Nicholls Solar Reviews
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About
Nicholls Solar went into Administration on 23rd March 2006.
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It was an Australian owned and operated company based in New South Wales and Queensland. The company was established in 1991 and has offices in Sydney and Brisbane.
To guarantee high quality installation Nicholls say that they use trained employees rather than sub contractors to install all systems; this provides a single point of contact for the whole installation, by also taking care of all the regulations; plus government and utilities paper work.
Nicholls Solar say that over 60% of their business is currently derived from customer referrals. One satisfied customer stated; “We cannot give them enough praise; they were wonderful, and would recommend them to anyone”.
The company says that its aims are: 1) to provide cost effective solar solar energy solutions, therefore helping to alleviate the load off the power grid during peak times”. 2) To help home owners and businesses to find energy and carbon savings through energy monitoring, energy efficient lighting and heat load reduction.
Here are their reviews as rated by SolarQuotes users:
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Nicholls Solar Reviews (599)
Show Most Recent reviews from All time across Australia
Average Scores
4.1/5
Value for money
4.1/5
Quality of System
4.2/5
Installation
4.1/5
Customer Service
- 5 star 48
- 4 star 426
- 3 star 103
- 2 star 15
- 1 star 7
05 October 2018
The Nicholls Group is one of those 'Shonky Companies'. I think the technical term is a Phoenix meaning after the install and promise of a 10 year warranty, they change the companies directors and consider themselves a 'new company' hence prior warranties are void. Our system broke down 5 1/2 years later and even though they have same phone numbers, addresses and website and claim 25 years experience, they failed to honour their obligations saying that they are not the same business. With no choice but to have an independent solar electrician to repair our isolator and inverter, it was discovered that the conduits were installed incorrectly which caused water damage as well as loose wires not being clipped properly near our panels. Do not trust these slippery snakes.
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13 April 2018
System installed in 2012 Samil Inverter failed April 2018 just out of Warranty, Contacted Nicholls to get quote for replacement, lucky I got 3 quotes Nicholls quoted $2600 for a replacement inverter installed with 5 year warranty lol, other two companies $1150 & $1400 for same inverter same warranty, this company which change their name every few years are a RIP OFF .
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16 August 2017
Had a 3kw solar panel system installed in March 2011, was told at the time that we were getting a 5kw inverter so that if we chose to upgrade would work- actually turns out we only have a 3kw inverter so theres the first lie. Now in August 2017 (6 years later)have a system error on the inverter, rang to see if covered or could be fixed. Was told -after they looked up my details so they obviously have them- that we only had a 5 year warranty. Convenient. Checked further in my documents and clearly states we have a 10 year warranty. Rang back and was told original company Nicholls Solar went into liquidation so warranty no longer applies, they are however trading under virtually same name (Nicholls Group) from the same address and with the same phone numbers etc. Stay well clear of them
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25 July 2017
2kW inverter Geoprotek GS2000 failed after 2 years ( I noticed because I take meter reading every week). Nicholls group replaced the inverter ( under warranty) with the same brand after 1 week wait from the time I called them. The inverter does not have remote monitoring and add-in module are not available in Australia. The menu of the inverter display goes to German Language ( it happened after any thunder and lightning storm). I cannot find any instruction in the web to put it back to English Language. So I just leave it at that and can figure out what its production by the unit is still in KW/H. I have no shading in my roof and is facing North. It is now 6 years old system and it is still working.
Panel rating: 5/5
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Panel rating: 5/5
29 March 2017
My inverter failed this week (29.3.2017) It was a Samilpower S3000.
I contacted Nicholls Group,who said they had nothing to do with Nicholls Solar,they had just transferred their telephone ,fax numbers etc, to the new company in early 2016, convenient I think!
Strangely though, they were able to trace my name and system installed,
and provide me a name for the manufacturer, of my faulty inverter, which suggests to me they were possibly the original company, but just went into administration in 2016,to suit their own ends.
Now I am left with a great, useless warranty, and I need to get the manufacturer to replace the faulty inverter, and no doubt I'll have to pay for the installation myself, and will have lost lots of electricity credits, by the time this is done.
