Last week, I got 30 kWh of batteries, 14 kW of solar, an EV charger and a few new power points installed at my commercial property. The job took five days. The owner of the solar business and his apprentice turned up every day and absolutely worked their guts out: in the cold, on ladders, heads down, doing careful, beautiful, and at times dangerous work.

I was in awe of the effort, precision, and professionalism required to do this work well – especially right now, with installers flat out trying to keep up with the surge in demand driven by the July 1 start date of the federal battery rebate.

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Today is the winter solstice. The darkest day of the year. If you’ve got solar on your roof, this is about as bad as it gets.

Which makes it the perfect time to ask: Is your system pulling its weight when you need it most?

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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.

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Every now and then, someone pops up on Facebook with a gripe:

“SolarQuotes lets installers in their network who work from home!!! 🤬”

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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?

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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.

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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…]