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
S3E16 - Nicole Stegmann | Energy Matters
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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)