There would appear to be nothing I can do about the situation, if the company now, says we are nothing to do with the ones that put your system in, I have to lump it.
Its really annoying,I'm the one who loses out, of my hard earned cash, because of these cowboys.
Time something was done about it. I may contact my local consumer group in QLD, to see,if anything can be done.
I would suggest,if you want to have solar power, go to someone else.
A very disgruntled,
John P
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I contacted Nicholls Group,who said they had nothing to do with Nicholls Solar,they had just transferred their telephone ,fax numbers etc, to the new company in early 2016, convenient I think!
Strangely though, they were able to trace my name and system installed,
and provide me a name for the manufacturer, of my faulty inverter, which suggests to me they were possibly the original company, but just went into administration in 2016,to suit their own ends.
Now I am left with a great, useless warranty, and I need to get the manufacturer to replace the faulty inverter, and no doubt I'll have to pay for the installation myself, and will have lost lots of electricity credits, by the time this is done.
There would appear to be nothing I can do about the situation, if the company now, says we are nothing to do with the ones that put your system in, I have to lump it.
Its really annoying,I'm the one who loses out, of my hard earned cash, because of these cowboys.
Time something was done about it. I may contact my local consumer group in QLD, to see,if anything can be done.
I would suggest,if you want to have solar power, go to someone else.
A very disgruntled,
John P
05 February 2017
Back in 2011, I had a 3kW system installed for $11,000 (cheap at the time)...all went well, Sales Rep was excellent. ( except for 6 men on my ColourBond Deck roof at the same time plus the weight of their gear and 12 x 250 w Panels. There was the odd Sub Contractor who had NO clue about walking on the support Battens, kept kinking the metal sheeting, add drilled holes into thin air away from the Battens. He was a Uni Student from Asia !
Then... a problem with the GEOPROTEK GS 3000 Inverter 2.5 years into the system, Inverter failed. All was covered under the 5 year warranty. Later
I checked with Nicholls Group about the new warranty, was told the new identical Inverter is not covered by a new 5 year warranty, only by the remaining 2.5 years!!!! ...from the previous Inverter. Figure that out !!!!!
Guess what, 3 years into the life of this new GEOPROTEK GS 3000...it died too.
Suncorp Home Ins don't cover this unless there was a Storm, (no Storm, just hot blue sky the day it died)...So you can bet the hassles I'm going to have with trying to get it covered under its NEW 5 year Warranty ????...not going to happen.
Avoid Chinese crap Inverters, made to break asap.
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Then... a problem with the GEOPROTEK GS 3000 Inverter 2.5 years into the system, Inverter failed. All was covered under the 5 year warranty. Later
I checked with Nicholls Group about the new warranty, was told the new identical Inverter is not covered by a new 5 year warranty, only by the remaining 2.5 years!!!! ...from the previous Inverter. Figure that out !!!!!
Guess what, 3 years into the life of this new GEOPROTEK GS 3000...it died too.
Suncorp Home Ins don't cover this unless there was a Storm, (no Storm, just hot blue sky the day it died)...So you can bet the hassles I'm going to have with trying to get it covered under its NEW 5 year Warranty ????...not going to happen.
Avoid Chinese crap Inverters, made to break asap.
04 October 2016
Original Review on 19-01-2016:
What I "Didn't" know about Solar could have filled a book, all too confusing, I knew I wanted to get Solar but that was all I knew. I likened it to having someone say "Would you pop down to the shops and buy me a chocolate" What size? What Inverter? What Capacity? What Construction type? What suits my needs? Who are the best suppliers to call? it went on and on.Smartest move I made was contacting "Solar Quotes" on line, the rest just fell into place. 3 very reputable long standing suppliers in the industry contacted me directly, made a time for them to come out and quote and none were in and out in 10 minutes each took as much time as I needed to explain everything in as much or as little detail as I chose.
Settled on one, booked the install and the rest is as they say history. Done finished over, and that easy.
Keep clear of the 5 minute shonks, here today and gone tomorrow, stick with the long term experts in the field.
