A little while back, SolarQuotes’ in-house installer Anthony Bennett wrote a solid post on a niche issue: whether power and data cables can run in the same conduit.
Phase Shift: Can You Trust a Solar Installer Who Works From Home?
Every now and then, someone pops up on Facebook with a gripe:
“SolarQuotes lets installers in their network who work from home!!! 🤬”
Shade Happens: When Autumn Shadows Creep Across Your Solar
As we get deeper into autumn, the days are growing short and the shadows are growing longer — which is bad news for your solar if a massive palm tree happens to be positioned in the wrong spot. Here’s how an array set up in one season can be set up to fail for another.
Brand Name, Botched Game: Cheap Installs Of Quality Solar
Solar panels don’t keep working into the night, and neither should solar installers.
Ever heard an installer promise a premium brand of solar panel, battery or inverter for an absolute bargain? As the old saying goes: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Here’s why good quality gear doesn’t always mean a good quality job.
Cheap Solar Ads: Watch Out For The Spin
We’ve all seen the adverts on TV with used cricketers flogging cheap solar, but have you considered who’s boosting who?
Is it the retailer using the credibility of respected personalities; or are washed-up sports stars just getting their face on TV after retirement?
Five Star Performance? How To Spot Fake Solar Reviews
A bunch of reviews of an installer all being published at the same time can be a red flag.
Every fortnight, the SolarQuotes Vetting Council convenes to undertake a forensic analysis of the companies asking to join our list of approved installers of solar, batteries and EV chargers. The investigation pours over every clue available, including the most obvious: online reviews. But in this age of bot farms and customer incentives, how can you tell if a review is legitimate or not?
Throwing Shade; When Great Solar Expectations Boil Over
Circled in red, hot water consumption should be under the solar curve
In this story, we’ll outline a great quality system, expertly installed and supported by an exceptional solar company, then a saga of customer complaints, despite the system performing better than promised.
Second Hand Solar – Don’t Waste Everyone’s Time
This would NOT be a good addition to your shack; in fact, Samil inverters were no good when they were new.
As solar power systems age and power prices climb, an upswing in used solar is hitting the secondhand market. But please don’t think these bargains are something you can screw to your roof and easily save a few dollars with. [Read more…]
Don’t Ignore Your Solar: Maintaining Monitoring Makes Sense
Is your system performance within normal range? Without good monitoring, you’ll never know.
As an installer, there’s one thing I have always tried to explain to customers. You need to keep an eye on your solar. It’s not just about economics but a legal obligation in many cases. Read on while I explain why monitoring is important, how to get it, and how to keep it working. [Read more…]
When Solar Monitoring Fails: How a Simple Oversight Cost Thousands
A year’s consumption data with a solar power system that stopped dead
Flicking through some photographs recently, I was reminded of a very expensive saga where thousands of dollars of electricity would have been saved with some free solar monitoring. Read on as we detail episode one of several expensive mistakes.
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