AR Energy Consulting

AR Energy Consulting Reviews

4.9

Based on 145 ratings
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About

At AR Energy Consulting (previously known as Testar Energy Solutions) we help you become more energy efficient by providing expert energy solutions to future proof your home or business. With over 15 years of combined industry experience you can rest easy knowing that you are getting the best advice and recommendations for your individual scenario from qualified electricians. We only use brands with proven industry performance and credible company history and deal with suppliers who honour their consumer warranties and guarantees. We pride ourselves on quality customer service and are available to answer any of your questions along the way. So whether you are after solar, battery storage or both we are here to start you on your energy saving journey.   
  

Reviewers report paying: $4,900 - $5,807 for depending on hardware choice and installation difficulty ( how is this calculated? )

Panels, inverter, battery and EV charger brands

The views expressed by reviewers are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of Peacock Media Group, which makes no representations as to the accuracy of the reviews. For our full disclaimer and further information, see our Terms of Use and our Review Guidelines.

AR Energy Consulting Reviews (145)

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Average Scores

4.9/5

Value for money

4.9/5

Quality of System

4.9/5

Installation

5.0/5

Customer Service

  • 5 star 124
  • 4 star 20
  • 3 star 1
  • 2 star 0
  • 1 star 0

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5 Stars aren't enough!

After a couple of years of procrastination, we bit the bullet and decided to use Choice mag’s recommendation of solarquotes.com.au to get 3 quotes from their list of vetted reputable installers to upgrade our solar system. Although only 2 got back to us (Solar Wholesalers and AR Energy Consulting), we were happy with both of them and didn’t bother chasing up the 3rd. We settled on AR, because of their excellent customer service, consideration of our personal needs and limitations, technical explanations and flexibility right from the start. Although our site threw up some initial challenges, the AR team (actual employees, rather than outsourced sub-contractors) found perfect solutions for all of them and were simply fantastic. I won’t elaborate, but for us, going with AR was a lottery win (and things like that just don’t happen to us!). Thank you so much, Aiden, Brandon, Sam, Joe and all of your team. Yours is the best company we’ve ever dealt with! And thank you Solar Quotes for helping us sort the wheat from the chaff.
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Professional staff

All stages were completed on time and with no issues.
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Amazing service!

Service was amazing, made it easy to have the panels installed. Good explanation of how to use the app.
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Amazing installer

The most amazing company to deal with. A completely no stress installation on both properties. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for solar and/or batteries.
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Country installation

We live about 6 hours from Adelaide so we were happy to find an installer willing to travel and install a fairly standard solar panel/battery system. At every step we felt that AR Energy listened to us and so were able to provide the type of system we wanted. It took the team about six or so hours to complete the whole process from consulting about where everything would be placed to leaving the site clean and tidy. We were very impressed by the professionalism of the team and their generally 'sunny" disposition.
All-in-all it has been a pleasing experience.
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Fantastic installers.

Great process from start to finish. Installers came on time and made sure to tidy up.
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A good solar experience

AR Energy were the only potential supplier to actually visit my home and survey the site prior to quoting. Discussions with Brandon during the quoting process were informative and fruitful. All my concerns were addressed to my satisfaction.
The installation went smoothly, the team were polite, helpful and appeared very professional and competent. It was a good quality job, with all cables routed out of sight, through roof spaces and cavity walls. Commissioning went well, wifi connected and an App installed on my phone. The site was left clear and tidy.
I would definitely recommend AR Energy for solar installation.
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Professional service for a fantastic system.

The quote included advice to upgrade and improve on our three phase power mains box. None of the others gave this advice. The quote was prompt and very informative. Requoted to meet our requirements. The installation by a team of 5 workers was done professionally. They were punctual and tidy everyday. Final commissioning by Aidan. Clearly explained how to operate the system. Very satisfied with the work and the system.
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Professional, knowledgeable, punctual installer

My experience with AR Energy was seamless from start to finish beginning with Brandon and his knowledge, professionalism and patience at my many questions making my choice of going with AR Energy an easy one.I had dealt with several other companies getting quotes and information but AR Energy impressed me hands down!
Hazel and Maddy in the admin area were efficient, polite and a delight to deal with.
On the day of installation Aidan was excellent
in his attention to detail about the whole process of the installation and he and his team of Callan, Ben, Hayden and Lachy were just lovely. cheerful, friendly and polite and best of all....no mess, they did a great job of cleaning up afterwards.
Aidan also set up the app on my phone and took time to explain how that works and how to use it so I understood.
Brandon has also taken the time to follow up with me to make sure that I was happy with how everything went on the day and more recently if I had any further questions.
I would not hesitate to recommend Brandon, Aidan and the team at AR Energy.They have impressed me with their attention to detail, their professionalism and great customer service. Nothing was/is too much trouble.
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Great job