9 months later we asked Bart: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
We've had good hail here more than once and high winds, trees and sheds blown over in the suburb.Blistering hot summer and frosty winter mornings, every time I go to inspect any damage the panels still look like they came out of the box?
Performance hasn't dropped in any way shape or form.
18 September 2016
Original Review on 18-01-2016:
The solar will be installed on the 29th but I am satisfied that it will be perfect for our household.8 months later we asked Cindy: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
The system has finally made our electricity bills affordable and no more nasty surprises each quarter.16 August 2016
VERY un trusting company. The inverter for our solar system came with a warranty for 10 years and 5 years after the purchase the inverter failed. I believe the company changed names from Nicholls Solar to Nicholls Group with a new ABN and as a result they are not honouring the 10 year warranty. We were never informed of this by the company and now have to pay over $3000 to have the inverter fixed. DO not trust this company.
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20 July 2016
Original Review on 11-11-2015:
I would like to say that all of the above answers were really half way between good and fantastic. Anthony answered all my questions and brought things to my attention that I wouldn't have known if I hadn't looked at your site.8 months later we asked Odette: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
I don't actually live in the home with the solar but the renters have had no complaints and say the power bill has dropped by about 47%. They are two adults and a toddler and they work from home.03 July 2016
I would highly advise potential customers to stay away from Nicholls Group. Didn't come to appointment, didn't bother to call to advise, i had to call rescheduled 7 days later, all good, came and nearly finished the install. 6 MONTHS LATER after chasing me for final bill payment i was like "hows about you complete the install first"
They scheduled a date, showed up and nearly finished the install, you see they couldn't source (as per contract agreement 8 months prior) a Watson meter to install, gave me all sorts of excuses so they supplied an equivalent and they had the nerve to not reduce final amount accordingly. They ended up taking me to court 4 months later and i was too busy with work to even think about defending myself. I paid amount in full including the goods they didn't supply and legals and interest before due date and THEY didn't advise the court had defaulted my wife and I and we had the Sheriff around too. On top of that our credit cards have had limits reduced and some companies cancelled so i have direct debits not being paid all over the place. I WILL take legal action against them as I have done some research and I hope they pay through my honest review on my dealings with them and then they will pay in court for many reasons yet to be confirmed. Be safe, go elsewhere you don't deserve their headache.
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They scheduled a date, showed up and nearly finished the install, you see they couldn't source (as per contract agreement 8 months prior) a Watson meter to install, gave me all sorts of excuses so they supplied an equivalent and they had the nerve to not reduce final amount accordingly. They ended up taking me to court 4 months later and i was too busy with work to even think about defending myself. I paid amount in full including the goods they didn't supply and legals and interest before due date and THEY didn't advise the court had defaulted my wife and I and we had the Sheriff around too. On top of that our credit cards have had limits reduced and some companies cancelled so i have direct debits not being paid all over the place. I WILL take legal action against them as I have done some research and I hope they pay through my honest review on my dealings with them and then they will pay in court for many reasons yet to be confirmed. Be safe, go elsewhere you don't deserve their headache.
28 June 2016
Original Review on 11-11-2015:
Nicholls did not use a pressure sales pitch and provided easy to understand info. They were also very good at being available through out the process.8 months later we asked Graham: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
yes, so far the system performance and reliability has met my expectations23 June 2016
Original Review on 26-10-2015:
8 months later we asked George: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes. Internet monitoring has been useful. Power drawn from the grid has halved.30 May 2016
Original installation date organised by the solar installer was a no show. The second date arranged was a no show.
The third date they turned up hours late, no phone call to inform us on their situation. On arrival they told us the truck broke down, used a hire van. Did not finish on this day and came back the next day to complete the installation.
The installers did a good job & cleaned up well.
Follow up 2 weeks later to check on the system. The new meter installation was carried out by the same electrical fitter that did the solar panel installation. All done in a neat & tidy fashion. They were always courteous on site.
The gift card offered by Nichols Solar was a botched affair beginning to end.
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The third date they turned up hours late, no phone call to inform us on their situation. On arrival they told us the truck broke down, used a hire van. Did not finish on this day and came back the next day to complete the installation.
