Customer ratings from over 11,000 reviews revealed!
Since I started this humble website back in 2009 (when solar panels cost $1000 each!), over 11,000 solar powered Aussies have kindly left reviews of their solar installation experience online for all to see.
At the time of writing SolarQuotes.com.au has 11,341 reviews of 875 different solar companies online.
So I thought it was about time we had some fun, and do some analysis to discover the top-rated solar companies (as rated by their customers).
Since writing this article in 2013, SolarQuotes has continued to evolve and we have developed a platinum/gold/silver solar installer rating that is updated regularly.
SolarQuotes has also recently posted an update for each capital city, and if you are looking for an installer in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney be sure to read those posts.
Here’s how I did it:
Now – the problem with ranking things based on reviews is that you do get different answers based on how you do the ranking. If you work out the average score of all a company’s reviews, the smaller companies are generally going to win, because they have fewer reviews and it is easier to have a higher average over 15 reviews than over 1,000.
To get round this bias, I have done the ranking in categories.
(Please be aware – to be truly transparent – I am including all solar installation companies that we have reviews for. Not just SolarQuotes clients!)
Category 1: The Top 5 Large, National Installers.
I calculated this list with criteria as follows:
1) Companies must have physical offices in at least 3 states to show they are truly national.
2) Companies must have > 150 reviews to prove they are a major player.
With those criteria in place here are the top-rated national solar companies in order of average review scores:
| Rank | Company | HQ | Reviews | Score |
| 1 | Infinity Solar | QLD | 196 | 4.3099 |
| 2 | Solargain | WA | 248 | 4.2742 |
| 3 | Energy Matters | VIC | 152 | 4.2094 |
| 4 | Nicholls Solar | NSW | 490 | 4.1156 |
| 5 | Mark Group | NSW | 1117 | 4.0924 |
All fantastic national companies who will do a great install at a good price. Well done guys.
Category 2: The top rated local solar installers across Australia
If we reduce the “number of reviews” criteria, then we tend to see small/medium local companies come to the fore. Here’s how they rank by customer satisfaction.
Criteria: At least 15 reviews
| Rank | Company | Location | Reviews | Score |
| 1 | Andrew Hanna Electrical | Sydney | 25 | 4.67 |
| 2 | Adam Solar Pty Ltd | Adelaide | 34 | 4.6691 |
| 3 | Gippsland Solar | Gippsland | 40 | 4.6646 |
| 4 | Energypak | Perth | 17 | 4.6324 |
| 5 | Soltek Energy | Sydney | 24 | 4.5625 |
Category 3 – Top Rated, Local Installers in each of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth
Criteria: must have a local office in the city, and at least 15 reviews.
| Rank | Company | State | Reviews | Avg Score |
| Sydney | ||||
| 1 | Andrew Hanna Electrical | NSW | 25 | 4.67 |
| 2 | Soltek Energy | NSW | 24 | 4.5625 |
| 3 | Blue Mountains Solar | NSW | 56 | 4.4732 |
| 4 | Solaray Energy Pty Ltd | NSW | 17 | 4.4167 |
| 5 | RK Solar And Consulting | NSW | 101 | 4.3399 |
| Brisbane | ||||
| 1 | Go Solar Power | QLD | 42 | 4.4008 |
| 2 | Five Star Energy | QLD | 23 | 4.3152 |
| 3 | Infinity Solar | QLD | 196 | 4.3099 |
| 4 | CSA Solar | QLD | 123 | 4.3069 |
| 5 | Enviren Solar QLD | QLD | 64 | 4.3034 |
| Perth | ||||
| 1 | Energypak | WA | 17 | 4.6324 |
| 2 | Green Wiring | WA | 16 | 4.3281 |
| 3 | A Woman’s Spark | WA | 42 | 4.3194 |
| 4 | Carbon Footie | WA | 42 | 4.2857 |
| 5 | Clean NRG | WA | 58 | 4.2802 |
| Adelaide | ||||
| 1 | Adam Solar Pty Ltd | SA | 34 | 4.6691 |
| 2 | Living Energy Solutions | SA | 22 | 4.428 |
| 3 | Adelaide Solar Systems | SA | 83 | 4.3735 |
| 4 | Sunergy Solar | SA | 25 | 4.3333 |
| 5 | Solar 2000 | SA | 216 | 4.3106 |
| Melbourne | ||||
| 1 | Madison Australia | VIC | 52 | 4.5481 |
| 2 | Clean Energy Works | VIC | 16 | 4.3854 |
| 3 | Solar Sunwerx | VIC | 97 | 4.2887 |
| 4 | Energy Matters | VIC | 152 | 4.2094 |
| 5 | Enviroshop Melbourne | VIC | 24 | 4.2014 |
Well done to all these companies who got “Top 5”!
The bottom 5
If you are wondering which companies have the lowest customer feedback scores: here’s the list based on companies with at least 30 reviews:
(the lowest scoring company is top of the list)
| Company | State | Reviews | Score |
| Modern Solar | NSW | 42 | 3.375 |
| Clear Solar | VIC | 38 | 3.4671 |
| Green Engineering | NSW | 53 | 3.6619 |
| Unleash Solar | SA | 37 | 3.6869 |
| State Solar Services | VIC | 39 | 3.7286 |
About Finn Peacock
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I had a 56 panel system installed three months ago. Nice sunny day today and each of the two inverters are showing around 11.5 amps and 256 v BUT the people who are supposed to re-program the smart meter are not so smart, they haven’t done it yet! Talk about slack! Very happy with the installation and the supplier – Surpass Energy. Their installer is known to be the most experienced and skilled left standing, now that all of the would-be-if-they-could-be outfits have gone. The problem with direct government subsidies is the amount of shonky installations that they generate by encouraging new players who just want a quick buck. Surpass Energy do commercial systems, not domestic. No complaints from my end of the deal.
