There are dents in the roof and solar panels right behind the air conditioner.
Some weeks ago, I was cruising the wilds of social media and found a solar thread causing a stir. The victim of a shoddy solar installation was seeking help, and of course, a few comedians were making light of the misfortune.
I waded in to try and help this hapless punter. We’ll call him George. A few of the comments were being directed at SolarQuotes, and I wanted to get to the bottom of the issue.
Setting a Scene (For Murder)
The original complaint looked like this :
Hey guys, had solar installed a few weeks ago, the installers damaged my roof, put a huge dent in it, dented the ribs. They also ran conduit over the garage wall which i am not happy about. They went up through my eaves and I suppose out of the roof, now I have a leak in that exact same spot in my bedroom. The panels aren’t even put up nicely, horizontal and vertical panels all over the place and they put it in front of the air con unit which creates a shade I believe this to be crap, beyond crap.
179 comments later… I’ve picked out a few and changed the names to protect the guilty.
Matthew
- Was it through a sales company offering “tier 1” solar panels?
Mark
- Tier 1 or Near 1?
Luke
- They were tier 2…even better… double the tier for the same money..there’s a slogan…get double the tier for no extra haha
John
- Definitely looks like a solar sales company job, so yeah, it’ll end up in tears.
Now for some context, “Tier 1” in the solar industry isn’t about panel quality; it’s a financial gauge, a proxy for whether they might be around to honour a long warranty. For consumers it’s a tricky metric to rely on, as even industry leaders like Suntech and Sunpower have faced financial instability. Don’t be misled by the term.
George (the solar-owner)
- This is a highly recommended company, from Solar Quotes
John
- George, actually they host reviews on the site, like Google does, but not all of them are recommended.
Paul
- if they’re highly rated on SolarQuotes, did you give feedback?
Ringo
- George, contact SolarQuotes. They will help you get it sorted
Bill
- Hi George. Our company works with SolarQuotes. I’d back them to help you get this one sorted. I doubt they’d be happy with the quality on this one, and I’m sure they’ll go in to bat for you with the company that installed it, or even engage a different contractor to fix it.
Ben
- Our company has fixed up a job done by a company recommended by SolarQuotes. Company went under, so they asked us to head out and fix it up. Turned out to be a faulty smart meter, so nothing too serious. Solar Quotes paid the bill on behalf of the customer. Just thought I’d mention that to George. It doesn’t hurt to give them a call to ask.
Panel jammed behind an air conditioner? Really? Looks to me like they’ve just run rails through from the front without cutting them & putting more legs in.
The Good Installer Guarantee
It sounds too good to be true, but we promise that if you act on quotes received through the SolarQuotes process, the job will be done right. If the installation turns out to be shoddy or the system doesn’t do what it says on the tin, we’ll get it fixed, even if it means engaging somebody else. Of course, there are a few conditions, but it’s something we’re pretty proud of. Why? Because we seldom ever have to pay out on this promise. The vetting process works, and so it becomes a self-reinforcing system. We couldn’t afford to offer this assurance if it didn’t work.
The SolarQuotes Network
Opting to get quotes independently? Our guarantee doesn’t apply, but we still care about your experience. If one of our approved installer network isn’t up to scratch, then we really want to know. Quoted through us or not, we’ll see that the installer does the right thing, and if they refuse, they’re gone. The users of our site are valuable; we curate our Installer Network for everyone’s best interest, and we just won’t do business with bad actors.
External conduit is sometimes a necessity, but often, it’s just the calling card for rushed installers.
Understanding SolarQuotes Reviews
Sadly, I think George has confused an installer that we have reviews of, with an installer we approve of. Despite the black-and-white warning at the top of the page, (Redacted) isn’t our client, and George’s decision to seek a quote from them directly puts him on his own. We provide resources like guides to ACCC rights, but taking action on his problems becomes his responsibility.
Keep an eye out for a more detailed explanation of review scores in a separate article coming up soon, but until then, keep sorting reviews by the lowest score; it’s a great way to see how the customer service team works, even if the customers are unreasonable.
One portrait, one landscape with decorative external conduit.
Security footage shows a bloke walking in the box gutter and panels being dragged across the parapet wall.
We Will Try To Help
So, at this point, I reached out to George and got a fuller picture of the problem. After consulting the SQ backend, I found his wife’s email and confirmed she’d received three quotes. I talked to him about how he sourced his own quote, and he forwarded a copy, which he said wasn’t the cheapest. For the price he paid, it should have been a decent job.
A suite number suggests a serviced office.
George has made progress in getting the installation issues resolved, but only after removing some negative reviews. I’m glad to report that a new installer has admitted it was a dog’s breakfast. The array has been rearranged, and the appropriate repairs have been made, with another roofer scheduled to replace the dented cladding.
Note: the ‘Australia-Wide-Ranking’ shows a 4.4 star average isn’t a great average score relative to other solar companies reviewed on the site. Also the ‘Approved’ Seller badge refers to the Clean Energy Council’s ‘New Energy Tech Consumer Code‘ scheme.
So, How Did It All Go Wrong?