The installers did a good job & cleaned up well.
Follow up 2 weeks later to check on the system. The new meter installation was carried out by the same electrical fitter that did the solar panel installation. All done in a neat & tidy fashion. They were always courteous on site.
The gift card offered by Nichols Solar was a botched affair beginning to end.
26 May 2016
Original Review on 25-09-2015:
They arrived when they said they would, corrected their error in the paperwork, did the job as agreed, were very pleasant and let me with a minor cleanup job. Very satisfied with service to date; keen to test efficiency over time.8 months later we asked Brian: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Very pleased to date. Two bills from origin energy both with credits. So far haven't paid Mr Origin a cent since the system went on.It has been a long hot summer. I'll be very interested in how it performs during the winter months.
18 May 2016
They signed me up for the 5Kw system, took the deposit of $800 and went bust in a week. No one called back, had to chase the the money, all useless.
Everything is wrong about this company.
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Everything is wrong about this company.
30 April 2016
Original Review on 31-08-2015:
Nichools Solar Qld made contact and came out at a time that suited us. There was no hurry in getting through the presentation, a lot of literature was provided and all our questions answered. It made it easy to select a supplier.We were quoted 3 to 4 weeks until installation after we signed the contract. That was on a Thursday. On Friday we were contacted to see if they could install the next Tuesday. We accepted. They arrived around 8:30 am and the job was complete by 3:00 pm. It all went very smoothly without any fuss or bother although there were a couple of light showers during installation.
They also organised the rebate and for Energex to change the meter. That was done within 2 weeks and we were generating solar electricity the next day.
8 months later we asked Lorix: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
We have had solar for around eight months now and everything seems to be performing as we were told it would.An electrician was doing some electrical work and 1 of 2 systems went down for a while. The solar company had a report up almost immediately telling to check and get in touch if the problem could not be fixed. The electrician found the fault and had the solar working again the next day.
It was not a problem with either the inverters or panels.
05 April 2016
After sale service for warranty claim is virtually non existent and I was advised today 5 April 2016, by Nicholls, that the company is in liquidation.
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30 March 2016
Original Review on 30-07-2015:
Sorry to say i got 3 quotes based on solar quotes recommendation (top 5 retailer), their quotes were quite reasonable but everybody seems to get contract by online, but most of them are reluctant to pay a visit to the premises.Then i read few reviews and contacted other few..among them David from NS later was the first person wanted to come to my home by himself to check and discuss in detail and he gave me some useful information which helped me make decision later on based on checking with others. He gave me a fair price for 3.64KW Enphase215 4th Gen with Jinko 260W....
Installers were pretty good and very helpful, they discussed with me everything during/after installation and also took care of my roof :)
It's been almost 10 days now and my system is producing 13-15 avg/day during this JULY...lets see how it goes until my next bill cycle and can update more how much i am saving?
Fingers crossed...so far so good.
I will recommend Nichollas Solar to anybody..
8 months later we asked Kaushik: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
yes...with 3.64KW ==14 KW/Day....my avg is showing 15-16 KW/Day...Seems like system is performing well...my electricity bill dropped by 50-60%20 March 2016
12 March 2016
The sales rep, Leon, provided a very professional proposal and advices to help us make an informed decision. The price was also very irresistible for the system we got.
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10 March 2016
System failed soon after installation. I didn't realise it was not working until checking on the weekend, as I am very busy at work and didn't think I would have to check. One microinverter was faulty. They came to take it for repair promptly. We felt, however, that because it was a brand new system, they should have had one to replace it immediately. Then the whole system failed. As we paid for the more expensive system to have every panel working independently, this was extremely disappointing. So we didn't have solar energy for another week, which I didn't know until I checked the Enphase data the following Friday. We had to wait until Monday to get it fixed. Nicholls did come out promptly, but again we were told we had to wait for repair. We complained, saying it should be replaced immediately as it's new. The next day they came back and replaced it. So good in the end.
I am trying to be fair in the ratings. I do believe it's a good system. But our experience has not been ideal. I know things go wrong. I am still waiting to be convinced that our investment in the microinverter system was the right choice. Also we bought the more expensive QCells. It's early days. We have been without solar power for most of the time since installation. Let's hope nothing else breaks.
