OBrien Solar AUS

OBrien Solar AUS Reviews

4.6

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About

OBrien Solar AUS is a Solar Power Installation company based in Garbutt and serves QLD. Here are their reviews as submitted by visitors to SolarQuotes

Reviewers report paying: $5,500 - $8,400 for depending on hardware choice and installation difficulty ( how is this calculated? )

Panels, inverter, battery and EV charger brands

Panel brands currently installed

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Battery brands previously installed

The views expressed by reviewers are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of SolarQuotes Home Electrification Pty Ltd, 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.

OBrien Solar AUS Reviews (71)

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Average Scores

4.6/5

Value for money

4.7/5

Quality of System

4.7/5

Installation

4.6/5

Customer Service

  • 5 star 35
  • 4 star 31
  • 3 star 4
  • 2 star 0
  • 1 star 1

I give them top marks overall.

Chris the director of the company didn’t come across as a pushy salesman. Didn’t try to oversell to me and the quote was by far the easiest to understand from everyone else.

His suggestions and knowledge he provided to the job really outshined the other companies that came out and quoted.

Everything is working as to how he proposed it would be. I haven’t paid an electricity bill months after the installation.

From dealing with the office staff to the tradesmen everything has been professional by them.

Even after the installation when I’ve had a question, it’s been dealt with by the office staff fuss free and within the hour.

I can’t express how highly I recommend them, a company that truly values its customers.

Regards,

Tom.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Very happy with the entire process.

Mark made contact with me very promptly and visited my home to discuss my particular requirements. One important issue was replacement of the meter box. A good solution was proposed and was completed as part of the installation. The installation was done very quickly after our agreement was reached and was completed with little disruption to us. Tyler, the electrician, just worked efficiently and let us know what was going on. On completion, he showed us how the apps worked and how to monitor the system. The office arranged everything in terms of the paperwork, including photos of the installation, and connection to the grid. Although it is early days, the system seems to be working really well. Considering the whole process, I am very happy with the outcome and would certainly recommend O'Brien Electrical & Solar.
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Good work - professional

95% of the installation/service was great.

We however had/have two problems

* Admin people were overzealous in demanding full payment before installation - a $500 deposit was negotiated. The installation itself was very professional - even got the fuse box back up to spec.

* The problems/issue came after - Charged full payment (deposit not deducted),and took three (3) weeks - including many calls and emails to get $500 deposit back, including invoking Govt 'watchdog'.
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Professional Advice and Installation

Chris focussed on the best system for me based on my needs and situation. The quote was very competitive considering my request for only the best quality equipment was to be used. Damien’s installation team on the day were outstanding - from completing quality trade work to supporting their trainee over the course of the day. I was impressed with their attention to safety for all the team working on the day. Very happy with O’Brien Solar & Electrical across all aspects of the process. Thankyou
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Couldn’t be happier

Excellent salesman explained benefits and potential pitfalls.
Excellent installation team were prompt and very efficient and responsive to my queries.
Everything is working perfectly.
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A quality system that performs as promised

I would highly recommend O’Brien solar. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff, quality products, neat and tidy installation and a system that is performing above stated performance.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Best experience - nothing was too difficult

Obrien Electrical and Solar Townsville did exactly what they said they would do from my initial contact / Quote.

They went the extra mile with my Solar install and other work I needed done, nothing was too hard and they accommodated our needs every time. All the trade staff were professional and respectful of my property, they arrived on site each day when they said they would, never left the place untidy, cleaned up as they went and did a check after each day. My installation was brought forward by a week too! I have an appointment tomorrow with the construction manager who will go over all the details of the system and help with my grid connection. I would recommend this company to my friends and family members.
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Very good service

Very good service , fast and efficient.
Polite and informative service
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Easy Enphase install

Had a 10.5kW Enphase solar system installed by O'brien Solar in Brisbane. My research beforehand had me choosing between solar edge and enphase due to my shading issues. During the initial visit, the two sales/installers were very thorough in discussing how each option worked and what was worth doing or not. They didn't talk down to me and were pretty open about what the system performance would be.

In the end, it was between them and another company; O'brien matched the quote so I went with them because I preferred the vibe of the installers I spoke to (and less pushy).

Installation was quick and painless and the guys ran me through how everything worked on the day with the monitoring and apps running the same afternoon.
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O'Brien Solar

Punctual; met the dates they said they would arrive. Kept me informed of issues. Fixed problem of paint spilled on driveway without any hassles.
Satisfied with performance of system.
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So far so good

Great process from start to finish. Admin process was smooth and easy as well. System seems to be working well!
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Very easy to transact with, very reliable staff from sales to installation.

