April 2023 Australian Solar Systems Interest Index

Better late than never, the auSSII Report for all things customers wanted in solar and batteries for the month of March is finally here. Does size matter? When are they buying?.. and more.

Does Size Matter?

It’s starting to matter. For capacity options of 3-5 kW, 5-10 kW, 10-15 kW, 15-20 kW, 20+ kW, and “Fill Roof” on SQ’s quoting form; the clear favourite (5-10 kW) lost some of its ground since the previous month now at 68%. Gaining momentum is the category of 10-15 kW, with the strongest performance so far is 14.2%.

If size matters to you, and you don’t know what to do read SolarQuotes Founder Finn’s advice on solar power system sizing.

When Are They Buying?

There are similar figures to the previous month with regard to customer timeframes for intended purchasing. Here are the stats:

• Immediately – 20.6%
• Next 4 weeks – 31.7%
• Next 3 months – 47.7%

Australia’s solar rebate is still very generous. The sooner you buy, the more generous it is!

Price And Quality Mix

And again, not much movement in buyer behavior when asked about price and quality mix in March, compared the February this year. They still want it all. A good mix of quality and price is important for 81% of prospective solar buyers.

Check out current pricing ranges on SolarQuotes Solar Panels Costs page, and for a more historical and in-depth look use the Solar Price Index.

Cash Versus Financing

Solar buyers were cashed up a smidgen this month compared to last. When prompted about payment options 39.8% preferred cash, 10.2% finance, and 50% preferred both options.

Ensure you thoroughly research solar finance options before signing on the dotted line, and this includes so-called “0% interest” Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) arrangements.

Interest In Microinvers & Optimisers

There was a bit more interest in quote inquiries for microinverters and optimisers this month. 15.9% were interested compared to 84.1% happy with the standard sring inverter systems.

Consumption Monitoring Interest

Intending purchasers of rooftop solar still aren’t convinced that the so-called optional extra of consumption monitoring is worth having. 64.6% say no we’re not interested, with 35.4% say yes please. There’s clearly more work to do for educators to turn this stat around, and convince buyers of the dollar value in monitoring your household electricity flows.

Preparing For Batteries?

Again, only around 5% thought this was relevant when purchasing rooftop solar. This is a similar stat to last month. Since battery storage can be retrofitted to most solar power systems it may not be an issue, but giving a prospective installer a heads-up will help achieve best practice design for a future battery.

PV + Battery Simultaneous Install

In March, around 18.5% of Australian solar customers expressed interest in installing a home battery alongside their panels, similar to the percentages in February (18%) and January (18%), but lower than in December (22%).

The numbers reveal that investing in a solar battery is a big step for most people, so take the time to learn about the common mistakes that home battery buyers often make.

Intended Battery Use

The main reasons noted in March for buying a battery were:

• Backup: 4.6% (5% previous month)
• Minimising grid electricity use: 34.4% (~33% previous month)
• Both purposes: 61% (~61% previous month)
  

Pre-Solar Electricity Bills

Where pre-solar electricity bills were provided, this was the breakdown:

• 38.1% – <$500
• 42.8% – $500-$1000
• 9.5% – $1000-$2000
• 1.2% – +$2000
• 8.5% – Don’t know

About The auSSII (Australian Solar Systems Interest Index) Report

Thousands of Australians request quotes from SolarQuotes’ network of carefully pre-vetted installers each month. The auSSII Report is collated using the data they provide.

Looking For Quality Solar Installers

If your solar business has a strong focus on quality in all areas of its operations, then SolarQuotes has eager buyers wanting to hear from you. Learn more about acquiring solar sales leads.