Kdec Electrical and Solar Reviews
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Kdec Electrical and Solar is a Solar Power Installation business based in Albury NSW. Here are their reviews as submitted by visitors to SolarQuotes
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Kdec Electrical and Solar Reviews (78)
Show Most Recent reviews from All time across Australia
Average Scores
4.2/5
Value for money
4.3/5
Quality of System
4.6/5
Installation
4.4/5
Customer Service
- 5 star 16
- 4 star 55
- 3 star 6
- 2 star 1
- 1 star 0
View Timeline
02 December 2023
18 August 2022
Original Review on 13-12-2021:
We chose this supplier on quality and references
Most knowledgeable best quality, best references from previous clients, flexibility of interface8 months later we asked Russell: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
We LOVE it. This company have far exceeded expectations and the system works perfectly. Great customer service install is neat and professional and the results are amazing, goodbye power bills04 May 2021
Thank you to all your team - Brad. Jacob. & Jimmy were all conscientious workers who arrived at the arranged time & were efficient in every way.
The reception staff were always pleasant & knowledgeable. It was a pleasure to deal with them.20 December 2020
6.6kw Installation - KDec
From the professionalism shown at our first meeting, KDec have been thorough, quick and informative throughout the process of quoting to installation. I would highly recommend their services.07 July 2020
Good installer, have dealt with the company before they went into solar
Sales/quoting process efficient and promptI can't tell you about the installation only that my friend (acted on behalf of him) was satisfied with the process
They have organised the grid connection and the provider is in the process of installing or modifying the meter
28 May 2020
Original Review on 30-09-2019:
Great friendly service and good clear advice.Price of $11,000 is before STC's and Vic Rebate.
8 months later we asked Pamela: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes it has30 March 2020
Original Review on 29-07-2019:
Just waiting for the meter to be changed and we are off and running. It is a 6.4KW system and we had the panels fitted North East and West on the rooftop. Probably a bit big for 2 retirees but with the rebate there wasn't much difference in price.8 months later we asked Hellen: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
I have gone from a $600 per quarter electricity bill to a credit on my account each month. For the $7800 outlay on a Solar Edge 6.4kw system I can already see the great benefits not only to my pocket but also the environment. Very happy customer.03 January 2020
Fantastic crew great system
Sales team were great, install was spot on, nice polite team completely professional15 October 2019
Top rate installation
From start to finish this company knew their job, the sales people know their product, the installation crew we prompt and worked really efficiently to get the job completed in a very professional manor,explaining every thing as they went.Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 4/5
08 October 2019
Fantastic regional installer!
The process from sales to installation and completion was smooth, hassle free and completed efficiently and on time. Punctual, tidy, and courteous employees, clearly proud of their quality work. Great job having a super regional installer. By employing their own guys they build their company profile around service to the community through trusted employees. No subbies here!Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
09 May 2019
Original Review on 06-09-2018:
We live in Wodonga, in north-eastern Victoria. We purchased a PVA and battery system from a local suppler/installer in 2018. Now some 9 months on, we are happy to share our experience with interested readers on the Solarquotes site.Our system has 6.2kW PVA of roof-mounted Sunpower cells facing 70% north-west, 30% north-east. These feed an Opal Storage box containing a Sola-X 5.6kW inverter, a battery control system and one LGchem 6.5kWh battery. We also installed a Reposit intelligent controller. The all-up cost was around $15K after the government’s energy certificate credits. As a happy surprise, we also qualified for the new (at the time) Victorian Government PVA rebate which paid-back $2,250 from that purchase price. We use Energy Australia as our power supplier.
Our system supplier, KDec, was professional and friendly. The installation was done neatly and took only a couple of days. The certification process and energy supplier arrangements that followed were slower but, overall, the system went live without drama.
Now with several months’ experience to comment on, we would have to say we are happy customers. The system works, our power bills are now around $100 per quarter whereas they would be upwards of $800 without the system – and would likely be rising in the coming years given the current energy policy climate. Granted it was a large capital cost to install, we are satisfied we will recoup our net spend in 7-8 years (perhaps less if power prices rise more) which is well within the guarantee period of the components.