With 15 years of producing useful solar content, SolarQuotes is highly trusted by search engines. So when you search almost any Aussie solar company, you’ll find we host reviews of them. We try hard to put the right information in front of the customer’s eyeballs. However, it’s still up to the brain behind those eyeballs to comprehend what’s being explained.
Get It Right The First Time
Our vetting is pretty thorough, but let’s be honest, everyone makes mistakes. If your installer has a terrible day with a new apprentice, things can go pear-shaped. So if your energy yield is down, the roof leaks, or the jargon is complex, we’ll be there to deal with it. When you receive a quote through our website, we have skin in the game and if mistakes happen, we’ll ensure it’s put right.
About Anthony Bennett
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I’d like to complain that my Solarquotes-recommended installer provided such a great system that I think we’re out-generating the local coal-fired power station.
Forever grateful.
I have been fortunate enough to have had a functional and aesthetically pleasing panel (40) and battery installation (30kW) by two different companies.
I did a lot of research myself and in the case of the batteries, I called some of their customers to seek their opinions.
I have read many times that the gurus and government bodies advise people to do their research, but using specifics, what does that mean?
Solar and batteries are akin to rocket science, but all too many salespeople simply don’t guide the customer.
For example, it (was) is fair to assume that when the sun is shining and the grid is down, you’ll be able to power some or all of your house, but this is not the case unless you have something like the fronius pv point.
Then there’s the charging of your batteries if the grid is down but the sun is shining. But no that’s no always the case.
I spent 7 months researching just to get batteries! I had to replace two of my grid tied inverters and buy a hybrid inverter. I was unhappy as the grid tied inverters were only 18 months old. When I purchased the panels, I was assured that I could easily add batteries later. In hindsight “easy” is a relative term. Easy for them, 50 k for me.🤦♂️ I did end up getting what I wanted and expected though.
In my opinion, the government is remiss in its duties and to me there are many similarities between the promotion of solar and the home insulation scheme.
Generally speaking, the consumer doesn’t really know what questions to ask and of the 10 (battery) salespeople I spoke to, didn’t know or were not forthcoming with useful information. They just wanted my money.
Yes really agree with thexway the government is hands off. The main issue is that power generation should not be seens as a business but a fundamental Service to the public. I made some blunders with somehow losing my 60 cents per kwhr for export. I then decided to doing it myself. Yes you have to have a good background to do this. I have produced a complelty separate system from my grid. Its beinggoing for six years now and reduces my bill by about 50 %. Its not perfect but its been quite good I could be without grid for at least a month,I have a back up generator,hardley use it.
Yes there are a lot of cowboys out there. I got burnt with lead crystal batteries $5000 ouch..
Hi Paul,
I am currently researching and agree that choosing batteries for my 13.5kW solar system is certainly not an easy proposition. I would appreciate your experience with the 30kW batteries you installed and why you choose your battery brand and installer?
Brett Egan
Brett
Happy to provide info.
As I mentioned I had phoned heaps of retailers.
I came across a company called myenergy engineering in South Australia. http://Www.my energysolar.com.au. Speak to Bruce.
Perhaps surprisingly I was more interested in their after sales service because sales are all to easy. Previous salesmen say yes to just about everything you ask but the service is like a long term marriage.
These guys have done many large remote work which suggested to me that they are probably organised.
.
Anyway I called some of the people they mention in their “projects” on their website.
In fact I called 3 and all three were very happy with the sale but also the service.
So I told them what I wanted and after about a month of exchanging information we had a quote.
My system was only 18 months old and comprised 3 x GE 5 kw inverters and 40 panels. (15.6kw).
When I purchased the system I told them I wanted to added batteries in about 2 yeas without a head f**k. They suggested we discuss powering essential loads like internet and tv and I said in my opinion they weren’t essential but the electric rollers doors were, because when you need to go to work and you have no power, opening the doors is in fact essential.
Well when I spoke to them they made all kinds of wild claims and stupidly I believed the solution they provided and in fact signed the order.
It was only then the installers told me I couldn’t have what I was promised so I spoke to the salesman and he said it was all good. I told them I was cancelling the order and that we’d have fun if they tried to put the hard word on me.
Anyway back to my energy engineering,
I accepted their recommendation which meant I’d remove 2 of the GE inverters and replace with a 3 phase Fronius Gen24 hybrid inverter .
BYD batteries pair well so we bought 30 kw of batteries.
So now, I can run all of my home. (I don’t have any 3 phase equipment) but I have power to everything.
Perhaps give me your number and we can c
Informative story – good outcome and excellent, transparent service from you.
Thank you.
Hi Finn -I read your blogs avidly each week and try to stay on top of all that is going on with solar. My question is (after reading the above bad experiences) – does the government free solar installation for low-income clients meet your high standards for recommendation? Can we assume, because the government is using these companies, that they are reliable? Maybe you don’t like to critique a company the government has tasked with installation these systems. Also, does the government finance the supply of the best panels or are they just a ho-hum solar panel that is suitable for their purpose? Hope you are free to inform me. Kitty Ryan
Hi Kitty,
Do you have particular examples? Some of the SA Housing Trust installations have used Tesla Powerwalls for instance. They’re certainly an industry benchmark. Other council sponsored group buys have used much cheaper gear…