I don't know if it's fair to publish the review. I think you should use the information wisely. While it failed soon after installation, perhaps that was just a stroke of bad luck. It's too soon for me to say. Nicholls said to us that they'd never seen the whole system fail. I still don't know why it did fail. I am going to ask for information. I have been assured it is all working now.
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I am trying to be fair in the ratings. I do believe it's a good system. But our experience has not been ideal. I know things go wrong. I am still waiting to be convinced that our investment in the microinverter system was the right choice. Also we bought the more expensive QCells. It's early days. We have been without solar power for most of the time since installation. Let's hope nothing else breaks.
I don't know if it's fair to publish the review. I think you should use the information wisely. While it failed soon after installation, perhaps that was just a stroke of bad luck. It's too soon for me to say. Nicholls said to us that they'd never seen the whole system fail. I still don't know why it did fail. I am going to ask for information. I have been assured it is all working now.
24 February 2016
Nice, responsive and informative sales person and installers. Very happy with the installation and the product.
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03 February 2016
11 January 2016
29 December 2015
David (salesperson) was very knowledgeable and answered any and all questions that we had. He was also one of only 2 companies who did a site visit (don't even think about going with someone who does it all over the phone). Nicholls were able to show us the proposed layout on our roof (good to see where each panel would be located) as well as take us through some short videos on how we (and they) will be able to monitor the output and operation of the system. Also, the pros and cons of 'string inverters' versus 'micro inverters' explained well.
HOWEVER, since paying the final $$ (which we were required to do on day of installation), customer service has dropped a little (possibly to do with the holiday season?). I was to be contacted as to when they were coming out to install the system and also another time to fit the solar meters to our power box. Both times I did not receive a call and had to email David - having done that, they contacted me quite quickly!! SUGGESTION! Hold back $1000 UNTIL the system is fully connected - we are still waiting to have the meter installed so at the moment, whilst saving money during the day, we are not benefiting from selling any surplus back to the energy provider (won't be a fortune, but still every bit helps!). Also, when the electrician came out to install the meters originally, found that the meter box was not big enough and so a 'special' meter needed to be ordered from the energy supplier (no additional cost but still set things back by a couple of weeks, and added to the Xmas break......) - thought this might be determined when installation was being done??
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HOWEVER, since paying the final $$ (which we were required to do on day of installation), customer service has dropped a little (possibly to do with the holiday season?). I was to be contacted as to when they were coming out to install the system and also another time to fit the solar meters to our power box. Both times I did not receive a call and had to email David - having done that, they contacted me quite quickly!! SUGGESTION! Hold back $1000 UNTIL the system is fully connected - we are still waiting to have the meter installed so at the moment, whilst saving money during the day, we are not benefiting from selling any surplus back to the energy provider (won't be a fortune, but still every bit helps!). Also, when the electrician came out to install the meters originally, found that the meter box was not big enough and so a 'special' meter needed to be ordered from the energy supplier (no additional cost but still set things back by a couple of weeks, and added to the Xmas break......) - thought this might be determined when installation was being done??
13 December 2015
Original Review on 13-04-2015:
Going solar can be a minefield, but with your guidelines i was more informed and was then able work through the suppliers and find the best suited to me. a few quoted without coming out to check site. Some didnt show up or even call/text to say they couldnt make it. I dont know how they could possibly give an accurate quote without personally visiting the site. I foudf the Nicholls Group to be the most professional so far even though i am waiting on an install date. Of course i havent experienced the installation yet but i will email you the result.8 months later we asked Ken: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes it has . Our 1st bill, which was the 1/4 at the end of winter was 1/2 the previous bill. We are waiting for the 2nd bill which we are expecting soon with great anticipation. Our solar consumption has overtaken our grid usage by over 200kw since installation.23 November 2015
Original Review on 31-03-2015:
Solar installation is currently in progress. Hopefully will be completed by next week.8 months later we asked Byron: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
The system performs well, BUT, potential buyers need to remember that the power only supplies the house during daylight hours. Ignore the salesman telling you numbers on how much you will save, it is not accurate.Are we happy? Yes. Would we do anything different? Well, I think we would invest in a battery hybrid system were we to do it again. I know it is double the price, but I think the savings would be much more significant.