The Company who has been around since Adam was a boy and didn’t come in when there was a Government incentive, knows more about Solar than most people and is regularly consuted by Government is A1 Solar of Capalaba, Mr Robert Pitt.
He has been in Solar since the 60’s, not one of these fly by nighters that jumped on the bandwagon, he always uses the best equipment with reliable guarantees and after sales service next to none. His installations are always first class and conform to all Government Standards is not exceeding them.
Its okay to list companies that have this and that but for true experience and safety there’s nothing like using someone who really knows the business, not someone off the street given a basic run-down and then allowed to install vital electrical equipment.
I was heartened to see Infinity up there. We have a small installation but their public face is fantastic. Plus they put a bigger inverter than we needed in so that we can add to the system later without the need to spend more on a new inverter.
Does upgrading your system disqualify you from the Feed in Tariff in your relevant state. CEC guidelines state the panel system must not be less than 75% the inverter size due to performance issues
If you have registered the size of your inverter on the “permission to connect” instead of the panel array form, then you can add more panels (making sure that you don;t violate the CEC sizing recommendations you mention – detailed here) without losing your Feed In Tariff.
As a few commenters have pointed out – in many states – registering your inverter capacity is no longer allowed, you have to go by the panel array size. But lots of older, existing systems will be registered by inverter size and may have a big ass inverter.
I’ve got a detailed article on what to watch out for when upgrading here.
Should one be wary of Regen Solar, Perth, WA, due to numerous bad reviews?
The price is right but negative reviews are off-putting.
Unleash have been dead in SA over a year so your scoring system has some issues
HI Nigel,
That’s one way of looking at it! I kept the defunct companies in the list so that people could see that lowly ranked companies may not last.
If you remove Unleash, Great Solar move into the list with an average score of 3.91 from 51 reviews.
Hope That Helps,
Finn
Hi finn,
Ive been told by a solar company that theres not enough room on my roof for 16panels n it would be wasting money to have it done. But another company have said they can. What r your thoughts?
Hello Tina, Ronald here.
Even if you can only fit 15 or 14 panels on your roof that still enough for a respectable sized solar system of around 4 kilowatts, so I don’t see any reason why it would not be worthwhile to get solar if you couldn’t fit 16 panels on your roof.
As for why one company says they can fit 16 panels on and the other says they can’t, well, maybe one is a bit cleverer and creative with their placement of panels, letting them fit 16 on.
Or a more pessimistic possibility is the first company means they can’t fit 16 panels on your roof where they will be unshaded, while the other company intends to let shade fall on one or more panels which can drag down the performance of the entire system.
If they have provided you with any design documents you may be able to see how they intend to place the panels and if shade is likely to fall on any of them. Also, you can of course ask them if there will be problems with shade and if they will guarantee the output.
My final thoughts are, even if you can only fit a small solar system on your roof, with electricity prices rising and solar feed-in tariffs also likely to rise, you are almost certainly likely to be better off with solar than without it. The only real exception will be if your roof does suffer from a lot of shade.
What’s your opinion on sync energy ?
Hi, Ronald here.
We’re not familiar with Synch Energy. If you like we can recommend installers we are familiar with.
you are getting away from the reel issues 8cents kw and we pay 27cent kw Tas just went to 8cents we are not winning were do they get this fig from
I had Andrew from Gippsland Solar place a 3.2kw system on my shed about 11 months ago. I am more than happy with his the way he made a system to suit the money I had to spend, and the fact that all work was carried out when he stated it would. To Andrew and Gippsland Solar a job well done they deserve their position in the top 5. .
Hi Danny,
Thanks for the comment. Gippsland Solar are a great company!
Finn
I’m curious to know where True Value Solar fits in the list. We got a quote from them in early July, but need council development approval because according to TVS a low pitch angle roof requires the panels on a lift kit. We need to supply engineering drawing to the council as part of the DAP so they know how to categorise it all (based on maximum height difference between roof line and panels). I took some photos of our house and sent them to TVS via e-mail so they could supply us the required drawings (since we aren’t sure exactly where the panels will go) on 2nd Sept, with no response. Follow up on 11th Sept and no response for that either… Am thinking about giving them 7 days’ final notice or something like that.
Jason,
True Value Solar come in at 10th worst score. I would not recommend them. I strongly urge you to get alternative quotes. I doubt very much you need tilt frames. Sounds like you are getting very bad advice. These articles will help explain why:
http://www.solarquotes.com.au/panels/angle/
http://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/solar-panel-tilt-frames-are-they-worth-it/
Cheers,
Finn
Thanks for the links and info, Finn. I’ve read those blogs now and actually, on the basis of what’s mentioned in them, it probably does make some sense for us to have the system as TVS have outlined. This is because we have a very flat roof (<15deg) which is in two halves: east and west (ie. we have a N-S ridgecap). The eastern side roof portion has the solar hot water (also on a lift kit), chimney and ducted a/c system, so there's no room left for panels. Putting the panels flat against our western roof will cause us to lose minimum around 30% because the panels wouldn't be angled anywhere near properly.
But there's still the problem of them not responding to our communications… It's a pity that your list didn't exist at the time we signed with them, otherwise we would have gone elsewhere :-/ Unfortunately at this point going elsewhere means we won't get any feed in tariff, though at this point I'm not sure if we still qualify for it since the paperwork hasn't gone through because of the delay (there was also a delay before getting the info from the council because we were in a fairly serious car accident and we were dealing with that)
4 things:
1) Assuming you are in SA, have a look at this:
http://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/CEC-guidelines.pdf
Go to the Adelaide page, look at the row “Plane Azimuth” = 90deg. That shows the power loss for various roof angles if your roof points E or W (90 degrees from North). You’ll se that a 0-10 degree slope is the best angle for maximising the power of a East or West facing roof. You’ll get 87% of power compared to 82% for a 30 degree slope.
i.e. your slope is ideal. Tilt frames will reduce your power if they are facing E and W too. If they use the tilt frames to angle your frames North then you will get 13% more power, not 30%. This is unlikely to make tilt frames worthwhile.
