Question 1

Why should I contact Eleclarity?

Accepted Answer

Lots of reasons! If you have a project that could benefit from more attention to the electrical services, you're looking for grant funding, you want to integrate solar, batteries or EV charging but don't know how, you're worried about your energy bills, you need some help with the construction phase of a project. Have a look at the About, Services and Projects pages for more information.

Question 2

Why do we think independent advice is so important?

Accepted Answer

The energy space is complex and rapidly evolving, and much of the information in the space is provided by system integrators, energy retailers, equipment suppliers or other parties involved in the supply chain. 
There's usually nothing wrong with this approach, but it means that there are benefits to clients from a detailed and independent review of proposed systems.
We can develop supplier or technology agnostic tender documentation for a wide range of systems, and/or carry out detailed reviews of supplier proposals to ensure that our clients have the maximum level of confidence that the proposed systems are the best option for their needs.

Question 3

How can we interface with large multidisciplinary consultancies?

Accepted Answer

We're not trying to compete with the big firms, they're great for large multidisciplinary projects which we won't be chasing, and we have the agility and focus to drive optimal outcomes for our clients in specific areas.
We like working in with larger multidisciplinary design teams for peer reviews and assistance with the complex electrical systems.

Question 4

Do Eleclarity have enough resources to take on my project?

Accepted Answer

Eleclarity is a new company, but we bring a significant amount of experience in the delivery of projects to our clients. Our focused approach means that we are selective in the projects we pursue and the clients we work with, and it means our clients know who will be working on their projects.
To augment our capacity and provide confidence in our resilience and capability to deliver we have forged partnerships with other likeminded consultancies to ensure that even in a worst-case scenario our clients will receive the engineering and advice that they need.
We're careful with our resource planning to ensure our clients get the support they need, and we'll be up-front with you if we can't take on your project. In this case we'll be happy to assist by connecting you to an appropriate contact from our extensive network in the industry.

Question 5

Can we do the detailed design for my project?

Accepted Answer

Maybe - if it's primarily electrical infrastructure and energy systems then we're likely well placed to carry out the full project cycle design service for your project. However it's a large multidisciplinary project, we might be better placed as a peer review or advisory role, to allow the larger team to implement the majority of the design, with Eleclarity to provide briefing, guidance and commentary.

Question 6

Sorry but I've already appointed a design team so I can't engage Eleclarity for this project, can I?

Accepted Answer

The cost of a peer review engagement can be in the order of 1% of the electrical infrastructure cost of a project, and will almost certainly be offset by the potential capex savings, reduced variations, or operational efficiencies unlocked from a peer review. 
Sounds like it would be more expensive not to engage Eleclarity for a peer review… :)

Question 7

Why did we start Eleclarity?

Accepted Answer

There's so much going on in the electrical and energy space at the minute that the time seemed right to start a focused consultancy, and we love helping clients with these engineering problems! 
We're confident that we can continue to deliver great outcomes for clients and looking forward to what the future holds.

Question 8

What's the go with the name and logo?

Accepted Answer

It's hard to think of a unique company name these days! Even ChatGPT couldn't work it out for me. I've always liked portmanteaus (Spork, Internet, Bordoodle, Turducken, Staycation, Pokemon etc.) and providing Clarity in the complex Electrical landscape seems to fit what we are trying to achieve. 
To be fair, only one person so far has liked the name on first hearing, but hoping that ongoing exposure endears it to you.

For the logo: 
The line is the duck curve, representing the over-saturation of solar PV during the day,  the evening peak demand and the need for intelligent controls to  continue to decarbonise.
It is also reminiscent of harmonics, power quality and load profile analysis - all daily challenges in electrical engineering. 
The grid represents the cells of a PV panel, as well as the interconnected nature of the energy grid. 
The arrows on the perimeter indicate the day/night cycle, battery charge and discharge, circularity and sustainability.
I've always liked purple, cherry picking meanings from Google, purple is associated with wisdom, creativity, power and independence; it combines the stability of blue with the energy of red. And it looks good on a black T-shirt.
A huge thank you to Jay and Linda (https://www.thelittleblah.com/) for putting up with me during the logo development process!

Question 9

Can we help with solar for my house?

Accepted Answer

To an extent, but we're focused on the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) scale of projects. These are typically between hundreds of kilowatts to several megawatts of power. The considerations for small residential systems are a bit different, but we'll help if we can!

Question 10

What's Sam's dog's name and can I pat her?

Accepted Answer

Her name is Scout and she's a 4 year old Bordoodle (cross between border collie and a miniature poodle), and she'd love a pat!

Question 11

What do we think of AI?

Accepted Answer

It's an incredibly interesting combination of opportunity and risk, which can provide significant benefits if you're cognisant of the limitations. A couple of my favourite terms are:
Directional Accuracy - the use of AI to analyse a large dataset to provide guidance in the early stages of a project, saving time and allowing teams to move in the correct direction and focus on the more complex aspects and finetuning the design. Requires expert technical oversight to ensure the inputs and outputs are accurate enough.
Augmented Intelligence - the use of AI not to replace, but to enhance the skills of already capable people.
 
I don't believe it will completely replace the human element of design and engineering, and I've had some very interesting experiences where AI has provided plausible sounding but very incorrect advice.
It's going to have a significant impact on our lives and I'm always happy to discuss potential opportunities.

Anyway here's a picture Microsoft Copilot and DALL-E 3 created of a superhero electrical engineer:

Question 12

Oh no I've got a problem, can you help me?

Accepted Answer

Probably! We're pretty good at building IKEA furniture, cooking things in an air fryer, and making AeroPress coffee.
Otherwise we love problems, and working through them collaboratively to get the right solution.
We're very happy to assist with any engineering problems you might have, use the contact form below or email sam.adams@eleclarity.au and we'll can see what we can do.

Question 13

Isn't it a bit of stretch to call these "Frequently Asked Questions"?

Accepted Answer

Yes definitely, but Potential Questions that People Could Conceivably Ask (PQTPCCA) doesn't have the same ring to it.
Anyway thanks for reading all the way to the end!

Frequently asked questions