Fresh off the stage at the Smart Energy Gala Dinner, Melbourne Energy Group has every reason to celebrate.
When commercial solar installer Melbourne Energy Group was awarded the REC Commercial Installation of the Year – ANZ Excellence Award at the recent Smart Energy Gala Dinner in Sydney, it represented a nod to its growing reputation for delivering high-quality, technically robust solar projects across Australia.
For a company that’s built its name on meticulous engineering and end-to-end delivery, this award is more than a trophy – it’s validation.
“The award validates the direction we’ve been heading in,” Melbourne Energy Group Director and co-founder Shane Smillie said.
“We’ve been working hard to deliver quality projects to clients like those in the aged care sector. For us, it’s a reflection of our capability and performance in the commercial solar industry.”
Solid project works
The award-winning installations are seven projects Melbourne Energy Group recently completed across Victoria for aged care facilities, an emerging commercial solar segment that presents unique technical and logistical challenges.
Their system sizes ranged from 60 kilowatts (kW) up to more than 200kW.
“One that stands out was a system installed at an independent living facility,” Shane said.
“We used SolShare technology, which allows a central solar system to share energy across multiple units; in this case, around 60 apartments within the building.
“It was a technically challenging project.”
Installing a shared solar system across individual residential units requires intricate AC wiring and careful integration with existing infrastructure. Add in limited roof access and the need to manage communications with residents and facility staff, and the complexity quickly increases.
“Aged care facilities tend to have tight access constraints, so even just getting equipment on and off the roof wasn’t straightforward,” Shane said.
“Each site had unique challenges that we had to navigate individually.”
The Melbourne Energy Group client base also features schools, universities and commercial hotel chains. The latter includes Best Western Hotels, where the company recently delivered three high-quality installations across multiple sites.
Experience-based growth
Founded by Shane and Toby Payne, Melbourne Energy Group brings more than project management to the table. Both co-founders are highly qualified and experienced electricians and project managers, and that technical grounding informs everything they do.
“That hands-on knowledge is crucial in understanding the full scope of a project, from design to delivery,” Shane said.
“It’s helped us grow a reputation for technical reliability.”
That reliability has underpinned the company’s steady growth.
From a tight-knit team in Melbourne to a commercial outfit with Melbourne Energy Group has grown while staying true to its roots: quality, communication and safety.
“Safety and quality are non-negotiable for us,” Shane said.
“We only use reputable brands and keep all installations in-house. That means our own licensed electricians handle the work. No outsourcing.”
While aged care has been a major focus, the company’s commercial and industrial portfolio of projects spans education, hospitality, manufacturing and multi-site clients, all of which come with their own technical profile.
“Our strength lies in adapting through tailored engineering and design,” Shane said.
That tailored approach starts with listening.
Melbourne Energy Group doesn’t offer one-size-fits-all packages. Every system is built to serve the client’s specific energy and operational goals, whether they involve solar photovoltaic (PV), batteries, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, or a combination.
The company understands that every business has its unique requirements, and that it needs to tailor each system to suit those requirements. That’s why its approach is to listen to a client’s needs before working with them to create a solution that works for their energy goals.
As the industry moves deeper into battery storage and energy management, Melbourne Energy Group is keeping pace by investing in analytics and system-sizing tools. The company recently partnered with a software provider that helps it closely analyse clients’ energy usage in depth, which in turn allows it to accurately size solar and battery systems, ensuring the client gets precisely what they need via -backed design.
With a firm base in Victoria, Melbourne Energy Group is now branching out. Its latest milestone is a 2.5-megawatt (MW) rollout across several aged care facilities in Tasmania, the company’s first major project outside of Victoria.
“It’s significant not only in scale but also as a milestone for our expansion,” Shane said.
“We certainly have the capacity to grow nationally, but right now we’re focused on supporting our current clients, wherever they are. If they need us in other states, we’re ready to go.”
Rather than pursue growth for its own sake, the company is choosing to evolve in alignment with its clients, including working with other engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies when needed.
“We’re continuing to build partnerships and align with other businesses in the renewable space,” Shane said.
“While we do our own installations, we also work with other EPCs. Going forward, we’re implementing a more streamlined internal sales and design process to help us deliver end-to-end solutions more efficiently.”
Staying grounded
Melbourne Energy Group is known for clear communication, flexibility and delivering a clean installation process, even on jobs that require navigating difficult access, working at heights, or dealing with heritage approvals.
Behind the project milestones is a team that believes in building a clean energy future through small, consistent steps. With more than 12 years of experience in solar, the company has carved a niche by focusing on quality craftsmanship, environmental awareness and transparent communication.
“We’re a team of young, vibrant individuals passionate about making a difference in the renewable energy industry,” Shane said.
“From solar system design to completed installation, we aim to be your trusted installer for any renewable investment.
“It comes down to experience and trust. That’s what clients come back for.”
As the company eyes future growth – geographically and technologically – it remains grounded in its founding principle: do the work properly, and the rest will follow.
For more information, visit melbourneenergygroup.com.au