Show the tables to your Clean Energy Council Accredited Designer. TVS are using an accredited designer as per the rules right?
2) If your roof sections are facing different directions, then you need to use an inverter with multiple MPPTs:
http://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/solar-panels-on-roofs-facing-different-directions-then-you-need-to-do-this/
3) E/W facing panels may actually pay back quicker for you for this reason:
http://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/solar-panel-orientation-is-west-the-new-north/
4) The “permission to connect” from SA Power Networks (assuming you are in SA) is yours. It is not TVS’s, even though they applied for you. You can move to another company if you like. Ask TVS for your “SEG number” and they have to give it to you. Any other solar company can use this number when they get your new import export meter installed and you will get your FiT.
Hope That Helps,
Finn
Hi.
Alternatives abound. In this vidclip. you’ll see an adjustable (horizontal & vertical) mounting system that has worked unfailingly for over 20 years ~ back when panels were so expensive you had to make every watt count.
It cost about $200 to build. Mainly in cement/welding rods.
Incidentally, the 4 panels near the top were bought 2nd-hand for $13.80 per watt. And they’re still producing power @ 85% of their rating. I often wonder how the stuff being peddled around the traps these days will be performing in 25 years.
https://open.abc.net.au/explore/82086
Hi
I have been given a quote and an agreement to install by GENPAC Energy.
That was 4 months ago ????
Very little correspondence.
Would not recommend this company
We have been given a quote of $5450 for 10 phono 250 watts panels and an Aurora Inverter. Does this rate well?
Hi, I have been quoted $8300 for a 6.6 kw system made up of a sungrow inverter and 16 risen panels is this a fair price as I have another quote for $6300 for sungrow inverter and 14 jinko tiger neo n-type panels. Am confused as to what to choose
Hi Tracey, Ronald here.
Risen and Jinko are both solar panel manufacturers we can recommend and you can expect similar output from those panels. Sungrow inverters are also on our recommended list.
You can see the full list of solar panels and inverters we recommend in our Solar 101 Guide:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/solar101.html
If those quotes are from installers we referred to you then — because we have heavily vetted them — you can be confident the installation will be done well. The systems will also be covered by our Good Installer Guarantee:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installation-guarantee/
If the installers weren’t referred to you by us then you’ll want to go with one who does good work. You can check their online reviews and see not just if people have problems with them, but whether or not they are helpful when problems do occur.
The $6300 quote was from Solareze and the $8300 quote was from instyle solar
I’m not familiar with Instyle Solar but Solareze is a company we can recommend.
Hi Finn, have a quote from a company called easy being green.
Trina 250w panels x20 and an SMA inverter for $8400. The first quote was $9200. They are paying for meter box connection and including a energy monitor.
Just wondering where they came on the above list as I am in WA and they are an easten states based company.
Or solar Gain gave me a quote for QCell panels x20 and SMA inverter for $7990.
What do you think and thanks a lot for your time.
Steve
I’m not familiar with Easy Being Green, but their reviews are pretty ordinary:
http://www.solarquotes.com.au/installer-review/easy-being-green/easy-being-green-review.html
Both Trina and Q-Cells are excellent panels. SMA inverters are very good.
SolarGain are a great company and get excellent reviews (Disclosure: They are a client):
http://www.solarquotes.com.au/installer-review/solargain/solargain-review.html
Thanks for your help and time Finn.
Just a little warning for everyone, once your solar is installed, DO NOT turn it on until energy supplier has you on the grid with smart meter, my bill went up approx. $300 dollars more and was told by energex that it was caused by panels being live but not connected to grid causing analog meter to give wrong readings even thou is was spinning backwards fast. Took energex 2 visits and 4 months to get it sorted. Now my normal $800 to $1200 bills are now $60 (21 panels dual 5kw system SAE group did the install and were fantastic)
Who is SAE. Where are they based
Hi Finn, thanks god for your website, we are currently going thru the confusing process of choosing a solar company. Can you please give your opinion/rating on a Qld company called Empyreal energy. Their quote for a 2.5kw Q-cell system(12yr warranty), 3.0kw SMA inverter(10 yr warranty,Fully installed(10yr warranty) @$9999.00 includes rebate.
We are at Moruya on NSW south Coast, alternatively, can you recommend a reparable/reliable NSW company, to contact for quote. We have been advised to go with German technology. Your advise will be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Here are my thoughts on German panels:
http://solarquotes.com.au/panels/german/
Q-Cells and SMA are a great combination – but $10k for a 2.5kW system seems expensive, if you have a standard install. The going rate for a 3kW Q-Cells/SMA system is closer to $6,500.
If you want Q-Cells/SMA, it’s probably worth a quote from these guys to compare: http://madisonaustralia.com/
Finn, how does Tindo from SA compare with installation and knowledge. I am thinking of using them since they are the only Aussie made panels and are local.
Hi Mike,
I actually have 24 Tindo panels on my roof. They were installed a year ago and work like a charm. I’ve been to the factory and the quality of construction is excellent, and the monitoring is great.
I would also have been very happy to have any Tier 1 panel on my roof, but like you I wanted to support local, advanced manufacturing. I also wanted microinverters.
Reasons you may not choose Tindo are: a) they are more expensive b) they are a smallish company (classed as Tier 2 in Australia by my rankings) – so a bit riskier than getting panels from a multi billion dollar company.
Hope That Helps,
Finn
Hi
I am currently investigating installing Solar Panels at my principal place of residence. My most current information has come from Essential Solar. I was hoping you could give me some information about this company – rating? Would you use or recommend this company to install Solar Panels?