Everything went well from beginning to installation. We had the solar for only a day so really early to comment about the system.
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A seamless process

Outstanding service from the on site quoting to the final installation and handover.
Very good communication throughout the process and efficient workers.
Whole process was seamless
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Great service.

We were very happy with the service from the first inspection, the detail included in the quote, the timely delivery and the finished product.
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Good quality system and panels. 25 year installation warranty.

They put a drone up to work out the quote, with good technical explanations.
Polite and riendly installers.
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Quality Installation

Sales person was knowledgeable (Electrician) and previously was installing the systems prior to starting in sales. As mentioned before did not know all the answers to my questions but made an effort to find out.

It was good to see these days the electrical and solar panel installers taking pride in their work. They were polite, punctual and the work was completed on time.
Had some issues with the performance of the system but on wiring changes we seem to have resolved this.

Customer service was fair but could improve. Still waiting for some documentation and yes they did organise the grid connection.
Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 4/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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Friendly staff, prompt quote & great installation

Ergon Energy are yet to contact me to install digital meter
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Quick and easy install

The response from Rhyme at O'Brien Solar was fast, he was knowledgeable, gave good advice and a competitive quote. Once I chose to proceed, they were able to slot me in for installation quickly and the panels and inverter were online and operating quickly. Very happy with the install and products that were supplied.

Only a minor gripe, but the contact came from O'Brien, iMAgroup, and various other related companies managing the appointment and invoicing. That didn't inspire confidence but Rhyme was the main contact from sales right through installation and everything was working fine. He had explained that they were previously known as Apollo Solar and were now part of O'Brien.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Andrei, Mark and their team were excellent.

Andrei and Mark were helpful, personable and informative. Their installation team were respectful, tidy, even taking away the old Foxtel dish. They helped set up the app and checked in afterwards to ensure everything was working correctly. Fantastic people to deal with. Highly recommend them.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Very easy install

The sales and quoting process was very good. Plenty of information and were able to answer our questions.Andrei organised for the chap in charge of installing our unit to come out before hand to discuss with us where the cabling was going etc.this was very helpful,
the installation was on time. Great guys to have around and kept us in touch with what they are up to. Everything was tidied each day after work.
We are still waiting for the grid connection expecting it in the next day or two. the install has not long been completed,
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O'Briens Solar a little disorganised

We used the Solar Quotes site to get 3 quotes and to do our background info digging. That site is really really useful.
We went with O’Briens but wouldn’t recommend them just yet. They recently took over Apollo Solar who have been locally active on Magnetic Island for several years. We found that maybe their new business model is not quite smoothed out yet. They had a siloed operation where sales didn’t talk to installers who didn’t talk to accounts. Example, we were contacted 4 times on the proposed day of installation for full payment, but the system had not been installed because they missed the delivery ferry.
There wasn’t a single control point or person that we could communicate with and we had to ask for what the plan was and confirm install days. I think they might have a bit if a “Jim’s Mowing” franchise approach and this might smooth out later on. The individuals were pleasant enough but we still haven’t had correct completion of the inverter installation.
The installer placed the inverter in the existing metal box from the previous solar system, and then told us it would need a fan installed to keep cool and for warranty. I asked why he put it in the box and he told me because I asked him too!!! Still waiting for the fan.
Very poor after sales communication and documentation. I have communicated my misgivings to their sales agent who did a pretty good job for us.
Thanks for your help at SolarQuotes during our decision process.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 4/5
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My solar experience

The installer worked with me to meet a particular time frame from when we settled on a house to when we were going away for an extended time. All went very well except for a minor (but annoying) communication glitch at the end. If you are reading this, I would definitely recommend them to you.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Amazing installation

I received a couple of quotes through Solar Quotes. The O'Brien Electrical Rowville was one of them and it was also the most competitive one. I had quite of alot of follow up questions on the quote and the layout, which were answered very promptly. I chose a large, nearly 20kW system, which took 3 days to instal. The team were great to deal with, on time and from what I can see (from the pictures as this is a double sotrey house) the instal looks neat. The performance also seems to be amazing so far. It's only been about 6 weeks since the installation but I can definitely recommend the O'Brien Electrical Rowville team.
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Very Happy with new 13.2KW System

Had 3 quotes, 2 in person and one remote. Selected O'Brien due to size of the O'brien group and flexibility they gave me in selecting the components i wanted. They were able to do within 2 weeks and bettered the price of the lowest price bid. I ran a very transparent process, but also had positive engagement with Andrei the salesman who used a drone to check out the roof.

Installation went smoothly with no mess. There were 2 minor issues (one was the smart meter had a minor issue and I needed a wifi extender). Both issues were resolved very quickly and the installers answered all my questions and walked me through trouble resolution successfully.