18 November 2015
Please understand that I don't review things generally but this needed to be said. I own and operate 2 businesses and understand the importance of communication with your client.
I was promised a system within two weeks. That happened as this is where the company takes its final payment. They were very quick to invoice me. Be careful, The company charges a 1.5% credit card fee which doesn't seem like much until you are paying over $3000.00 for the final payment. When questioned on the $45+ fee, Nicholls Group accountant informs me that they have to take the fee for the bank. I informed them that the bank fee for this transaction would be well less than $1.00
I was promised that the system would be connected to the grid 2 weeks after the payment of my invoice. This period ran for a minimum of 6 weeks. When the installer came to connect to the grid, he shut off my hot water system late in the week and there were cold showers in the home from Friday night until Monday morning. I tried to call Nicholls Solar Emergency line but it does not exist.
I manage to contact Nicholls Group on the Monday at 9.00am when they open and inform them of the situation. They have someone out to reconnect the hot water but he informs me that there is another issue on the board that needs to be rectified.
Today the installer comes and rectifies the problem. Finally I am led to believe that the process is complete and that my system will be returning power to the grid and paying for it self now. Over 3 months later than the date I signed when I was informed that the process would take 1 month max.
The office never made contact on any area. All contact was initiated by me.
When you do contact the office, you are treated like a problem client when all you are looking for is an update on progress.
I can say one good thing. The team that came to install the panels did a good job and were very polite.
Thank you.
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I was promised a system within two weeks. That happened as this is where the company takes its final payment. They were very quick to invoice me. Be careful, The company charges a 1.5% credit card fee which doesn't seem like much until you are paying over $3000.00 for the final payment. When questioned on the $45+ fee, Nicholls Group accountant informs me that they have to take the fee for the bank. I informed them that the bank fee for this transaction would be well less than $1.00
I was promised that the system would be connected to the grid 2 weeks after the payment of my invoice. This period ran for a minimum of 6 weeks. When the installer came to connect to the grid, he shut off my hot water system late in the week and there were cold showers in the home from Friday night until Monday morning. I tried to call Nicholls Solar Emergency line but it does not exist.
I manage to contact Nicholls Group on the Monday at 9.00am when they open and inform them of the situation. They have someone out to reconnect the hot water but he informs me that there is another issue on the board that needs to be rectified.
Today the installer comes and rectifies the problem. Finally I am led to believe that the process is complete and that my system will be returning power to the grid and paying for it self now. Over 3 months later than the date I signed when I was informed that the process would take 1 month max.
The office never made contact on any area. All contact was initiated by me.
When you do contact the office, you are treated like a problem client when all you are looking for is an update on progress.
I can say one good thing. The team that came to install the panels did a good job and were very polite.
Thank you.
16 November 2015
I found the whole process with Nicholls from the initial contact to the check on final installation to be a very positive experience. They took the time to discuss a range of options with me and helped me to choose a system that would meet both present and future needs. The installation and after-sales service have both been excellent.
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26 October 2015
Prices seemed to be comparable when comparing like with like in terms of system quality, reliability and efficiency according to a number of tests and certifications.
I do not like being chased by salespeople, especially as I am capable of doing my own research and confirming results with independent expert engineers in the energy field.
Given the level of investment, we took the time to check everything before committing to Nicholls, who installed on time and solved wiring and other issues without hassle on the day.
System working exactly as per our expectations, which are realistic and based on empirical studies to-date. We also wanted a "battery-ready" system in anticipation of Tesla opening their Australian factory in the near future.
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I do not like being chased by salespeople, especially as I am capable of doing my own research and confirming results with independent expert engineers in the energy field.
Given the level of investment, we took the time to check everything before committing to Nicholls, who installed on time and solved wiring and other issues without hassle on the day.
System working exactly as per our expectations, which are realistic and based on empirical studies to-date. We also wanted a "battery-ready" system in anticipation of Tesla opening their Australian factory in the near future.