Thanks
Vicki Swan
Essential solar are a client – and they get excellent reviews from their customers:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installer-review/essential-solar/essential-solar-review.html
Our experience with them has always been positive.
Hi Finn,
Love your website and information.
I’m in Geelong Victoria, and keep getting called by Euro Solar with a 5kw deal (20 x 260w Jinko panels and a Delta inverter) for $4500 installed.
I like the idea of going solar, but is it really worthwhile? My current electricity bill is around $2400 per year, how long would it take before I break even?
Can you recommend a good Victorian installer, these guys don’t sound that good to me?
Thanks
Mark
Hi Mark,
I’m not a Eurosolar fan either.
Here are some good installers that install in Melbourne:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installers/melbourne/
The return on your system depends on how you use your electricity:
http://www.solarquotes.com.au/do-i-get-paid-for-my-solar-energy.html
You can also do some sums here:
http://www.solarquotes.com.au/calc3/indexsavings.php
Hope That Helps,
Finn
Hi Finn,
Are AGL any good for SOLAR?
Cheers
Tony
They are OK. Here’s more details:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installer-review/agl-solar/
How good is elconsolar
Hello
Looking for advice on installing 5kw sytem to our home in Adelaide. Please recommend supplier’s with interest free payment plans. Energy Australia are our current electricity suppliers who gave quoted $6500 installed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Tammy
Hi Tammy,
Please be aware that all ‘zero interest’ payment plans that I know of cost you much more in ‘hidden fees’. One of the major ‘no-interest-ever’ schemes charges the company around 20% of the sales price. So you generally pay a big premium for ‘no interest’.
If you can put it on your mortgage, that is often the cheapest money available to you, and you may find that the savings are more than any extra repayments, especially if you use it as an opportunity to shop around for a better loan.
If that is not an option then there are some good rates on ‘green loans’ around.
The advantage of getting your own finance is that you then become a ‘cash buyer’ in the eyes of the seller.
Having said all that $6500 installed is a pretty good price for high quality components, especially if that is an ‘interest free’ offer. The big energy retailers appear to be operating at almost zero margin to get the sales in.
Hi Finn. How would you rate Solar Spirit in Melbourne as an installer.
Brad
Hi Brad, Ronald here.
I’m afraid I haven’t heard about Solar Spirit personally, but here is our review page on them:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installer-review/solar-spirit/
We only have a limited number of reviews of them at the moment. You may also want to check what Google reviews has on them.
Does anyone know of SolarZ or their reputation?
I’m trying to find out the same thing, but I can’t find out anything about them on the web.
Hi Finn,
I have two very similar quotes from two companies in Brisbane for a System
with Fronius Primo 5.0 and Q-Cell 265 x 24 panels. ( $5200.00). It looks a good price to me with usual warranties 10 -year on Inverter/10 year on panels. What else should I look into? or should I ask them for?? ( What materials used for installation Ect. ??)
Nick
Hello W.Nicholas, Ronald here. That is a very good price for a 6.36 kilowatt system. One thing I will mention is with the Fronius warranty only the first 5 years includes labour. For the second 5 years the warranty only covers a replacement inverter and you’ll have to cover the cost of installation, which can be considerable. The good news is Fronius produces very reliable inverters and so you are unlikely to ever need to use the warranty.
You can check how long their workmanship warranty is. As for what materials they use for installation, well they probably won’t use the best racking at that price, but that’s the way it goes. But unless they are crooked, everything they use will meet Australian standards. There is a good chance both quotes use Grace racking which does the job but is lower cost option. SunLock is generally considered higher quality, while Radiant is often considered the best.
Hi Ronald, Thank you so much for the info. I can now ask the question what racking system that they would use. They claim they are CEC approved.
Cheers Nick.
I would like to know wether the installation company solar world are reliable. They are door knocking in my area.
Generally I’d avoid door knockers. Which postcode are you in?
Hi Finn,we are currently looking into solar,we had a quote today from One Solar price being just over $19000 for 5kw/20 panels with a 12 year warranty,they claim they are a tier 1 and basically the best on the market but i am concerned this is very over priced,would love some advice on who you would recommend,we live in Bethania QLD 4205,thanks for your help Nikki
Hello Nikki. Ronald here.
That is a horrible price for 5 kilowatts of panels. It is possible to get a system in Brisbane that is comprised of high quality hardware and installed professionally for one-third that price.
I wrote a review on OneSolar here:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/onesolar-review-one-word-avoid/
If you want three quotes from installers we have vetted so you can know they are reliable, you can go to our front page and begin by entering your postcode in the top right corner:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/
Hi think the price is took high average 5 kW system with Canadian or jinko panels will cost less than $8000.
Hi Finn
We had a 4.5kW solar system with a sunny boy inverter installed six years ago by local Brisbane company Task, we are getting 50c feed in tariff, very pleased with the system and has not missed a beat since installation, we are down sizing and building a new low set house in Brisbane , so have a blank canvass , I know we will not get any where near that feed in, but would be interested in your thoughts on the best way to go regarding a solar HWS and solar system on a new build.
Regards
Pat
Hi Patrick, Ronald here.
Because electricity prices are high and feed-in tariffs have increased, my general advice for people who can afford it is to go large. For people who have single phase power in Queensland this means a system with around 6.5 kilowatts of panels. If you have 3 phase power you can install more than that, but you might run out of suitable roof space, especially if you are downsizing. It is possible to install more than the normal maximum of 6.66 kilowatts of panels if you have single phase power, but that would require export limiting, which is an additional expense.
Most people these days find that it is more cost effective to install PV solar than solar hot water systems, but solar hot water systems still have some advantages and so are still available.
A solar diverter is one way of using solar PV to heat water and I’ll have an article up about them soon.
