There are 6,000 solar companies registered with the Clean Energy Council to install solar, making the solar industry one of Australia’s most competitive markets. As a result, market margins have been driven to become razor-thin.
Unfortunately, some installers have been obliged to sacrifice product and service quality in order to provide ‘crazy pricing’ and support it with large marketing budgets in order to produce high volumes. These initiatives have lowered prices, but they’ve not improved the situation for most customers.
1 - Electrical License Number
Every solar firm is required by law to display their electrical licence number on their website or advertising platform.
Electrical Safety Qld allows you to do a reasonably quick and straightforward search for their licence number.
This will inform you if the firm has any disciplinary or enforcement records, which may indicate that they have had troubles and complaints filed against them in the past.
2 - ABN History
It’s easy to find out how long a firm has been in business by doing a simple ABN lookup. Due to the short lifespan of most Phoenix solar firms, companies that have been in business for a longer length of time are typically considered to be a better long-term investment option.
3 - Reviews
Trusted review sources such as Google, Trust Pilot, Facebook and Your Solar Quotes are all good viable 3rd party sources in which to gauge a companies trustworthiness.
Alternately going to solar forums or crap solar and asking specifically about the solar installer you are considering and seeing what kind of feedback the public has on that company is a good way to get an understanding of the solar companies customer service, quality etc.
Third-party review sites like Google, Trust Pilot, Facebook, and Your Solar Quotes are excellent tools for determining whether or not a company can be trusted.
Solar forums and crap solar are fantastic places to ask specific questions about the solar installer you are considering and see what the public has to say about that company’s customer service, quality, and other aspects.
4 - Where the Company is located
A solar company’s location in your state or area does not necessarily imply that the company is actually operating out of that location.
Because they want to claim that they are “locals” or have some sort of “presence” in the area, most these businesses operate from an office building. There is a good chance that the stock is actually arriving from a different location or state, and the work is being outsourced to a different company.
Quick Google searches can disclose if the firm is located in a warehouse or an office building within an apartment. Instead of outsourcing the solar installation to a contactor who isn’t bound to the same standards of accountability, solar companies with a warehouse facility typically store stock and employ their own trusted installers.
5 - Offering "Free" Solar Panels
Companies who misrepresent the value of solar rebate incentives in order to trick clients into believing that solar power is free should be avoided.
Solar cold calling is governed by ACCC laws and regulations, and the use of rebates in advertising has been found deceptive in some instances.
Even with the Solar incentives available no solar system is Free.
6 - Not Consulting Your Energy Needs
Sales strategies that focus on high volume don’t provide the installer much time to analyse or inspect the property. You can be in for a rude surprise if your solar evaluation does not include a personal visit or a photo provided to the installer to check your switchboard for compliance.
Add-on charges, such as the installation of a new switchboard or the repair of any pre-existing electrical difficulties, can be expensive.
Your solar panel installer should be able to accurately estimate the size of your system to meet your energy demands. All properties are unique in their power consumption, roof space capacity and roof angle, and future electricity consumption. It’s critical to take into account all of these variables to get the best financial outcome.
7 - No Aftersales & Warranty Department
In the event that a solar company goes out of business, it will be easier for you to get your warranties if the manufacturer has an established brand presence in Australia.
Despite the fact that the manufacturers have a strong Australian brand presence, claiming warranties can be tricky for the average home owner.
That is why quality solar installers will offer ongoing after service support of their warranty and after sales-departments, to be their for customers throughout the lifetime of the solar system.
