Remote Solutions by SECS

21/05/2026

🤖 How we use AI to smash our power bill (and keep the dogs warm!) 🔌🐾

If you are on a Time-of-Use electricity tariff, you know the game is rigged. My provider charges a massive 57¢/kWh during Peak hours (5pm–8pm), 46¢ during the Shoulder, and 37¢ for Off-Peak. Meanwhile, they only give us a measly 4¢/kWh for our solar exports.

Sending power back to the grid for pennies while paying a fortune at night makes no sense. To beat them at their own game, we set up a Node-RED system that feeds data into an AI engine to completely manage our heavy loads, load-shifting and shedding based on logic, priority, and real-time forecasts.

Here is exactly how the brains of our house work to keep our daily bill down to about $10 a day (including the supply charge):

🔄 The Hourly Brain & Household Dashboard
The system receives an updated solar forecast every single hour. It builds a daily schedule and pushes it to a display page in the house so everyone can see what the plan is for the day. It handles everything logically, suggesting the best times to run the dishwasher or laundry, but leaves us with a manual override if we ever need it.

🌙 Midnight Assessment (The Worst-Case Backup)
At midnight, the AI runs a check. If it looks at the forecast and sees there won't be enough solar tomorrow to cover our needs, it doesn't wait around. It immediately triggers our Priority #1 load—the Hot Water System—to heat up overnight using the cheapest 37¢ off-peak grid rate. If the morning forecast looks sunny, it leaves it off.

🌅 The 6:00 AM Update
At 6:00 AM, the system runs a final schedule update before the household wakes up, lock-stepping the plan for the day based on the latest morning weather data.

🐾 Even the Dogs Get Smart Heating!
We have custom-built dog beds made of insulated concrete slabs with 300-watt heating elements embedded right into the concrete. The AI manages this load to ensure they get a perfectly warm bed at night without wasting a cent. It also looks at our solar exports to see when it's safe to run our secondary hot water system.

📋 Today's Live Example (Good Solar Day):

Hot Water System (Priority 1): The midnight check saw a massive 20.9 kWh morning solar forecast. Overnight heating was skipped. The main tank is scheduled to heat completely for free between 8am and 12pm.

Washer & Dryer: Scheduled for 10:00 AM to perfectly match a predicted 5.06 kW solar peak. Zero grid cost.

Dishwasher: Shuffled to 12:00 PM to catch the tail end of the high sun. Even if a cloud passes and we import a little power, the AI ensures it happens at the 46¢ Shoulder rate instead of letting it run tonight during the 57¢ Peak.

AC Pre-Heating: Scheduled between 2pm and 4pm. It uses the warmest ambient outdoor air to efficiently pre-heat the thermal mass of the house using cheaper Shoulder power, allowing us to completely coast through the expensive 5pm–8pm evening peak without turning the heaters on.

Stop giving your solar away for 4¢ just to buy it back for 57¢. Smart home automation isn't just a hobby; it changes the math on your cost of living!

08/05/2026

We've been quietly working on something at one of our own properties out near Jerrawa — and it's a good example of what's possible when you stop guessing and start letting the data drive the decisions.

The setup? A 13kW solar system, an older couple living on the property, and a power bill that wasn't reflecting what the panels were actually capable of.

The problem wasn't the solar. It was the behaviour around it.

Hot water system heating at 2am on grid power. Washing machine running at 6pm peak rate. Appliances competing with each other for solar that was already there — just not being used smartly.

So we built a system around it.

Not complicated. Not expensive to run. Just practical.

☀️ Live solar monitoring — generation, grid import, export, all logged every minute

🤖 An AI scheduler that runs every morning — looks at the weather forecast, the household's actual usage patterns, and builds a daily appliance schedule. Hot water first. Dishwasher when the sun's at its peak. Defer the dryer if it's a cloudy day.

💧 Hot water control — the system watches live solar export and switches the HWS on automatically when there's enough surplus. Free hot water from power that was going to the grid for 4.4 cents anyway.

📊 A real cost dashboard — not an estimate. Actual import costs broken down by time-of-use tariff band, export credit, connection fee, all updated in real time. Show someone their actual bill tracking in real time and habits change fast.

On a good day this property is exporting over 9kW. That's power going to the grid for next to nothing — or going into hot water, scheduled appliances, and soon a heated slab in the shed for three very spoilt dogs.

The elderly couple don't touch any of it. It just works around them.

We're now extending the same logic to a second dwelling on the property — shed hot water, a PWM-controlled element that soaks up whatever solar the main house doesn't need, and a full load priority system that decides in real time what gets power and what waits.

This is what we mean by practical automation.

Not a flashy app. Not a subscription service. Just a system that quietly saves money every single day while the people living there get on with their lives.

If your property has solar that isn't working as hard as it should — we should talk.

📩 Message us here or visit the link in our bio.

22/02/2026

Out here, things don’t always go to plan.

Water trough runs dry. Pump trips out. Power flicks off. Mum hasn’t answered the phone. You’re 40 minutes away and guessing isn’t much help.