There’s not a great deal I can say without knowing more about your situation, but if you have any questions to ask, please do.
H i Ronald
As I mentioned we are building in the next few months, the builder has included in the cost the installation of a Rheem MPI heat pump, the reviews on this make of pump are shocking, my builder is ok with me deducting this cost and getting what ever system i think is best, it will be a single phase supply, I am waiting on some quotes, I have one in from Arrayenergy using a sunflux for the HWS
7.54 kw of Solar
Sunflux Hot Water controller
315L Rinnai tank
Full installation
Total after rebate: $8,490 incl.
This seems reasonable to me but like I said waiting on other quotes.
Patrick
Hi Patrick
I will do a write up on the Sunflux system soon. It is an interesting concept that uses an inverter to power a hot water system using its own set of 2 to 6 solar panels.
Update: Apparently it only needs 2 to 4 panels.
And it doesn’t add to the amount of inverter capacity a home is permitted to have as it is never actually connected to the grid, although the hot water system can draw power from the grid if it needs to.
Looking at the total price of your installation, it comes to $1.13 a watt, which is definitely reasonable, particularly since it includes the Sunflux hot water inverter. But you should note that a portion of your panels will only be able to provide power to your hot water system and can’t contribute electricity to your home or provide a feed-in tariff.
Finn, just got a quote for 6kW/24 panels for $67 a week over four years ~$14,000 total from Aus Solar Co. Other than their own website, haven’t found any other reviews or complaints. Representative stated Melbourne based company, around 4 years, Tier 1, parts and panels from China, but design is German. Location outside Brisbane.
Thoughts?
Hello J, Ronald here.
If you can borrow money at 5% using home equity or another method and inflation is 2%, then paying $14,000 over 4 years is equal to paying around $11,100 up front. These days that is a lot of money for a 6 kilowatts and should only be paid for a top of the line system using the highest quality components available. And even then I’d suggest checking reputable installers to see if they can give you the same thing for less.
If the system was using premium hardware they would have told you that from the start. As they have only specified tier one, this is likely to mean lower cost tier one panels and a mid or entry level inverter.
Help!
All I know about solar power is I want it but can’t afford it. Had a salesman come yesterday to offer a deal of no initial outlay costs that required the designer to come out today. In short have been quoted for a 6.48KW 24 panel 5KW inverter installed after Government rebate $10, 999. Have now done some research and the comment above this seems incredibly expensive. Think it may be worth looking into some of the WA companies in the categories above as that is where I am based.
Any advice?
Lara
Hell Lara, Ronald here.
The price you have been quoted comes to $1.70 a watt. You can get a solar system with good quality components installed professionally for much less than this.
I suggest just going to the SolarQuotes home page:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/
And putting your postcode in the box at the upper right and answering the questions you’ll be asked as best you can. You will receive quotes from three installers who have all been personally vetted by Finn so you can be certain they will do a good job.
I had 16 panels installed by Solar Energy Services based in Melbourne, I was led to believe from the salesman they had installers and back up here in NSW. But no I have 2 cow boys turn up from Melbourne and did a messy installation job. I was told its all up and running so start enjoying you free power. First Energy Bill was over $100 more and that continued. Only to find out 9 months latter that my meter had not been changed for the Solar and all the extra kW I was sending out to the grid was free. After contacting the company over 12 months a go, I am still waiting for compensation from them. So avoid Solar Energy Services.
Hello, I am thinking of getting Solar Panels from a company named E.Co Solar Service. They are based in Melb and have a shop in Horsham. They quoted a 5kw system $5990 – 19 panels installed with a promotional 1.2 battery free. Have you heard of any reviews as i can’t find any.
Cheers Janine. Vic.
That is a very good price for a 5 kilowatt system that includes a battery. Or at least it is a good price for a system that is professionally and competently installed. But I’m afraid I don’t know this installer, so I can’t tell you what kind of work they do.
The 1.2 kilowatt-hour battery will be an Enphase AC Battery, which you can read about here:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/enphase-batteries-are-impressive-but-very-unlikely-to-save-you-money/
Note the price definitely has fallen since the article was written.
If you can tell me what kind of panels and inverter are being used I can give you an indication of their quality.
Hello, I am thinking of getting Solar Panels from a company named E.Co Solar Service. They are based in Melb and have a shop in Horsham. They quoted a 5kw system $5990 – 19 panels installed with a promotional 1.2 battery free. Have you heard of any reviews as i can’t find any.
Cheers Janine. Vic.
Hi Ronald,
The panels are Jinko Tier 1, from the Blueburg Report.
The inverter is Solus with an Aust warranty of 10 years.
The Warranty is Australian.
They have also said it comes with a
25 yr warranty on the panels
10 yr warranty on the inverter
10 yr warranty on the structure
7 yr warranty on the battery
Jinko panels have a 10 year product warranty and a 25 year performance warranty. Hopefully the performance warranty will provide as much protection as the performance warranty does, but we will have to wait and see if that is true in practice.
I have assumed the battery is an Enphase Battery because I don’t know of any others that are 1.2 kilowatt-hours in capacity. But their normal warranty is 10 years, not 7. But it is possible the reduced warranty is part of why you are getting it as a special deal. If it is an Enphase battery I’d check to see if you can get a 10 year warranty on it.
Hello Janine
I can confirm Jinko panels are tier one. They are lower cost tier one panels but should definitely still be reliable.
I am guessing the inverter is a Solis. This is a lower cost entry model inverter. It normally comes with a 5 year warranty, but it looks like they have extended that to 10 years for you. That would make me feel more confident about getting one.
We have had 8 solar panels giving 1.5Kw since 2010. We have now been given a quote by representatives of Grand Group Solar doorknocking our area. The quote is $5,500.00 (including discount) for a further 12 panels giving an extra 3 Kw and inverter upgrade, payable on completion of installation.