Overall very happy with the system I went with and the process was made easy by Solar Quotes. Very happy and now saving up for a battery.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 4/5
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A little more expensive than some other installers but the obrien name and warranty gave peace of mind

Very easy to understand what was happening and when ,salesman went into a fair amount of detail to keep me informed of what to expect. Tradies were friendly an hard working and finished 32 panels and inverter in a day as well as cleaning up after wards .
Grid connections all organised by them, all in an easy transition to solar!
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Highly professional and responsive

Excellent sales process involving information and advice that was clear and understandable

High quality installation process. Very efficient, courteous and professional. Consulted and informed through whole process

Multiple follow ups and checking regarding grid connections and use of apps

Highly recommend
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Original Review on 06-11-2022:

I'm very impressed with the salesman coming to my house and also the installers.

The salesman came to my house to discuss my options and explained in detail the different components as well brands and warranties.
The installers were polie, punctual and tidy.
They also helped organise the grid connection after installing. Original ratings

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

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

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

Yes. I believe that I have chosen the right system.
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Very professional

The gentleman who did the quote was very professional and explained every aspect of the process and quality of equipment.
The installers were very good and fast.
Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 4/5
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Timely and Proactive

Happy with the process from quote to install. O'brien Electrical were timely and proactive in all of our dealings. Many thanks to Rhyme and the team at O'brien.
Inverter rating: 4/5
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Original Review on 19-07-2022:

Great installation. Great value!

The three quotes we received were all pretty similar in price, but we went with Apollo Solar because they were the only company who wanted to come and check out the site before giving us a quote.
They arrived to install the system on the time and day they said they'd be here, and they took all the bits and pieces of rubbish with them when they left. The three men who did the installation were very polite and showed me how everything worked when they'd finished.
Apollo Solar let the electricity company know of the installation so I didn't have to do anything at all.
I'd recommend Apolla Solar to anyone contemplating a solar system. Original ratings

Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter 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 Keren: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

The system is still performing great, and the electricity bills are down.
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Easy Process

Getting solar can be daunting and confusing. The salesperson Andrei stepped me through everything and took my endless phone calls and questions. They helped me every step and checked after installation to make sure I understood how to connect to the grid. Very happy and would recommend.
Inverter rating: 4/5
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Great Service

Great service, great price and great after sales service. Vu was very professional, knowledgeable and friendly and came to our house on more than one occasion to answer all of our questions. Very satisfied customer and would highly recommend this company.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Great system

Great experience from start to finish. The sales consultant explained everything well to me and the install team were neat and professional.
Panel rating: 5/5
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Solar in Ipswich

It was a very close call in terms of which supplier we opted for. Another supplier had different panels at a better price that I was very keen on but instinctively I opted for Apollo because Mark was first in with his quote, polite, knowledgable and factual + plus a long workmanship guarantee. There was no smoke and mirrors, no upsells or pushy sales tactics.

The install seems great, the technicians were polite and it was a fuss free process. Too early to comment on the benefits.

We had previously had solar so the connection was straightforward. The only minor thing that would improve the process would be a little more clarity in advance around payment timeframes and the subsequent connection process.

Would definitely recommend Apollo.
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Love the battery

I had my existing 13.3kw Longi panels with a 10kw sungrow inverter upgraded to a 20kw system by adding 6.7kw of panels plus a 5kw sungrow hybrid inverter and a 19.2kw sungrow battery. The installer was super nice, easy to talk to, very consultative, and had to solve several complex problems to get the job done. The panel + hybrid inverter + battery instal went smoothly. The EPS load circuit was more challenging due to the space available in my switch box which resulted in the entire switch board needing to be rewired with single switches to enable everything to fit. One thing to consider before the installer arrives is what do you really want / need on the EPS circuit. Getting the iSolarCould app to work correctly and recognise all of the equipment installed was challenging, but the installer persevered and after a 2nd site visit and several calls to Sungrow we had everything up and running. Since the initial technical teething problems the the app has worked well, and everything seems to upgrade its firmware automatically and I have had zero problems. My only comment about Sungrow would be that whilst their products have worked flawlessly for me since the install, they seemed to not have enough people available on the phone line to work through issues during the install in a timely fashion, however we did get there in the end, it just took a little longer. Happy Customer
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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Very Happy, Thanks!

Andrei from Apollo solar was great. Quick to respond, patient and helpful. I had a bit of red tape to work through with body corporate and the embedded network operator at my townhouse complex, but Andrei and the team were able to quickly assist as required.

Andrei also recommended the CatchPower relay to effectively solar power my hot water. Great!

Happy with the installation, and even happier with the results. Apollo Solar were also able to find a better, more aesthetically pleasing route for the conduit (hidden within the building facade) than initially planned which was much appreciated. They could have just stuck with the original plan, but instead found a better way.

