shit-stirring. Just another Friday at Six Star Plus.

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  Episode #17

  S3E17 - Installer Nights, Megawatt STCs & One Alleged Bribe

  Aug 16, 20261h 22mS3

  After a month off, Pat and Lauren are back for a proper Solar Sidekicks industry catch-up — and there’s plenty to talk about. First up, they wrap up the first year of the Southwell Solar Installer Nights , from the huge Melbourne opener through to a particularly loose finish in Southern Sydney. They talk about what they learnt travelling around the country, why installers are crying out for practical training, and why sometimes the best conversations happen once the presentations are finished and the beers are flowing. Then there’s some massive news for commercial solar. The STC scheme is being extended all the way up to 1 MW , and Pat and Lauren get into what that could mean for commercial installers, switchboards, grid protection, maintenance, compliance — and the inevitable rebate rush. And then… Growatt. An alleged attempt to bribe a CEC employee over a product listing gives Pat and Lauren plenty to work with. There are jokes, hypothetical cups of tea and some questionable suggestions about speeding up product approvals — but underneath the banter is a serious discussion about how long product listings can take and the pressure that puts on manufacturers. They finish with some good news from Solar Victoria, including training opportunities and free hearing tests at All Energy . If you’re heading along and want to book one, you can grab a spot here: Book a free hearing test at All Energy https://events.humanitix.com/free-hearing-tests No guest. No real plan. Just Pat and Lauren catching up after a month off, coming out the other side of winter and talking through another slightly ridiculous few weeks in solar. Installer Nights, megawatt STCs, alleged bribes and a bit of industry therapy. Solar Sidekicks is back.

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  Episode #16

  S3E16 - Nicole Stegmann | Energy Matters

  Jul 17, 20261h 27mS3

  Pat & Loz are back in the studio — this time at the new Six Star Plus office in Dandenong South — and they're joined by Nicole Stegmann from Energy Matters. Nicole's got one of the more colourful backstories we've had on the show — from working at Foodstar (yes, the all-you-can-eat restaurant), teaching English in Japan, fielding conspiracy theory voicemails for the Department of Climate Change, to now running pretty much everything at Energy Matters — video, photography, blogs, social media, and the website (all 70,000 pages of it). We get into some good topics: the "interest-free solar" conversation and why it's not always what it seems, Nicole's experience putting solar and a battery on a rental property (and what happened two days after the battery went in), and where she thinks the industry is heading — spoiler, she's got her eye on heat pumps. Also in this episode — AusNet backstop update (genuinely good news for once), the new dedicated installer line going live, the Ausgrid/CCEW portal integration in NSW, the upcoming NSW rebate reboot under PDRS, and a reminder to look after yourself heading into what's shaping up to be a hectic back half of the year. A loose, fun episode with plenty of tangents — but plenty of substance too. Catch us at an Installer Night: • Gold Coast – 21 July (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/gold-coast-installer-night-tickets-1989799349418) • Brisbane – 22 July (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/brisbane-installer-night-tickets-1989800024437) • Western Sydney – 4 August (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/western-sydney-installer-night-tickets-1990093188298) • Southern Sydney – 5 August (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/southern-sydney-installer-night-tickets-1990094178259)

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  Episode #15

  S3E15 - CEP Energy - Brendan Laidlaw

  Jul 1, 20261h 57mS3

  Pat & Loz are back!!! After a bit of a break (Sydney, then life got busy), the mics are hot again — and we're kicking things off with a big one. This week on Solar Sidekicks, Pat and Loz are joined by Brendan Laidlaw from CEP Energy for a ripper chat covering everything from his early days as a "data fairy" apprentice and the wild TVS install era, through to smart metering, a factory fire that nearly ended his business, a stint as a solar trainer, and how he eventually landed in commercial battery energy trading. The back half gets properly technical: switchboard certification headaches under 61439, summation of supplies on commercial boards, why Jemena's SCADA requirements are a nightmare to navigate, and the never-ending backstop/AusNet saga. Also in this episode — a recap of Perth Installer Night (including WA's full-on regulator scare campaign), and the new mandatory CCEW process landing in NSW from 1 July. A proper deep dive with one of commercial solar's most experienced operators — technical, funny, and packed with war stories. 🎟️ Catch us at an Installer Night: • Gold Coast – 21 July (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/gold-coast-installer-night-tickets-1989799349418) • Brisbane – 22 July (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/brisbane-installer-night-tickets-1989800024437) • Western Sydney – 4 August (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/western-sydney-installer-night-tickets-1990093188298) • Southern Sydney – 5 August (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/southern-sydney-installer-night-tickets-1990094178259)

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