We would like your comments on this Company & the quote, please.
Hello Peter and Helen, Ronald here.
I’m afraid I don’t know Grand Group Solar, but looking at their internet site I see they claim a 5 kilowatt solar system will save a household around 23 cents per kilowatt-hour it produces. While rooftop solar is a very good investment, it’s not that good. Since they can’t be relied on not to exaggerate, this would make me question everything they say.
Since I don’t know the quality of the work they do, if you tell me what type of solar panels and inverter they will use I’ll let you know what I think of them.
Hi Ronald,
Thanks for your reply. The inverters they use are Solas or IMVT and the panels are Dortmund.
Hello again.
I would guess the inverters are using would actually be Solis or INVT. These are lower cost, budget model inverters. They could be good value for their price point, but they’re certainly not higher end inverters.
As for solar panels, I recommend only installing either tier one panels or ones that come from a manufacturer with a reputation for quality. Dortmund panels are not on any tier one list I have ever seen and I am not aware of them having a reputation for quality. In fact, I can find very little information on them.
If you look at our Solar 101: A Beginner’s Guide:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/solar101.html
We show all the panels commonly installed in Australia that are either tier one or have a good reputation for quality.
If you want to expand your solar system, I suggest getting some more quotes. We can put you in touch with three installers that have been vetted by Finn and are known to do professional work if you go to our home page:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/
Just enter your postcode in the top right corner and then answer the questions that will come up as best you can. For your situation, it may turn out to be more cost effective to remove your old system and install one large new one rather than keep the old one.
What is your opinion about leasing the solar system vs buying outright?
We have had a quote by SSE-Australia for 25kW system for a small business / factory. $634 per month for 6 years. Buy outright for $1 after that.
Dorothy, that comes to $45,648 over 6 years. It is possible to get a 25 kilowatt system for less than half that.
While it’s possible there are situations where leasing makes sense, buying outright normally wins hands down.
I read an advertisement with 25 kW at $32000. I find buying outright a better option as well.
Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows of a solar company door knocking in Perth called solar naturally.
Here is our review page:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installer-review/solar-naturally/
If you click on “last 12 months” you will see there are 18 reviews in that period.
Hi Finn
I am again looking into getting solar panels installed in Sydney, about four years ago I was going with Nicholles Group- seemed all good until the install, the guy who was the manager was the one who came out to measure and quote, was told we could get 21 panels on our roof but when installers were here to install the roof was nowhere big enough to fit them, as I was having an extension put onto the back of the house I asked to hold off on the install, they agreed. We had some time issues with the extension so got onto Nichols Group and cancelled requested a full refund. They did refund in full no issues. Now ready to again go ahead with solar thought would just contact them again but Now after reading such bad reviews about this company don’t think we should. Can you recommend a reputable company in Sydney, would like to get good tier one panels and already have a three phased system/electricity we had to have installed for the previous solo system we were supposed to get.
Thank you
Sarah
No problems Sarah. Just go to our home page here:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/
And enter your postcode in the space in the to right corner and answer the questions it asks as best you can and we’ll arrange some quotes for you. If have any questions about the quotes you get let us know.
Howdy Peoples
Just needing to know. Is Ausuntech Energy a good/trusted company to go with.
We have spoken to their salesman who seemed pretty legit.
We’ve quoted for a 10kw system with their asking price of $18k which is reduced to $13k with the STC cashback rebate..
Comes with 44 panels,25yrs performance warranty on panels and 10yrs on materials technology(whatever that means).
Before I go through with my decision I just need a 2nd opinion on whether this is a good deal or could I score a better option with another Solar Company.
Howdy
Our Ausuntech review page is here:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installer-review/ausuntech/
They have a good score of 4.7 out of 5 but it’s only from 6 reviews.
If you want to get more quotes to check what’s available you can go to our home page:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/
Enter your postcode in the space at the top right and answer the questions that come up as best you can. Then we’ll get you quotes from installers we’ve vetted as being reliable and who do quality work.
G’day to all,
I contracted with RK Solar (Castle Hill – Sydney) to install a 6.6 KW system (Trina panels and Fronius inverter) 6 months ago and am able to report an excellent experience. Kunal at RK Solar was excellent to deal with and his installation team were polite and efficient. Not surprisingly one of my 70 year old roof tiles cracked during installation and RK solar came out immediately after rain discovered the crack, and immediately completed repairs f.o.c. This and other excellent after-sales service underpin my strong recommendation for RK Solar.
Saw the Leigh Sales report on ABC last night and was shocked to learn from Ronald that the featured failed panels were Trina. I selected that brand based on the solarquotes research. I guess a 5 year efficiency inspection might be in order ?
Cheers
Jeff L.
Hi Ronald. I just received a quote for 16x Jinko 300watt panels at 4.80 kWp and an ABB UNO 5kw inverter. As my house is only 12 squares and I have gas water, heating and cooking I find this overkill. The quoted price was $5900 with the rebate and gov’t interest free loan. Am I being ripped off?
Hi Marg
I don’t know where you are, but most Australians can get high enough feed-in tariff so a large system will still pay for itself, even if they don’t use much of the electricity it produces themselves. So you could be fine with an even larger system, but as your home is small 16 panels might be all that will easily fit on your roof.
As you have gas and probably don’t use much electricity, getting a good feed-in tariff will be important to allow your system to rapidly pay for itself. If you’re paying a lot for gas you could get it disconnected and go all electric, but that would be an additional cost to set up.
Jinko is normally a reliable panel, but it is a lower cost one so I would expect a 4.8 kilowatt Jinko and ABB system to cost less than $5,900.
If you haven’t done so already, you can get some quotes through us. Just go to our homepage:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/
And enter your postcode in the space at the top right and answer the questions that come up as best you can. You won’t get quotes from the cheapest installers around, but you will get ones from installers we trust to do high quality, reliable work.