The feed-in tariff was 9.9c/kWh when we installed the system. Recently (Mar 2019) Energy Aust has introduced a time-of-day variable feed-in tariff which peaks at 29c/kWh for energy we send to the grid at peak times, plus a shoulder feed-in of 10.9c and off-peak 7.1c. We are yet to receive a quarterly bill based on these new arrangements but obviously the change is beneficial to us and will accelerate the pay-back period.
On reliability, we have had two mysterious system shut-downs for no apparent reason over the months. In these cases the system had to be turned off entirely, then restarted. On one of those occasions it didn’t restart properly and I had to poke about inside the Opal box pushing buttons on the battery and inverter (under the telephone instructions of the tech from Sola-X!) to get it going. Statistically that suggests about three such events a year, or roughly 99% reliability. I guess that’s not bad for a system this complex, but owners should expect to be a bit hands-on in doing re-starts rather than expect the supplier to always show up to do it.
On the matter of reliability, it’s worth adding that the owner has to be vigilant in regularly looking at the software screens that monitor the system’s performance to even know when it’s off the air, since the house will run anyway, drawing from the grid, if the PVA and/or battery shuts down.
Regarding the usefulness of having a battery, it’s probably true that most of the benefit from a solar system comes from the day-time contribution the PVA makes to the house in reducing or eliminating daytime grid consumption, with what’s left over feeding back to the grid yielding a monetary benefit. The economics of adding a battery remains contentious. In our case, opting for a battery approximately doubled the dollar spend. To make that choice, a household has to have that money available to spend in that way, and many won’t have. We did, and having done our sums we figured that the battery payback, whilst slow, was a better investment than simply leaving that amount in the bank.
The dollar benefit from the battery essentially comes from two sources: direct avoidance of grid costs by charging the battery cost-free from the PVA and using that power later when the sun goes down; and from tariff-shifting where the battery management system charges the battery from the grid at cheaper off-peak times and uses it later in peak-rate periods. On any day these strategies only amount to tens-of-cents or maybe a dollar, so it becomes clear why it takes a long time to see the payback. To us, it is appealing to wake-up to a full battery and use its power during the day to thereby avoid most, sometimes all, of peak-rate grid usage.
How much battery to have is, of course, a good question. Our Opal box can take two batteries but presently we have one. Adding a second would cost around $7,500. It’s tempting to think that doing so would allow the house to avoid drawing from the grid at all, but a close look at household usage patterns, and cloudy weather which often causes the PVA to operate nowhere near full output, quickly shows that our house would still be dependent on the grid, at least some of the time, even with two batteries. With unavoidable standing-charges on the energy plan, we doubt the economics of the second battery presently stacks-up.
8 months later we asked Leigh: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
We live in Wodonga, in north-eastern Victoria. We purchased a PVA and battery system from a local suppler/installer in 2018. Now some 9 months on, we are happy to share our experience with interested readers on the Solarquotes site.Our system has 6.2kW PVA of roof-mounted Sunpower cells facing 70% north-west, 30% north-east. These feed an Opal Storage box containing a Sola-X 5.6kW inverter, a battery control system and one LGchem 6.5kWh battery. We also installed a Reposit intelligent controller. The all-up cost was around $15K after the government’s energy certificate credits. As a happy surprise, we also qualified for the new (at the time) Victorian Government PVA rebate which paid-back $2,250 from that purchase price. We use Energy Australia as our power supplier.
Our system supplier, KDec, was professional and friendly. The installation was done neatly and took only a couple of days. The certification process and energy supplier arrangements that followed were slower but, overall, the system went live without drama.
Now with several months’ experience to comment on, we would have to say we are happy customers. The system works, our power bills are now around $100 per quarter whereas they would be upwards of $800 without the system – and would likely be rising in the coming years given the current energy policy climate. Granted it was a large capital cost to install, we are satisfied we will recoup our net spend in 7-8 years (perhaps less if power prices rise more) which is well within the guarantee period of the components.
The feed-in tariff was 9.9c/kWh when we installed the system. Recently (Mar 2019) Energy Aust has introduced a time-of-day variable feed-in tariff which peaks at 29c/kWh for energy we send to the grid at peak times, plus a shoulder feed-in of 10.9c and off-peak 7.1c. We are yet to receive a quarterly bill based on these new arrangements but obviously the change is beneficial to us and will accelerate the pay-back period.