The team did a great job with the install and the presales discussions really put them above the others we got quotes from. A few hiccups happened and they were very professional and customer focused, which was great to see
Panel rating: 4/5
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Fantastic business

Fantastic customer service. Took the time to come out go through what I needed. Explained the system.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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Fantastic Installer

Great people to deal with, they were quick with the quote, very informative, started the installation 1 day earlier that they had scheduled, The installation guys were very polite & cheerful, they kept me informed, and they didn't leave any mess behind.
Great job
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Complex Solar Install - Going All Electric

Our project involved not just solar and battery, but the replacement of a gas storage system with a heat pump HWS, supply and installation of a dual head split reverse cycle air cond and installation of an induction hob. We extended this to a new oven and an outdoor shower. Not a simple job and AREC was the only respondent who came out to visit the site; they were also the only company who could provide everyting we needed - others only wanted to do only the solar/battery. The site inspection (and follow up visit) proved invaluable in working out where everything would be installed (not easy on a compact townhouse). After Aidan's visit the quote was turned around quickly. The time gap from acceptance to installation was short. The weather was on our side and the installation went very smoothly. The installation team, led by the very capable Max worked hard and kept the site tidy, cleaning up each day. We were lucky that we have side access via a laneway, which allowed a scissor lift to be used to get to the roof on the 2nd floor. Any changes were run past us during the installation, and we felt that each time we were able to agree on the best solution. To support the installation, we needed a new switchboard in our meter box and lots of additional cabling. All of the cabling/conduit ended up very neat, with things tucked out of the way as much as possible. Alll of the plumbing changes were routed very neatly as well. Everything was left clean and tidy after the install was completed - and they took away every bit of packaging that was brought in. We were given hands on explanation of how to control the inverter and isolation switches, but it may be helpful in future to add a system block diagram, showing the identification of the main switches and what position they should be in for different scenarios. We have certificates of compliance for the electrical and plumbing works. Our system is now operational and performing well: it is certainly performing at or above the quoted level. The phone app is very useful, but the PC/web version allows a much more detailed view. AREC have assisted with pre-filling the paperwork for upgrading our electricity account and we are now in the process of organising removal of the gas supply.
Battery rating: 5/5
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AR Energy - great company to deal with

Excellent service before and during installation. Not pushy during sales/quoting, and very polite during installation. Value for money: The same brands are used for the system components but are cheaper than other providers.
Panel rating: 4/5
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Original Review on 06-10-2023:

It was easier than I first thought

I considered four quotes (3 referred from Solar Quotes) to upgrade an existing 6kw system to include a battery. The age of the existing system precluded simply adding a battery so a complete new system was required. All suppliers were able to provide excellent advice and suitable options for consideration. Whilst all quotes were similar equipment wise and within a few hundred dollars of each other, I settled on the company that had the best reviews on this site. All interactions with the company were positive including initial discussions, quote, acceptance and timely installation which justifies their high rating. System is operational and exceeding expectations. Original ratings

Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5

Value for money: 5/5
Quality of System: 5/5
Installation: 5/5
Customer Service: 5/5

10 months later we asked Derek: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

YES! Have had no issues with any of the system. As a result we have not had to contact the supplier at all so we are unable to comment on after sales service or warranty.
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AR Solar

AR Solar have been brilliant, the system works great and they went above and beyond when dealing with upgrades needed by Origin. I’m extremely pleased and would encourage anyone to contact them, the stand out for me is that they did exactly what they explained they would, the plan went smoothly and I didn’t have to chase anyone which built enough trust for me to order more panels and batteries which are being installed in a couple of weeks. Thanks again to the guys at AR!
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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Fantastic Great Team

From the original phone call to seeing the site this was such an easy experience.
The team of workers were efficient quick and tidy.
Explained what was going on and how to work the system.
Had no WiFi so got the dongle.No issues.
Very impressed and happy. Would recomend them.
Susanne
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Terrific installers

Yes terrific company, dealt with our energy retailer, installed on the day and time organised, great tradespeople who were communicative and explained the products, assisted in setting up the app and showing us how to read the data
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Seamless, efficient and helpful

After following the solar quotes process, selection of our installer was simple. AR Energy listened and quoted on the system upgrade we asked for. Fraser and Hazel were pleasant and efficient, and their turnaround time was relatively quick (we live in a more remote part of SA). All timelines and requirements were well communicated, and on installation day, the job was seamless and efficient. All the people we dealt with at AR Energy were helpful and polite. Our newly upgraded solar and battery system is working perfectly, and we are looking forward to joining a wholesale supplier to maximise the returns to our system and being part of the energy mix solution.
Battery rating: 5/5
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Great installer

The salesman was strait, he listened to what we wanted and didn't oversell or overprice.
The installation went smoothly, the team were on time, worked cooperatively together, well mannered, friendly and tidy.
I was shown the in and outs of the inverter, they WiFi connected my phone to it. The company organized grid connection a short time after the install.
Panel rating: 4/5
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Helpful & Honest & Professional

Aidan and the team were super helpful with the initial scope and offered insightful advice; without over selling our requirements. The team installed the solar and inverter with quality execution and were professional throughout the entire install. Finance was simple and all taken cared for. The process was straight forward and would highly recommend anyone looking to get solar to go with AR Energy!!
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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What a great solar system!