Five stars. Thank you.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Happy Customer

Process was quick and easy from requesting quotes (thru SolarQuotes), to ordering, installation, grid connection and followup by Apollo Solar Townsville to see if we were happy with our system and that everything was working as it should.
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Fantastic installer to deal with

Great service and I’d recommend Apollo Solar. The installers were professional from start to finish
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Great quality all round ticks all boxes

Definitely the best quality system and install I have seen. Not a cable to be seen. All parts and fixings used are those recommended by solarquotes so no extra research required. Install quick and easy. If you want an install with no problems or nasty surprises I highly recommend Apollo Solar.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Very professional, great communication, keeping tenants happy

The quoting and sales process was great. Communication with Vu by phone and through texts and emails was fantastic. The installation was for a rental property in Townsville and I'm 1400 kms away in Brisbane so I was worried that it would be difficult to arrange. However, Vu explained and arranged everything including liaising with the property manager for entry notices etc. I've waited to write this review so I could get feedback from the tenants via the property manager and am assured that the installation went well, the installers were friendly and polite.
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Original Review on 08-01-2022:

Great service from quote to installation

Apollo Solar Townsville personnel were polite and punctual from the quote to installation and ongoing support. Original ratings

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

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

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

Yes
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The installation was painless, crew arrived early and were finished and cleaned up by early afternoon.

Salesperson Vu was straight down the line with me (I had done a lot of research and I am an ex electrician) no sales pitch, just factual stuff that a lot of others don't come forward with unless pressed. Because of the shading on roof during cooler months Vu recommended 2 different systems...........ended up settling with Solar Edge with optimisers fitted to panels.
The installation was painless, crew arrived early and were finished and cleaned up by early afternoon. Showed in detail how system was installed (lors of pics) and how to monitor wirelessly.
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Professional Installers

The sales process was excellent. The installers were very neat, tidy, clean and Friendly. I am still waiting on Ergon to connect to the grid. The EWS was submitted on the day of installation. Ergon have been in contact with me advising the connection to be completed between 16th to 22nd August
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Great system, courteous service, encouraging results to date

Prompt responses, convenient installation, good communication throughout. Quality, value for money components. Prompt and authoritative follow up after installation.
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Original Review on 10-11-2021:

Great Service and professional installation

I am extremely pleased with the overall service we received from Apollo Solar Townsville from the initial quote, installation and follow up service. Everything that was outlined in the quote has been delivered and in a timely manner. Little things like replacing some of the cracked roof tiles during the installation (at no extra cost) contributed to the positive customer experience we had with Apollo.

It is a bit early to rate the performance of the system as we have not received an electricity bill at this stage, but, if the monitoring software is correct then we have a system that is performing beyond our expectation. Original ratings

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

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

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

The system has performed to our expectations and in some instances beyond what we thought. On a dull day (which does happen not very often here) the system was still producing 1-2Kw which is totally awesome. Given the figures originally used, we expect to pay off the system within 3 1/2 years.

When are they going to subsidise batteries??
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Apollo Solar Townsville

Solar system installed yesterday (28/06/2022) with competitive price, did the job in almost half days, installed neat and tidy, left no mess, running well. Even though they were not the cheapest option, I selected their quote as it offered good value for money based on the quality and warranty of panels and inverter, workmanship warranty on Installation and being a local company.
Will keep posted for follow up review.
Thank you team.
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Very unhappy.

Very unhappy with install, multiple errors made, ect

-One string wired incorrectly

- inverter set to wrong location and needed software/ firm ware update which I had to complete

- burnt panel was Installed on our roof

- 3 panels had deep scratches in glass ( pics below)

- reported issues with them, they were unprofessional and smart Alecs

Supplier Reply:

- We completed his installation in June 2022.
- Whilst onsite conducting the installation, ray asked us to give him a quote to replace 4 panels on an existing system also installed at the premises by another installer. We quoted him 4 x second hand panels to replace the broken panels on the old system, he accepted verbally onsite.
- The next day the customer advised there was some panels, with scratches on them. We attended the day after with replacement panels. - - The customer refused to let us onsite and refused to pay the variation for the 4 second hand panels. He wanted a refund of $900.
- We advised we were happy to replace any panels that were scratched instead and he refused.
- His account is still outstanding.
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Quality Installer and great Customer Service

Simple quoting process, Everting done on the dates mentioned. Great customer service
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Very happy customers

All three solar companies suggested by Finn were excellent, prompt, informative, very professional and extremely pleasant to deal with. Our reason for choosing Apollo really came down to price negotiations and the quality of the system. Their installers Malecky Townsville were absolutely brilliant and would highly recommended their services to all.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Fantastic job and excellent advice given by sales person and very professional

Fantastic job very good advice given by salesman and job done promptly
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