11/06/2024
HOW TO AVOID GETTING SCAMMED WITH SOLAR?
1. Solar might not be the right investment for you. Make sure your installer discusses the importance of correlation between your prospective solar production and your consumption. If your working hours, number of dependents and consumption behavior aren't discussed, you'd want to question the accuracy of any Return on Investment you're given. Always request Consumption monitoring with your system. The extra cost is minimal in the context of things and gives you full visibility of the 24hr energy flow in your household.
2. Be wary of Retail companies or well known behemoth companies. They employ armies of salespeople, office staff, stockmen etc. Not only do all these employees need to be paid, it also means that multiple people will be involved in your project adding the risk of communication breakdown and misunderstanding.
3. Inquire as to whether a subcontractor will be used? If this is the case, ask whether they will be performing a site inspection, otherwise you risk being surprised on the date of install with unseen costs/variations. The subcontractors loyalty to the retailer will be largely dependent on how much they are paid and the volume of work they are given. Ask for comprehensive system information and wiring diagrams so that if your system does become 'orphaned', you have a better chance of getting another installer to assist rectifying any future issues.
4. Don't be rushed into anything. Solar isn't just solar anymore. It's EV car charging, it's battery storage. Building rapport with an installer will have your energy needs secured far into the future. A good installer will explain the process & be a keen communicator.
Technology is rapidly improving in this industry, so you'll never do yourself a disservice by being patient with making a decision.
5. Word of mouth is a good safety net. If you have people in your network with good suggestions, that's always a good place to start. Not only will the installer be happy to deal with someone already vetted through their client base, you'll have that extra reassurance that they'll do the right thing by you or risk upsetting their network of organic lead generation. Read reviews. It's not hard for companies to generate fake reviews, but it's also not really hard to determine whether a review is genuine or not by how it reads. If the person described in the reviews doesn't seem like the person to come and do a site inspection, that should be a red flag.
6. We live in an age of social media. Does your installer have much of an online presence? Do some homework, check if their business is legitimate and how well does their website translate what they offer. If a Solar business doesn't have extensive galleries or images of the projects that they're working on, it doesn't give you much of an idea of what kind of workmanship you are going to receive for your money.
7. Make sure that your installer or retailer performs their due diligence and submits post install paperwork to get your meter reconfigured for export tariff so that you get paid for what you are exporting. This is a very simple process for them to perform once they have the certificate of electrical safety for the system.
8. Batteries! Do you want one as an investment or because a friend has suggested it's a good idea? At present, the scenarios where batteries will pay themselves off within their warranty periods are very slim. The technology is moving very quickly at the moment. I'd suggest asking for very clear financials indicating the pay back on a battery before pulling the trigger on getting one installed. Whilst I install them, I'm still trying to talk most of my clients out of buying them as yet. Great if you need energy security due to health concerns. Not so great if you're under the impression you're going to save money. Every case is different, all I'm saying is arm yourself with information before spending $15k on a TESLA powerwall.
If you consider all the above points, I believe you'll improve your chances of getting a well designed system that'll save you $$$ and give you energy security for years to come.
My name's Andy, I'm a very low volume, high quality solar installer based on the Mornington Peninsula. If you have any questions about Solar, would like a quote or would like me to refer an installer closer to your location, feel free to get in touch!
Sunphaseelec.com.au