Am about to get a quote from ZEN energy for my client, Are they any good?
Hi,
I’m in Central West NSW.
I met with a doorknocker from Grand Solar this afternoon who offered the following:
12 x 300w panels = 3.6kW with a 3kW inverter
Claiming it costs nothing upfront, they apparently claim the Government rebates on my behalf instead.
On finance over 4 years it totals somewhere about $8300.
He claimed the panels were tier one and the inverter is the “same one used on the Eiffel Tower”.
I’m a household of 2, our average kW usage each day ranges from 6-8kW.
He also assured me the inverter could easily have a battery incorporated at a later stage if needed.
I’d love your feedback on this…
Hello
I would not be in a rush to get that system. While people in rural areas usually have to pay more for solar than in cities, you should be able to get a 6.5 kilowatt system for that much or less if you do some research and look around.
The Eiffel Tower thing is something I haven’t heard before. I looked it up and saw they are Solis inverters connected to wind turbines. Solis is an acceptable inverter, but it is a lower cost one.
It is possible to add a battery to any solar system, so that is nothing special.
Finance adds to the cost of any solar system. I suggest buying without finance if possible, but using finance can make sense if it is reasonable.
Your electricity use is very low but provided you are not restricted in how much solar electricity you can export to the grid in your area then a large system of around 6.5 kilowatts can pay for itself even though you will only use a small portion of the energy it generates. You could instead get a smaller system and that will also be very useful. Usually I suggest getting a larger system if your budget stretches that far.
If you want to get solar and you would like some quotes from installers we have vetted and know do good work, you can go to our homepage here:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/
Then enter your postcode in the space at the upper right and then answer the questions that come up as best you can.
Hi Finn,
I was wondering when your Top 5 List was compiled, We have just received a Quote from Eversolar and it seems a little high. I was hoping to make contact with one of the top 5 Victorian Companies but you comments start in 2013. Do you have an up to date Top 5 List for Victoria? Hope you can assist.
Regards,
Lance.
Hi Lance, Ronald here.
Here’s a list of the highest ranked installers in our network:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/solar-installer-ratings.html
If you want to search for any installer you can use this page and provided reviews have been left for them you can check them out. This includes all installers reviews have been left for, not just ones we have vetted:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installers/reviews/
Hi Team, I’m upgrading my current panels and inverter and have received a quote from Arise Solar and Boosted Energy of $3070 for a 6.6 Kw system. I’ve been having a look around and can’t find Boosted Energy or details of them. I’m in Rockhampton Queensland and just looking for advice on trusted company’s in this area.
does anyone know anything about a company called SMART ENERGY?
I wouldn’t recommend them to a friend.
Does anyone know about Allied?
Efini is doing door knocking in central QLD, seem like a scheme not CEC accredited and not much information i can find on line. Can you confirm.
When I look them up I can’t find a solar company of that name. Is the spelling correct?
I think the name would be Enfini, based in Milton.
I would be interested if any more info available as they have just knocked on my door.
I’m afraid I don’t have any information on them, but I don’t recommend using companies that use doorknockers. Way too many people have had bad experiences with them.
I do recommend getting quotes through us, if you haven’t done so already. A system put in by installers we recommend to you will be covered by our Good Installer Guarantee…
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installation-guarantee/
…so it really takes the stress/risk out of getting solar.
I got a quote from arisesolar 3 mths ago. I agreed to go with them. Paid the $200 deposit. Heard nothing more from them for over two half months. I rang them to find out a installation date. Said they would ring back but never do. I rang to cancel my order. Wow all of a sudden there was a installation date. Too late I canceled and asked for my deposit back. I would not recommend this company to anyone.
Hey Guys
Where does Solar power nation fit in the list of the compaines in Australia.
Their reviews are here:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installer-review/solar-power-nation/
If you click on the Aus Ranking link, that ranks their average score compared to every other installer reviewed on the site with a mimimim number of reviews:
If they are the cheapest quote you’ve got, that may be a clue.
Hi Finn
I am in South East Brisbane, i had a company called iinergy come out today and quote me what he called Industrial Panels as they were better in the conditions. Its a 6.6kw system using 21 panels,HT/Saae panels from China/ Germany with a fronus inverter.10years on inverter,and 25 on panels.Their price was $11260.00 after rebate taken off with a payback over 5years of $44 per week.Our current power Bills work out to $42 pw.Can you give me any more info on the Company and price? I know they dont have many google reviews.He has also stated that the rebate is decreasing in 5days ?? So typical salesman want an answer in 2 days.
Not sure??
Hi Paul, Ronald here.
There are very few reviews on iinergy, so it’s hard to tell if they do good quality work. But their work better be bloody perfect because you can get a solar system of that size with similar hardware or better for half the cost, installed by someone who we know does good quality work. If you’d like to get some quotes through us so you can get a better idea of what’s available, go to our homepage:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/
Put your postcode in the space at the top right and answer the questions that come up as best you can.
Any chance of getting this Installer rating updated from 2013 ?
HI Finn
I am dealing with a company called Greenezy and unable to source many reviews which is making me nervous, do you have any reviews about them? I’m always nervous about door to door sales! We have been quoted Phase 1, 10 kw, 30 panels with split cell technology (we have a large home with a 5000 litre swim spa). They are asking $14k then there is a $1888 and $4k rebate to be applied leaving a balance of $8112. We asked what there best price is and they have come back with $8k out of pocket to us. I don’t know anything about solar and just looking for some advice on whether this is reasonable, your assistance would be appreciated. Many thanks Jules
Hi Julie
Looking online, I can’t see any reviews for Greenezy. This is despite their site stating “GreenEzy Pty Ltd is a leading renewable energy company with offices in Victoria and Queensland.” This means I can’t tell you anything about the company, but if you tell me which inverter and solar panels they have quoted you on I can give you my opinion on them.