That’s exactly why we built SECS Remote Solutions.

We design and install practical remote monitoring and automation systems for rural properties, farms, and families with elderly relatives living remotely. Not flashy tech for the sake of it — just solid systems that actually solve problems.

Here’s the difference:

🚜 Voice control from the ute – Say the command while you’re driving and it happens remotely. Turn a pump on. Check a tank level. Trigger a reset. No apps to fiddle with while bouncing down a dirt road.

🧠 AI used properly (not hyped) – We use AI where it makes sense. Logging, interpreting, responding. And it’s cheap — 74 AI interactions for under 20 cents. This isn’t Silicon Valley pricing. It’s practical rural pricing.

👵 Passive wellness monitoring – For elderly parents living on the property or out bush. No wearables. No buttons to press. Just quiet background monitoring that lets you know patterns are normal… or if something’s changed.

🔌 Local-first design – Our systems are built to work even without internet. If Starlink drops out or the NBN has a moment, your core monitoring and automation keeps running.

We’re not selling “smart homes.”
We’re building resilient rural systems that make life easier and give families peace of mind.

If you manage a farm, a remote property, or you’re keeping an eye on someone living independently — this is worth a look.

Have a read here 👇
https://dzfk.org/qeiyBF

18/02/2026

🚗🔧 Hands-Free Workshop Control While Driving? Yep.

At Old School Repairs, we’re always building systems that make work safer, faster and more organised.

One of our latest internal tools?

A hands-free SMS assistant that lets us:

• Capture job notes while driving
• Set reminders straight into our work calendar
• Schedule follow-ups without touching a phone
• Trigger pre-programmed workshop actions remotely
• Log everything automatically

All through voice dictation.

No apps to open.
No typing while driving.
No “I’ll remember that later” (and then forgetting).

📝 Example

Driving between Goulburn and Yass and remember:

“Need to quote that fascia repair Friday.”

We dictate it.
It’s saved instantly.
Logged.
Timestamped.
Assigned.

Or:

“Remind me to call council tomorrow morning.”

It lands in our work calendar automatically.

⚙️ Why We Built It

When you run field service — plumbing, electrical, septic, rural jobs — your office is the ute.

Ideas, measurements, gate codes, follow-ups, supplier orders… they all hit you while you're on the road.

Instead of scribbling on envelopes or relying on memory, we built a system that:

✔ Reduces mental load
✔ Improves response time
✔ Keeps records clean
✔ Keeps hands on the wheel

🔒 Security & Privacy

Before anyone asks 😄

No — this doesn’t publicly control our property.
No — it doesn’t expose anything externally.
No — it’s not some open internet shortcut.

It’s a private, secured internal system we designed and built ourselves, integrated into our existing workshop infrastructure.

And like everything we build, it’s logged, controlled, and auditable.

💡 Why This Matters

This isn’t about tech for the sake of tech.

It means:

• Fewer missed callbacks
• Faster quoting
• Better job tracking
• More organised workflows
• Less admin at night

And that means better service for customers.

We’re a hands-on trade business.

But we also build our own backend systems, automation, and monitoring tools to make the business stronger behind the scenes.

Old School name.

Modern systems.

—

If you’re in business and constantly thinking
“There has to be a better way to run this…”

There usually is.

🔧 Old School Repairs
Goulburn & Surrounds
Building smarter ways to work

17/02/2026

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29/01/2026

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28/01/2026

We had a job originally booked for this morning. Being the pessimist I am, I went and inspected the job last week to make sure there were no surprises.

The work involves changing over several light fittings, and we’ll need to access the roof space to install additional supports for the new lights to fix into. Based on that, we had planned to start early today to minimise time spent in the roof.

However, the customer contacted us a few days ago to point out the forecast heat and expressed concern about us working in the roof under those conditions, offering to delay the job to avoid any risk of heat stress. That level of consideration was genuinely appreciated.

We’ve now rescheduled the job for Monday, when the forecast is significantly cooler (around 19°C with rain expected), which will allow the work to be completed safely and comfortably.

27/01/2026

# Old School Repairs - New Quote Review System

# # Making It Easier For Our Customers 🛠️

We're excited to share a major upgrade to how we handle quotes at Old School Repairs!

# # # What We've Built

We've just launched a brand new **online quote review system** that makes it easier than ever for our customers to review and respond to quotes - no more printing PDFs or sending emails back and forth!

