About Ridgeline Solar
Built by engineers. Trusted by CFOs.
We started Ridgeline Solar because we saw too many commercial solar projects fail — not from bad technology, but from poor financial modelling, underqualified installers, and zero accountability after commissioning. We built the company we wished existed.
Our story
Founded in 2014. Grown on referrals.
Ridgeline Solar was founded in Melbourne in 2014 by a team of electrical engineers and energy economists who had spent the previous decade working on large-scale infrastructure projects across Australia and Southeast Asia.
Our first project was a 600kW installation for a cold storage facility in Dandenong. It came in on time, on budget, and delivered 12% above its modelled yield in year one. That client has since referred us to eleven others.
Today we operate from offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, with a national installation crew of 140 and an in-house engineering team of 28. We have never taken on a residential project — commercial and industrial is all we do, and we intend to keep it that way.
Credentials & certifications
Accredited. Insured. Accountable.
CEC Accredited Installer
All Ridgeline installation crews hold Clean Energy Council accreditation. Our company holds CEC Approved Solar Retailer status — one of fewer than 800 businesses in Australia to do so.
AS/NZS 5033 & AS 4777 Compliant
Every system we design and install meets Australian Standards for photovoltaic installations and grid connection of energy systems. Our engineering documentation is audit-ready from day one.
Professional Indemnity & Public Liability
$20M professional indemnity insurance and $20M public liability insurance. Full coverage for design, installation, and ongoing maintenance activities across all project types.
ISO 9001 Quality Management
Our project delivery and quality management processes are certified to ISO 9001:2015. Documented procedures, regular audits, and a traceable record for every project we deliver.
NABERS Energy Partner
Ridgeline Solar is a registered NABERS Energy partner, enabling us to support clients in improving their building energy ratings and meeting sustainability reporting obligations.
SafeWork Registered — All Jurisdictions
Registered with state safety regulators in all operating jurisdictions. All site work is conducted under a documented Safe Work Method Statement supervised by a licensed electrical supervisor.
Leadership team
The people behind the projects.
James Hartley
Chief Executive Officer
James co-founded Ridgeline Solar after 12 years in large-scale infrastructure delivery. He holds a BE (Electrical) from the University of Melbourne and an MBA from INSEAD.
Dr. Sarah Nguyen
Director of Engineering
Sarah leads our 28-person in-house engineering team. She holds a PhD in Photovoltaic Systems Engineering from UNSW and has designed systems totalling over 90MW.
Marcus Webb
Director of Finance & Structured Products
Marcus manages client finance structuring and our lender panel relationships. Previously a senior credit analyst at Macquarie's energy infrastructure division.
Priya Sharma
Director of Operations
Priya oversees national project delivery and our 140-person installation workforce. She has delivered over 200 commercial solar projects across six states.
How we work
Principles we don't compromise on.
Financial honesty
We will never model a project to make the numbers look better than they are. If a site doesn't stack up, we'll tell you — and explain why.
Engineering first
Every project is designed by our in-house engineers, not outsourced. We own the design, we own the outcome.
Long-term accountability
We monitor and maintain the systems we install. Our incentive is for your system to perform — not just to get it commissioned and move on.
Work with a team that backs its numbers.
Get a no-obligation feasibility study from our engineering and finance team within 5 business days.