AR were great to deal with. Very quick to come to site to inspect my home and existing (old) solar system. Quick quotation supplied based on exactly what we had discussed on site. The person who issued the quote was on leave when I had some questions and the owner of the business dealt with them himself...very impressive! The installation time was very quick from acceptance of quote and the installers were vey efficient and got the install done very quickly. There were a few curved balls with the installation because of how my house is constructed but they were resolved with a very professional "can do" attitude. Thanks AR Energy!
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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Solar Power

Sales and quote was easy and prompt.
Installation went well over three days due to the weather ( hot afternoons)
Customer service is good and easy to get a hold of when it has been necessary.
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Reliable and trustworthy

I found Branden, who quoted the system very helpful and he explained everything very well. He was always very helpful when I had questions. I felt very confident that AR Energy would provide the service quoted and I was not disappointed. Installation went ahead very promptly and without any issues. Everyone involved was very helpful and professional.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Not often you feel comfortable from start to go, from the initial quote process to job completion.

Would love to say a big thank you to AR ENERGY, Hazel the office manager handled everything so well, Aidan who held my hand from start to finish, made everything so easy to understand wasn’t pushy and a true guru in this industry… installation team did not miss cleaned up every little piece of rubbish.. hard to find companies that do this these days! Couldn’t be happier thanks again legends.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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An incentive was offered by AR Energy Consulting for this review. Learn more here.

Well professional Installer

Well professional installer, great communication, Quality & fair priced. Highly recommended to all.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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Excellent Service

Brandon and his team were extremely helpful, the installation was earlier than originally expected which was great and the team doing the installation were polite, friendly and tidy.
Hazel in the office was excellent and organised the grid connection and dealt with our energy supplier.
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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A smooth and efficient experience

Our whole experience from first meeting with the manager to our experience with the good natured, respectful and efficient installation team was positive. It was a delight to see how well the young installation team worked together.
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Very professional service provided

This company was a pleasure to deal with from the start. Fraser attended 'on-site' to have a look, then quote up the job for extra solar panels and solar battery. He was thorough with the information provided and got back to me with any extra information that I was after. Very good customer service.
The guys that installed the panels and battery did a wonderful job. It was a neat and tidy install - and the lads left the site clean afterwards. Impressed all round and I have no hesitation in recommending AR Energy to anybody requiring anything to do with solar products.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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Excellent installer! Highly recommend.

The customer service was excellent front the very beginning all the way to the end.
The installers arrived on time and did an excellent job. Everything was explained to me after the install including how to monitor the performance via the Sungrow app.
There was a minor issue with the monitoring app (wires around the wrong way) but this was promptly rectified by AR Energy using a local electrician at no extra cost to me.
Highly recommend AR Energy Consulting.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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5 star installer / top tier company and employees

Would like to thank Brandon , Hazel , Max and the crew for a very professional installation of a solar and battery package. Throughout the whole process Brandon has been very involved and has a deep depth of knowledge. Hazel works hard behind the scenes in admin, and Max and the crew that came up to whyalla for my install were very well trained which allowed for a smooth and professional job. Work area was neat and tidy. The post install support makes you feel like part of the AR energy family not just another customer.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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Happy with the installation

From the original sales and quote process to the instalation we found it all easy and efficient. The people involved were friendly, polite, answering our questions profesionally.
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11kw System by AR Energy

AR Energy have been great to work with, tailoring a system for our needs and partial tree cover of our property.
Brandon explained the system perfectly and cut all the B/S that some other sales people gave us.

The system was installed quickly and was connected on the same day.
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A pleasing experience

All aspects from first contact to completed installation were as promised, punctual, and helpful along the way. A pleasing experience.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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No pressure sales

Installer provide a system to maximize generation with minimum panels
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Original Review on 08-03-2023:

No Problems.