22 October 2015
This company provided the most comprehensive range of options and prices. The salesman then spent almost two hours on-site talking through all the options, answering our questions and helping us to make the best decision in terms of the size of system, the components and the price. The installation team were quick, efficient and tidy. Overall, this has been an excellent experience and the system is delivering all that was promised.
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11 October 2015
We requested 3 quotes but only 2 responded. We also had quotes from companies recommended by friends.
We chose Nicholls because of the overall service and the fact they offered micro inverters which suited our requirements. We were torn between Nicholls and Positronic's solar edge.
The other company was Modern and we would never recommend them. They wouldn't provide a written quote even though they were $4000 more expensive than the next quote. If we waited for a quote it would cost us another $4000?! The sales person also mis informed us about the legal requirement to replace our electric hot water system with a solar one - another $4000- if the electric one failed.
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We chose Nicholls because of the overall service and the fact they offered micro inverters which suited our requirements. We were torn between Nicholls and Positronic's solar edge.
The other company was Modern and we would never recommend them. They wouldn't provide a written quote even though they were $4000 more expensive than the next quote. If we waited for a quote it would cost us another $4000?! The sales person also mis informed us about the legal requirement to replace our electric hot water system with a solar one - another $4000- if the electric one failed.
08 October 2015
26 September 2015
System installed around August 2014.
Our electricity bills have approximately halved since installation.
The roof on our house was damaged significantly (entire roof had to be replaced) in the November 2014 Brisbane area storms, but there was no damage to the QCell panels supplied and installed by Nicholls Solar.
We have since recommended Nicholls Solar to friends/colleagues.
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Our electricity bills have approximately halved since installation.
The roof on our house was damaged significantly (entire roof had to be replaced) in the November 2014 Brisbane area storms, but there was no damage to the QCell panels supplied and installed by Nicholls Solar.
We have since recommended Nicholls Solar to friends/colleagues.
23 September 2015
19 September 2015
Original Review on 12-02-2015:
Good, professional service at all stages: quote, scheduling installation and installation.7 months later we asked Andrew: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes, it has worked perfectly so far, and installation was quick and painless.12 September 2015
We have yet to receive a power bill since being installed, so can't really rate as yet, but from our overall experience we found them to be so full of important info, not pushy with sales and very confident in there products. This really helped our decision to go with them. We really did our research from Finn and peacock media group and believe we got the best system for us and the price. Fingers crossed it works out for us????????
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10 September 2015
Original Review on 27-01-2015:
Of the three quotes Nicholls was by far the most professional. One company did not visit at all and said we could fit 10 panels on the top part of the roof based on aerial photos. A second company sent a rep but he said he did not need to go to the roof and again said 10 panels would fit. The Nicholls rep (Zubin) came inspected the roof, the power box, and ways to route the wiring. He said we could definitely only fit 8 panels but suggested putting 6 on another part of the roof. He was also extremely knowledgeable, open and honest. When I went back and questioned the other two, one said they were still sure 10 would fit, the other said the regulations had "just changed" and that now only 8 would fit. When asked about the other part of the roof they asked the pitch, when I said 40deg they said it was too steep to work on. If they had bothered to check they would have realised they could stand on a flat roof to access.We had to wait 6 weeks for the installation (over the Xmas period) but they turned up on the dot and did a very professional job installing. I was particularly impressed with the wiring which went into the roof and internally as much as feasible. I have seen some installations where they seem to just run the cables across the roof and straight down the side of the house. Overall an extremely friendly and professional company to work with.
8 months later we asked Kim: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes07 September 2015
31 August 2015
Both suppliers provided me with great information, and offered me good quality systems. After meeting with both I felt more informed and neither put on the hard sell. The clincher at the end was the availability of micro-inverters coupled with a very easy to read/access monitoring system that left me feeling confident that if something was not working, I'd know about it and so would the supplier.
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25 August 2015
The sales rep was very knowledgeable and professional and patient without trying to close the deal on the same day. He clearly explained the benefits of using the latest technology to cater for possible future additional panels and/or battery adaptability
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11 August 2015
Good people to deal with. I can't really comment on the quality of the system because it has only been installed for a few weeks. it seems to be doing well so far.
