The solar industry has grown at an extraordinary pace. New installs, changing incentives, and evolving technology have driven massive uptake across residential and commercial sectors. But in the rush to build, sell, and commission systems, one essential part of the lifecycle has consistently been overlooked: Maintenance.

In this episode, Nicole is joined by Daniel Lazarus from Industrias Services Group to explore the reality now facing solar businesses, asset owners, and installers as early systems move well beyond the “new and shiny” phase.

Daniel brings a rare perspective. With more than 15 years across the IT and solar industries, he has led successful bids for some of the largest commercial solar systems and rollouts in Australia. Along the way, he noticed a glaring gap: systems were being sold on long-term performance, but very little thought was given to how that performance would be protected over time.

Maintenance wasn’t glamorous, it didn’t help close a sale, and it often complicated payback conversations — so it was quietly ignored. As systems age, wear and tear is inevitable, safety risks increase, and underperformance becomes harder to ignore. What once felt optional is now unavoidable.

Nic and Daniel also dig into the business side of the issue. They talk about why labour-based maintenance businesses are hard to scale, why service work requires stronger systems and processes than most people expect, and how maintenance can fundamentally change the relationship between tradies and their clients — shifting it from transactional to long-term and trust-based.

Today, through Industrias, Daniel focuses on building maintenance solutions grounded in quality, transparency, and customer service — values shaped by decades of industry experience and governance through multiple board roles

Know more about Daniel & how Industrias can help you here:
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