# # # How It Works

**For Our Customers:**
- Receive a secure link via email when your quote is ready
- View your complete quote online from any device
- See detailed breakdowns of materials, labour, and equipment hire
- **Multi-section quotes:** Accept or decline individual sections - you're in control!
- Add comments or questions to any section
- Digitally sign and submit your response in minutes
- Provide preferred start dates and access instructions

**Behind The Scenes:**
- Every quote gets a unique secure token for privacy
- We track when quotes are viewed (so we know you received it!)
- Full audit trail with timestamps and activity logs
- Customer responses captured with digital signatures
- All contact details and special instructions stored securely

# # # Our New Dashboard

We can now see at a glance:
- Which quotes have been viewed
- Which quotes are awaiting responses
- Which quotes have been accepted or declined
- Complete customer feedback and comments
- Full activity history for every quote

# # # Why This Matters

**Faster responses** - Customers can review and accept quotes in minutes, not days

**Better communication** - Comment on specific sections, ask questions, and provide instructions all in one place

**More flexibility** - For multi-section quotes, accept only the work you want right now

**Professional tracking** - We know exactly where every quote stands in the process

**Digital signatures** - Legally binding acceptance with full audit trails

# # # The Tech

This system integrates with our existing quote builder and CRM:
- Supports both single-quote (V1) and multi-section (V2) formats
- Full Cloudflare security and IP tracking
- MySQL database backend for reliability
- Mobile-responsive design for viewing on any device
- Automatic email notifications when quotes are responded to

# # # What's Next?

We're continuing to refine and improve the system based on feedback. Our goal is to make every interaction with Old School Repairs as smooth and professional as possible.

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**Got a project that needs a quote?**

📞 Call us: 0480 010 716
🌐 Visit: oldschoolrepairs.com.au
📧 Email: [email protected]

*Old School Repairs - Professional trades and maintenance services you can trust*

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22/01/2026

💻 Real-World Software Development: Building Custom Business Management for Old School Repairs
At Software Electronics Concept Solutions, we don't just talk about custom software - we build it, use it, and prove it works in real businesses every day.
The Challenge: Our sister company, Old School Repairs (septic & wastewater treatment systems), was drowning in spreadsheets, missed calls, and generic software that never quite fit their workflow. Sound familiar?
The Solution: We built them a completely custom business management system from the ground up (with some smart AI assistance, because why wouldn't we use the best tools available?).
What We Created:
📞 Intelligent Call Management - PBX integration that automatically logs every incoming call. New customer? The system sends an alert with a one-click option to add them to the database - either as a new customer or link the number to an existing one.
👥 Customer Relationship Management - Multiple contacts, phone numbers, service addresses, and complete job history. Built exactly how they need it, not how some off-the-shelf vendor thinks they should work.
🔧 End-to-End Job Workflow - From initial call to job creation, photo documentation, and invoicing. Everything connected, nothing falling through the cracks.
📸 Automated Photo Management - Site photos automatically linked to jobs, backed up to Google Drive, and ready for job sheets and customer reports.
Why This Matters:
This isn't vaporware or a demo. This is production software running a real business right now. When something needs tweaking? We change it. New feature needed? We build it. No subscription increases, no "that feature is only in the enterprise tier," no waiting 6 months for updates.
The SECS Difference:
We're not just developers who understand code - we understand business operations because we run them. We know what it's like to have software that promises everything and delivers frustration.
Whether you're in trades, retail, services, or manufacturing - if your current software is making you work around it instead of it working around you, let's talk.
Services We Offer:

Custom Business Management Software
PBX & Telephony Integration
Database Design & Management
Workflow Automation
System Integration (QuickBooks, Google Workspace, etc.)
Electronics Design & PCB Development
Industrial Control Systems

We combine traditional software development with AI-assisted tools to deliver solutions faster and more cost-effectively than ever before.
💬 Got a business process that's broken? Drop us a message. Let's talk about how custom software could transform your operations - just like it did for Old School Repairs.
🔗 Check out Old School Repairs: https://dzfk.org/x0jKCb

Reliable, local and hands-on. Old School Repairs offers handyman, maintenance and septic servicing across Southern NSW. Honest work, fair pricing, no fuss.

16/01/2026

🚀 Late Night Coding Session: Building Real-Time Business Intelligence
Just wrapped up an intense development session building out 4 interconnected systems for our trades business automation platform. Here's what we shipped tonight:
📱 SMS Delivery Tracking
Integrated with Guni SMS API to track the complete lifecycle of every customer message - from queued → sent → delivered. Built a fire-and-forget webhook system that handles race conditions and provides real-time delivery confirmation.
📞 Intelligent Call Processing
Automated incoming call handler that matches every caller against our customer database in real-time. Australian phone number normalization handles all formats (0, 61, +61). Unknown callers trigger immediate email alerts - no lead slips through.
🤖 AI-Powered Emergency Triage
I know some don't like AI, but our emergency line uses AI to triage after-hours calls when we can't answer. It captures caller details, issue urgency, and trade type. The daily reporting system now monitors these AI conversations to ensure nothing critical has been missed - best of both worlds: automation when needed, human oversight always.
📊 Daily Call Intelligence Reports
Automated daily reports combining both regular line AND AI emergency calls, with full customer matching. Proper timezone handling (UTC to Sydney) with automatic DST adjustment. Management gets a complete picture every morning at 00:01.
📋 Job Status Dashboard Backend
Webhook-driven job tracking system that monitors the entire job lifecycle from quote → acceptance → scheduling → completion → payment. Real-time updates for complete visibility.
All built on MySQL + PHP + Node-RED, proving you don't need fancy tech to solve real business problems. Sometimes the best stack is the one you can ship fast and maintain easily.