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24 July 2015
All of the people I dealt with at Nicholls Solar were terrific. They were the first to respond and worked in with our specific requests about visiting the site and arranging the date of our installation. The installation team was lovely and very efficient. Couldn't have asked for more.
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06 July 2015
Very good experience dealing with the Nicholls group, right through the initial dealing with the salesman,and then with the administration and the installations team, would recommend the Nicholls group without hesitation.
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25 June 2015
There was a lengthy delay in advising us of the installation date. We paid our deposit on the day we accepted their quote but didn't hear anything more until I contacted them 8 days later. After I contacted I was given an installation date which wasn't for another week and a bit. I don't know if the quote acceptance had gone missing or if they just didn't keep us informed of the progress.
The Rep was helpful and prompt with giving a quote with my selection of panels and inverter.
Installation crew were helpful with information.
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The Rep was helpful and prompt with giving a quote with my selection of panels and inverter.
Installation crew were helpful with information.
14 June 2015
20 May 2015
It took 4 months from initial deposit to having someone come and do the install including 3 last minute reschedules which was very inconvenient.
On the day the guys turned up short-handed and although tried their best were well underprepared. I even had to help them lift the panels up onto the roof which I thought was very unprofessional. They also broke a number of tiles during the day which had to be replaced. To their credit they did have it done in the day like promised and finished about 7pm.
Then it was a ridiculously long wait for the meter to be updated and connected to the grid.
After our recent rain storms in Sydney, I have discovered 2 leaks in the roof from where the panel frames were screwed through the tiles into the roof underneath. These leaks have caused damage to my ceiling and an internal wall where the water dripped down and pooled.
I have contacted Nichols asking about their policy on these types of things to which I have been ignored.
Not very happy at all.
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On the day the guys turned up short-handed and although tried their best were well underprepared. I even had to help them lift the panels up onto the roof which I thought was very unprofessional. They also broke a number of tiles during the day which had to be replaced. To their credit they did have it done in the day like promised and finished about 7pm.
Then it was a ridiculously long wait for the meter to be updated and connected to the grid.
After our recent rain storms in Sydney, I have discovered 2 leaks in the roof from where the panel frames were screwed through the tiles into the roof underneath. These leaks have caused damage to my ceiling and an internal wall where the water dripped down and pooled.
I have contacted Nichols asking about their policy on these types of things to which I have been ignored.
Not very happy at all.
14 May 2015
Original Review on 12-09-2014:
8 months later we asked Tom: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
After 6 months we are happy with the unit.Our bill has reduced by 30percent.
12 May 2015
Original Review on 09-08-2014:
I received contacts and quote from only Nichols Solar and Solaray. Both quotes were competitive. The information provided by both companies was very useful and aided my "solar education".I chose to go with Nichols because they came up with a bundle that was "2nd best in breed" and competitively priced. To go to "best in breed" would have added $3,500 to the total cost.
The two company representatives were technically skilled but my personal feeling was that the Solaray rep. was more up with the subject and better able to answer questions that impacted upon, but were not directly related to, the sale and installation.
IMO, either of these companies would be a good choice regardless of the system that a buyer was considering.
9 months later we asked Ian: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
In a word, NO! During summer14/15 my PV power and grid-consumption were about the same kWH/month. The PV energy produced is rebated at ~5 cents/kWH.However, the meter system is prioritised to take electricity only from the grid, for which I pay 21-22 cents/kWH. As a result, my electricity cost/month has reduced somewhat, but not significantly.
I would like to see my metering system prioritised to use home-generated (daylight) power first then topped-up by grid supply. The mandated usage meter is specifically designed to prevent this.
I could be guilty of "electricity theft" if
1. I could get PV power directly into my home power system, meter neutral.
2. Ditto if the PV power was used to run the meter backward.
Theoretically, with suitable home storage technologies, I could disconnect from the grid.
But - oh, no - electricity is an essential service and a house without a grid connection could be deemed to be uninhabitable.