On reliability, we have had two mysterious system shut-downs for no apparent reason over the months. In these cases the system had to be turned off entirely, then restarted. On one of those occasions it didn’t restart properly and I had to poke about inside the Opal box pushing buttons on the battery and inverter (under the telephone instructions of the tech from Sola-X!) to get it going. Statistically that suggests about three such events a year, or roughly 99% reliability. I guess that’s not bad for a system this complex, but owners should expect to be a bit hands-on in doing re-starts rather than expect the supplier to always show up to do it.
On the matter of reliability, it’s worth adding that the owner has to be vigilant in regularly looking at the software screens that monitor the system’s performance to even know when it’s off the air, since the house will run anyway, drawing from the grid, if the PVA and/or battery shuts down.
Regarding the usefulness of having a battery, it’s probably true that most of the benefit from a solar system comes from the day-time contribution the PVA makes to the house in reducing or eliminating daytime grid consumption, with what’s left over feeding back to the grid yielding a monetary benefit. The economics of adding a battery remains contentious. In our case, opting for a battery approximately doubled the dollar spend. To make that choice, a household has to have that money available to spend in that way, and many won’t have. We did, and having done our sums we figured that the battery payback, whilst slow, was a better investment than simply leaving that amount in the bank.
The dollar benefit from the battery essentially comes from two sources: direct avoidance of grid costs by charging the battery cost-free from the PVA and using that power later when the sun goes down; and from tariff-shifting where the battery management system charges the battery from the grid at cheaper off-peak times and uses it later in peak-rate periods. On any day these strategies only amount to tens-of-cents or maybe a dollar, so it becomes clear why it takes a long time to see the payback. To us, it is appealing to wake-up to a full battery and use its power during the day to thereby avoid most, sometimes all, of peak-rate grid usage.
How much battery to have is, of course, a good question. Our Opal box can take two batteries but presently we have one. Adding a second would cost around $7,500. It’s tempting to think that doing so would allow the house to avoid drawing from the grid at all, but a close look at household usage patterns, and cloudy weather which often causes the PVA to operate nowhere near full output, quickly shows that our house would still be dependent on the grid, at least some of the time, even with two batteries. With unavoidable standing-charges on the energy plan, we doubt the economics of the second battery presently stacks-up.
02 May 2019
Original Review on 30-08-2018:
8 months later we asked Geoffrey: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes except for the issue with SP AUSNET the infostructure providers22 April 2019
26 January 2019
We were very impressed with Cameron's clear and practical presentation, which was, in fact, more knowledge than sales pitch!
There was nothing wrong with Planet Power Riverina's, KDEC's was just better. (Cola Solar too far away for us)
And then the installation blew us away with pure professionalism......
Extremely happy with both SolarQuotes info and KDEC recommendation!!
Thank you!!
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There was nothing wrong with Planet Power Riverina's, KDEC's was just better. (Cola Solar too far away for us)
And then the installation blew us away with pure professionalism......
Extremely happy with both SolarQuotes info and KDEC recommendation!!
Thank you!!
17 December 2018
So far so good, waiting for a response from my supplier and the Vic. state govt. re subsidy. Panels working a treat with Fronius 8.2Kw Inverter.
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13 November 2018
26 October 2018
26 October 2018
Original Review on 16-02-2018:
KDEC provided the more comprehensive quote and were the only firm that offered a hybrid inverter (I had asked that the system would accept a battery) included as part of the quote. They also offered varying options including presenting a case for a 6kw system. Pricing was similar however the other firms only offered a standard inverter which meant more cost to connect a battery unlike the hybrid that would accept a battery without needing any other parts, at a cost, to connect a battery.Another contributing factor was that KDEC use their own employees to install. Interesting I received an unsolicited quote from a business in Sydney, they were offering a special as long as I accepted their quote in the next two hours. They didn't even get past first base.
Thankyou for your effort in providing two business to quote, and it was not as straight forward as I first thought in deciding which quote to accept. Once I had received all quotes it took about a week to finally make my decision. I rang each business to let them know my decision.
8 months later we asked Greg: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes and in fact it seems to have exceeded what I was expecting. And I am able to transfer solar credits to my gas account.16 October 2018
Hi There, Just waiting now to be connected, panels are up, ect, Just waiting for Kdec's paper work to go thru, Would not have a clue how long it will take . I am with origin energy. they need to come out & switch it over, so I have been informed.
