01What changes in Wollongong
The 2021 Census QuickStats for the Wollongong urban centre recorded 70.8% of occupied private dwellings as separate houses and 15.2% as flats or apartments. Those figures do not establish solar suitability, but they do show why one generic homeowner form is incomplete: a detached-house enquiry can ask about roof condition, shading and switchboard context, while an apartment or strata enquiry needs an early path for ownership, common-property access and decision authority.
Wollongong City Council says solar panels can fall within exempt or complying development when the relevant rules are met, while different rules can apply to heritage-listed homes, environmentally sensitive land and high-risk bushfire areas.
NSW guidance separately requires electricity-network approval before grid connection and says the network may limit system size or export. Endeavour Energy also says flexible exports are planned to become the default offer for eligible new and upgraded systems across its network from late 2026, subject to requirements including compatible equipment, internet connectivity and net export metering.
A useful Wollongong campaign therefore asks enough to route the enquiry without declaring planning permission, network eligibility, an export setting or a finished design.
