Business Feature KDEC Electrical & Solar’s New Location Heralds an Exciting Period of Growth

It’s been quite an evolution for the company over the last 13 years - six employees specialising in data and fiber optics has grown to 30 and their services now include general electrical and solar power installations. The Walkers are buoyed by the continuing growth in the company’s horizon.

Falling technology prices and high electricity costs have resulted in 100-fold growth in the solar industry across Australia over the last 10 years. Now a multi-billion dollar industry, residential, commercial and large-scale solar market segments are employing more than 17,800 Australians and at a national level we’re leading the way in terms of operating solar capacity per capita across the country. These records have been underpinned by falling costs of solar panels as well as more competitive installation costs. Added to this is an increase in the average rooftop solar installation size growing from 1.5kW to 7.1kW in 2019 from 1.5kW in 2009. The Walkers were confident that businesses should consider the benefits of solar in their business plans - not just from an environmental standpoint, but also for the benefits to the bottom line.

“Commercial premises are the best-suited properties to reap the financial and environmental benefits of renewable energy” said Chelsey, “Large rooftops, high daytime solar production and the ability to offset heating and cooling demand can equate to a speedy return on investment.”

September was an exciting month for the KDEC team moving into their brand-new purpose-built premises in Ruby Court, Albury. The new premises showcases vertical solar panels as part of the building design and has allowed them to meet the growing demand for solar installation in the border community.

Their new building design also means that customers can come and see a range of different panels, batteries and systems on display. "Climate change and environmental sustainability have been hot topics for a while” said Cam. “People are becoming more aware of, and more motivated by, what they can do at an individual or business level to reduce their environmental impact. Solar is a great way to make a difference.”

The Walkers credit their focus on customer service as one of the great success stories of their company.

“We consider the individual needs of each customer”, noted Chelsey, “We make it our business to understand their motivations. Are they looking to save money, or perhaps become entirely self-sufficient and live off grid? We’re respectful of that”.

Discussions around customer motivation are coupled with education around solar and energy use, “we empower them to make decisions based on what will deliver them the best results”, she said.

As one of the border’s longest operating solar and electrical businesses, the Walkers are taking advantage of the regional construction boom and increasing focus on sustainability. “We’re really excited about the future of our business and are continually developing our knowledge and skill sets to allow us to grow with the increasing demand for solar and renewable energy”.