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)