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06 September 2018
17 August 2018
We live 2 hours away from the installer and they were more than happy to come out and discuss our needs, placement of the system and the size that would best suit us
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08 July 2018
07 May 2018
Original Review on 05-09-2017:
Professional installation, sound advice. Too soon to comment on system performance but looks to be performing well. Yet to have the app setup properly on iPhone.8 months later we asked Brett: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes, bills have been slashed from $500 to $60 for same period (summer)08 March 2018
Original Review on 07-07-2017:
Great local company. Service was hard to fault. They turned up on time for any appointments or work. Work was always completed to a high standard and site left clean and tidy.8 months later we asked Tom: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
System has been in for about 9 months, with no problems to date. Been very happy with the system which is modest, but suits out needs. We are retired which means our consumption is pretty flat across the waking hours as washing machine, dishwasher, etc are being used at the best solar generation times maximising our savings. We use about 50% and sell back about 50% on average, but we are light users. General effect has been to reduce our power consumed from the retailer by 50%, saving dollars, as well as a bit of credit for the stuff we sell to them. Best to use as much as you can as it saves you 28.5 cents/Kwhr, as against the 9 cents/KwHr you get for exports.19 November 2017
One eventually contacted me and seemed ok. However, I had already signed with another company.
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10 August 2017
KDEC have been very professional throughout the entire process including any followup. Happy to recommend KDEC to anyone.
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24 June 2017
After my initial email contact for a quote I was contacted the following day by the manager of the company and had about 30 minute discussion which resulted in a follow up written quote. I was pleasantly surprised with both the professionalism and reasonable price, so I went ahead. The system was installed shortly after with a high level of quality and care, and the site left neat and clean. Shortly after they returned and did meter change as part of the quote. At all times the personnel from KDEC were professional and informative in their approach, making sure you were comfortable with the process. I never felt out of the loop.
The system has performed flawlessly since being turned on, and has wireless monitoring so we can keep an eye on output with an app on my Samsung tablet, as demonstrated by the KDEC staff.
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The system has performed flawlessly since being turned on, and has wireless monitoring so we can keep an eye on output with an app on my Samsung tablet, as demonstrated by the KDEC staff.
11 June 2017
Not the cheapest. Not the dearest. Best value for money.
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05 May 2017
11 April 2017
Planet Power did not follow up with written quote also did return call. One other Gentleman phoned during a conference that he was attending and did not phone back.
I found your site extremely helpful and gave excellent information on Inverters and panels.
I have given your name to others
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I found your site extremely helpful and gave excellent information on Inverters and panels.
I have given your name to others
04 June 2016
14 March 2016
01 February 2016
Kallan from Kdec solar was happy to spend some time explaining the in's and out's of the whole solar experience to me and my eldery mother in an easy to understand manner. No question was silly and he was upfront about the product and the time it would take to install. He also made himself accessible if we had any further questions or concerns.
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25 January 2016
Highly recommend Kdec and Solar Quotes. Thanks for your help guys you've been terrific.
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03 January 2016
19 December 2015
15 September 2015
25 August 2015
We were very pleased with Kdec as a service provider, we had a instant quote on the day ,the systems went in as advised the installation was quick, accurate and professional. The systems (we had two solar systems fitted,one at the business and one residential) were up and going within half a day and the power interruption to the business was only minutes. The price was also the cheapest with one other very close and one way over the top. I would recommend Kdec as an installer of a solar system.
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02 August 2015
17 July 2015
28 June 2015
04 April 2015
Original Review on 31-07-2014:
Kdec Solar were very obliging and tradesmen were vey professional. I have even recommended them to my friends.8 months later we asked PETER: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
yes/very good. reduced power bill by 50%24 January 2015
Original Review on 31-05-2014:
The sales assistant was extremely helpful and supplied written information along with his advice. I would highly recomend this company to everyone. Very satisified.8 months later we asked Terry: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
We are extremely happy with this system. The advice that we were given in relation to this system has proved to be very reliable. The system has operated faultlessly and is working above our expectations. I would change my original review from being good to excellent. I would highly recommend KDEC to anybody who is considering Solar as an option due to their extremely good advice and knowledge of the products they sell.07 January 2015
A lot of the pre-sale information was useful, however when it came down to particulars about energy consumption, bills, separate dedicated circuits etc I found it to be less so. I chased up the installation, I chased up the follow up, as KDEC paperwork was filled out incorrectly delaying other stakeholders in the process (Origin & Ausnet). I would suggest delaying payment until everything"" is fully functional and working in order to hold the installer accountable, because once KDEC had installed panels and they got cash, it was difficult to get anything further from them. Will be interesting to see if pre sale promises around energy savings etc come to fruition. Waiting with interest on the next energy bill.