I do suggest getting multiple quotes so you can see what else is available. If you would like to get quotes through us, go to our homepage:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/
Enter your postcode in the space at the top right and then answer the questions that come up as best you can.
Julie,
Without specifying the exact products that they have quoted, and the rebate costs that they have applied, it’s difficult to determine.
However, in a general sense, good solar companies are too busy installing solar to door-knock Bad solar resellers have time for door-knocking.
Better to read up a little on solar, and then request 3 quotes for the equipment that you want.
The answer to “how big should I go” can generally be answered with “as much as will fit on your roof”.
No-one has ever regretted getting too much solar.
Hi Finn,
Hope you are well and safe
Thank you for such an awesome website.
We have gotten a quote for JA Solar 6.6kw with Huawei inverter (not sure how I’m meant to feel about that). The upfront cost is $5,500.
The company is power ideas.
Normally I am very careful of doorknockers but the lady that came by for the appointment seemed very genuine and the company has some good reviews on Google. Just wanted to get your thoughts on the inverter,panels and most importantly the installer.
Thank you!
Kris
Hi Kris, Ronald here.
JA are lower cost panels but we consider them to be reliable and decent value for money. I call Huawei a mid-range inverter. It appears to be a cut above the cheaper ones on the market and has a 10 year warranty rather than the 5 years that is common among entry level inverters. The hardware seems reasonable for the price, so it’s only a matter of the quality of the installation. I’m afraid no one has left reviews about Power Ideas on I sight and I haven’t heard anything about them, so I can’t tell you what kind of work they do. What you can do is get a couple of quotes from other installers so you can see what is available and check their reviews to see if they do good work. (Feel free to get some quotes through us if you like. We will only refer you to installers we know do good work.)
My normal advice is to be wary of door knockers but I’m surprised you had one. Looking on the Power Ideas site I see they are a Clean Energy Council Approved Retailer, but the Clean Energy Council has put out a warning about door knocking and said it should be stopped because of the pandemic.
Curious to hear any genuine feedback on a company in vic called B.Solar
Price quoted is around 9000 for 6.6 kw system.
They keep both rebates (federal and vic) plus you need to borrow 1850 in the vic interest free and chuck in nearly 1000 besides.
Hi Nicole
I don’t have any information about B Solar, but if the $9,000 includes the $1,850 Solar Victoria rebate then that’s nearly $11,000 for a 6.6 kilowatt system. Unless there are special circumstances, that is a very expensive system. It is possible to find quality installers who can provide a system that size for much less.
hi Finn, just wondering how a company called TechnAus ranked,using AstroSemi 370-380w panels at a cost of $6200 thanks
Would you recommend One Solar in Brisbane? What is the most reliable Solar Company in Brisbane City with a reasonable value for money?
Thanks
Hi Leah
I’m not familiar with One Solar in Brisbane, so I can’t tell you what they’re like.
If you want quotes from up to three reliable installers in Brisbane who do quality work, you can go to our page here:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/quote/start/
Then enter your postcode. If you just want solar, click on “solar only” and then answer the questions that come up as best you can.
All installers we refer to you have been personally vetted by my boss, Finn, so we know they do good work. We’re happy to back up his judgment with our Good Installer Guarantee:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installation-guarantee/
I think you have on your list Open Electrical Brisbane.
I need to tell you I have had a horrible experience which has been ongoing for a year now, this is because after my solar was installed & it rained heavily in December 2021, my dining room ceiling leaked, it is directly under the new panels, the company director disagreed, couldn’t possibly be his fault, eventually he sent 2 guys who decided there was a gap in the Conduit which they sealed … so my insurance fixed the dining room = $500 excess
In February we had more rain, the ceiling leaked again in a far worse way, the insurance company sent out a different company & their roof assessor found under the panels a broken tile, once again, eventually with photographic proof 2 more guys were sent out, they moved the broken tile to another position, swapping it, the insurance company asked for a written report to state it was fixed, this report has never been sent, furthermore the second fix cost a further $500, I asked to be reimbursed, I received $500 on 5.10.2022
I have tried so many times to communicate, to no avail, I am fed up with the disrespect & unprofessional dealings we have suffered , I could not possibly recommend this company to anyone
Hi B,
This is Ned from SolarQuotes, I help manage all the installers in the SolarQuotes network.
Thank you so much for reaching out and taking the time to let us know about this. It’s only thanks to users like yourself that we are able to improve our service – as well as the service of the companies were recommend.
Sincere apologies – we never want to recommend an experience like this. I’m very keen to follow up to make sure we reach a happy conclusion – please be on the lookout for my phone call. I’ll also send an e-mail : )
Thanks again for reaching out,
Ned
Hi Finn,
We have been quoted for Ulica Solar Half-Cell 415w panels by Advantage Solar in Melbourne.
Are these any good?
Thanks Rob
Hi Rob, Ronald here.
Ulica Solar produce low cost solar panels. Their product warranty appears to be 12 years, which is around the lower end for solar panel product warranties these days. They are not on our recommended panel list which you can find in our Solar 101 Guide:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/solar101.html
My advice is to go with a panel manufacturer on our recommended list, since we know they are reliable and well supported in Australia.
On the bright side, Ulica panels are on tier one lists which suggests they’re not rubbish, but on the downside we don’t know a lot about them. According to their website they do have an Australian office, but I just tried to call the number and it didn’t go through. That’s not a good sign.
If you haven’t already done so, you can get quotes through us by going here:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/quote/start/
Just enter your postcode and answer the questions that come up as best you can. If you want a lower cost system then say you want a good budget system when that question comes up. We’ll only put you in touch with installers who do high quality work and back them up with our good installer guarantee:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installation-guarantee/
Good to know