The whole installation was carried out in an efficient and professional manner. I would recommend this company to others. Original ratings

Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5

Value for money: 4/5
Quality of System: 4/5
Installation: 5/5
Customer Service: 5/5

10 months later we asked John: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

Yes.
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Great service

All went very well from first meeting to installation. Excellent customer service and communication, a seamless install process with thorough after care service ensuring the system works as efficiently as possible.
Inverter rating: 5/5
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AR Energy beats the rest

Brandon from AR Energy was so easy to deal with. After lots of quotes and back and forth with others, Brandon was easy to communicate with and got back to me promptly. Prices were good but the service is what got me over the line.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Amazing Customer Service

Thank you so much to Brandon and the team at AR Energy for such a wonderful experience. Brandon made the whole process so easy from start to finish and was always professional and friendly. So happy we finally made the change to Solar. I highly recommend Brandon and the team.
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Look no further than AR Energy Consulting…

I would typically expect to get only 2 or 3 quotes for most major home related projects, however in the case of arranging a new solar energy system it was only after my 12th quote/design proposal that I found a company that I was prepared to deal with (A R Energy).

As a professional electronics engineer, I had a reasonable understanding of the technology and what I needed. However I found that the majority of companies typically offered excessively sized and overpriced systems that were more sales and profit focussed than end user benefit focussed (eg excessive system payback times).

In reality, unless you’re planning on installing a battery (which I didn’t want due to fire safety concerns and questionable return on investment), for most people anything over 6 or 7kW is probably unnecessary.

Brandon was one of the very few who actually made the effort to undertake a site visit first off, and proposed a sensibly priced system based on high quality, value for money components that provided an excellent payback time.

Most other companies typically took the lazy option by offering a “desktop design” based on satellite imagery, with no opportunity to identify any idiosyncrasies that may apply to a particular installation, or to engage with the customer to understand their requirements or preferences.

The job was somewhat challenging due to a steep roof and access restrictions, however none of the team complained - they just cheerfully got on with the task, worked extremely hard all day, and left the worksite clean and tidy. Team supervisor Max was particularly pleasant, engaging and easy to deal with, and Brandon has provided an excellent ongoing level of service and assistance.

I have since recommended A R Energy to a number of friends interested in home solar power, as I don’t believe you could ever hope to get a better quality and value for money system, or deal with a more professional and competent company.
Inverter rating: 5/5
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The process was smooth as butter

Sales and quoting process was effortless. I was given 3 quotes on different systems that were comprehensive and made is clear how much money I was going to be saving.

The installation went without a hitch. I've had friends whose installs take two or three days, so I was very happy to see a big crew wrap it up under 8 hours.

Before during and after; the customer service was exceptional.
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Practical advice, and good response time to question

Installation ok. There didn't seem to be ideal communication between Sales and Installation. Some confusion, and still waiting for bypass switch.
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Great professional company

Aiden was great. Explained everything and gave me a really good price. Told me exactly what size system I needed and didn't try to sell me something I didn't need.
Installation was good and area was left clean and tidy.
Once done Ryan explained how to download iCloud app and how it and the system worked.
Hazel organised the grid connection through my provider so everything was done for me.
Very happy with the process and system seems to be functioning really well.
Good job done by all.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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Very happy customer as we all know happy wife happy life

Instalation professional and quick ,excellent cleanup on completion

customer service
sales and quoting fair and honest
Panel rating: 4/5
Battery rating: 4/5
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Great service, no pushy salesman just gave the facts and advice on the panels and Inverter.

Great service, no pushy salesman just gave the facts and advice on the panels and Inverter. Very prompt service. on the roof within three weeks of paying the deposit. The installers, Kenny and Zac, drove from Adelaide to the Southern Yorke Peninsula and got stuck into it straight away, explained exactly what they were doing. Very polite, tidy and left no mess behind. Explained the system well when they had finished after a solid 5 hours work. I would definitely recommend these guys.
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An all round good experience.

This is the go-to way when considering anything related to solar.
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Erin & BJ

Brandon made the whole process super easy from the get go! The installers were reliable and always checking in to explain what was happening. Would recommend to anyone
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Job well done

The battery system was installed in a timely manner with expertise and efficiency a minor data issue was rectified immediately
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Fast and clean installation with great after sale service

Received quote only after a while but it was smooth sailing after that. Quote finalised after a site visit was done. Happy that he recommended inverter be installed in the garage which is on opposite side of the switchboard. The team that came for the installation came exactly on time agreed! Installation was done quickly and my place was kept clean and tidy. First problem arose after the smart meter was installed by the energy provider's rep where the CTs were installed incorrectly giving incorrect readings in the isolar app. Once i informes AR Energy about it, they arrange for it to be fixed. Everything is functioning properly and the average solar generations were above the forecast presented in the quote.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Highly Recommend

Super happy with the whole process from quote to installation. Installation technicians were prompt, friendly and efficient. Customer service has been great!
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