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06 October 2014
Original Review on 04-02-2014:
K-Dec where upfront with their information and used Trina Honey Panels and a cheap Chinese inverter Growatt that they have not had any problems only with one unit, it worked but you could not read the screen. Their quote was reasonable and they employ Grade 5 electricians so didn't have to out source an electrician to have my meter installed. They installed everything and had it up and running that afternoon. They were able to connect it as I had an old meter which started to run backwards, which was good. They took images of the Solar panel serial no's and they were Trina Panels. Everything was done professionally. I choose a local company as you can go to their office if you have any problems. Very happy with the outcomes.8 months later we asked Sharon: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
So far I have been very happy with the system and have had no problems. It has done what I had hoped for and that was to half my electricity bills which it has as it is only a 1.5 KW system.10 September 2014
Original Review on 09-01-2014:
The solar industry is very confusing and specifications and quality vary considerably depending on who you talk to. Researching panels and inverters could take a lifetime, there are thousands on the market and while there are market leaders, not everybody can afford the best system. My feeling was to get a reputable supplier who has good reviews and customer feedback as well as an affordable system and trust them and their choice of equipment rather than frustrate myself looking through panel specs I don't really understand.Solar Quotes took most of the work out of choosing the supplier as they have a number of reputable suppliers and installers around the country on their books. I received three quotes and went with the one that offered the best value for money and provided the best service. I chose standard panels but upgraded the choice of inverter to a Delta Solivia as this, to me, is the heart of the system. I resisted the temptation to go for the best performing panels as I didn't feel the extra outlay would be cost justified and also think that there will be new innovations in panels well before the 25 year warranty has expired.
My system is 2 kw which, for a small house with 2 retirees is adequate, output generally tops out at about 1.85kw over the midday peak performance window but I expect this to climb a bit as the fierce 30+ heat of WA subsides in April as these panels perform best at about 25 degrees, above this the output is degraded.
I haven't had the system long enough to see the benefits of the solar system but I did get a an account two weeks after it was installed and there seemed to be some reduction benefits other than the $10 credit for energy fed back into the grid.
Be aware that Synergy in WA will charge you about $35 to process your application and a further $60 to program your meter, this could increase substantially if you don't have a modern meter box.
8 months later we asked John: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
I don't know as I don't have a benchmark. I have 7 x 300w panels giving me a 2.1 kw system and my top performance so far, in summer, was 1750 w with an average of about 1650 w. It has worked well though regarding my electricity usage and my bill has halved since the installation of the system. Does this performance sound about right?23 May 2014
Original Review on 21-05-2012:
The initial response from the supplier was very quick; next day from requesting quote. However it took a call and a couple of weeks before a visit. Process and options were explained well. Too many options with panels. Had to change preference when selected panel was not available. Installation was on time as agreed but took 1.5 days over consecutive days. Three weeks since installation and still waiting for inspection to enable installation of solar meter. Process will be at least another two weeks. Have spoken to installer who says he has a lot of installations to process. Have spoken to inspector who says he will complete within 1 week of request from installer.24 months later we asked ANDREW: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes. The 4 kW system has generated 7,000kwh per year. This is the figure your calculator advised. It was interesting to note how the output varies with the season and daily temperatures. 12kwh in winter and 30kwh in Spring/Summer/Autumn per day is the average.25 April 2014
As to the quality of the system the answer lies in the years ahead,
Prompt service.
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Prompt service.
14 April 2014
08 April 2014
The company we chose was helpful and pleasant to deal with. However, as with so many businesses that you deal with, the level of attention and follow up seems to fall away somewhat once you have paid your money. Our system whilst installed on the roof is not yet working. The approval and commissioning process is lengthy and somewhat frustrating considering you have already paid out many thousands of dollars. This of course is not the installers fault.
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From quote to finish, all excellent, punctual, and good crew.
All went very well, would have them back anytime, Customer service very good,