A major solar retailer operating under four different names – and promoted by retired cricketer Michael Clarke – faces multiple investigations after copping hundreds of complaints, ranging from allegations of dodgy worksmanship to unrefunded deposit payments for installs that never happened.
What Is Solar Power Nation Accused Of?
From July 2025 to April 2026, South Australia’s Consumer and Business Services (CBS) body received 94 complaints about Solar Power Nation and related companies.
The ABC’s 7:30 Report on Thursday additionally revealed that NSW’s Building Commission has received more than 240 complaints about the company since 2024.
Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading and the federal Clean Energy Regulator are also investigating the retailer.
Delays & Dodgy Installs
Of the complaints reported by the CBS in SA, 41 customers said they paid a deposit but didn’t get their installation in a reasonable time. Another 26 said their product never worked or stopped working. The rest were about delivery delays, ignored refund or warranty requests, and unsafe installations that the company wouldn’t fix.
None of these allegations are proven in court and they remain under active investigation. The CBS notice cites the Fair Trading Act 1987 (SA) and the Australian Consumer Law (SA), specifically section 158, which makes it an offence to accept payment and then fail to deliver, or deliver recklessly.
Solar Power Nation claimed that delays were due to a surge in demand after the 30 April 2026 rebate cuts. This was a problem across the industry, so it makes sense as a reason for slowing on installations.
But this doesn’t explain why some products stopped working or why aftercare service was poor.
Solar Power Nation isn’t alone. In the past three years, CBS received over 220 complaints about solar panel and battery installations across the state. This number has tripled in the last year, leading officials to start a sector-wide crackdown.
A Company With Four Different Names
One detail not mentioned in the CBS notice is that Solar Power Nation is actually a new business name.
1 Solar Australia Pty Ltd has been registered since December 2008. Over the years, it has traded under several names: Nanotechnology Australia & Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd, Netron Networks Pty Ltd, Elite Solar Australia Pty Ltd, and finally 1 Solar Australia Pty Ltd in 2021.
Solar Power Nation’s ABN details.
A quick tip we suggest is searching your installer’s business name on the Australian Business Register. It takes thirty seconds and tells you how long the name you’re dealing with has existed.
There’s a second quick check that can be done. The New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC) is the industry’s own consumer protection scheme, and more than 2,000 solar and battery retailers have signed up to it, agreeing to specific standards on sales conduct, contracts and after-sales support.
The NETCC replaced the Clean Energy Council’s old “Approved Retailer” list. Searching a retailer’s name on the NETCC register takes about as long as the ABN search above.
Solar Power Nation was kicked out of the NETCC last year.
SolarQuotes General Manager Trevor Glen told the ABC that “solar cowboys” are not being held to account when things go wrong, and suggested that the NETCC is just a “toothless tiger.”
“There’s no repercussions other than you get suspended or expelled from the program. It doesn’t stop you from installing solar, it doesn’t stop you from installing batteries,” he said. “You just might not be able to access some of the state government programs.”
The Cricketer, The Timing, And Why It Matters
Solar Power Nation promotes itself as the Champion’s Choice.
In early May 2026, Solar Power Nation announced its new brand ambassador: former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke, fronting a campaign built on words such as precision, performance, leadership, and trust.
Looking at the timing also reveals something important.
Early May 2026 sits about a week after the rebate step-down. Solar Power Nation blames battery installation as one of its problems – roughly twelve weeks before CBS’s public warning went out. The campaign launched and kept running, while the company was already sitting on a growing pile of unresolved complaints.
To be clear, there is no suggestion that Clarke knew about any issues or did anything wrong. He is a paid ambassador, not the person installing your system. A celebrity face mainly brings attention and trust to a company. It does not guarantee your system will be installed on time, or even installed at all.
Using a retired cricketer to promote a solar brand is a common tactic in the solar industry. A familiar face in an ad shows the company has a marketing budget, but it doesn’t tell you much else.
Solar Power Nation last year announced it had entered into a “strategic partnership” with leading battery brand Fox ESS, allowing the budget battery brand to bask in Clarke’s reflected glow – but it is likely a less welcome association as the complaints continue to pile up.
A Facebook post from April this year.
What Customers Said About Solar Power Nation
SolarQuotes’ own Solar Power Nation reviews sit at 3.4 out of 5 from 218 reviews. The split is polarised. Sixty-three five-star reviews sit almost next to sixty-two one-star reviews, with customer service the weakest category at 3.1 out of 5.
Many of the negative reviews align neatly with the problems alleged by regulators – failure to install in a reasonable time, products that don’t work, refusal to fix unsafe installs.
NSW-based customer Sin Yong, who had a Fox ESS system installed by Solar Power Nation, said in June this year:
“Everything was smooth until my inverter broken down within a week. The sales person stop answering my call, email bounced back (Block my email as Spam). No one you can talk to since, installer block my phone number too. Lazy installer, try to get the job done ASAP, bad workmanship.”
SA-based customer Russell, who had paid a deposit for Risen solar panels and a Sigenergy battery, said in September last year:
“This company has failed on every level: sales integrity, project management, customer communication, and basic contractual obligations. They took my deposit for a system they couldn’t deliver and are now refusing to return it.”
ProductReview.com.au shows a higher rating: 4.2 out of 5 from 3,456 reviews, while TrustPilot shows a 1.4 out of 5 rating from 45 reviews.
In one of the ProductReview verdicts, a customer named Soula says they spent more than $40,000 across multiple installations, were charged for a battery that was faulty from day one, and had to pay out of pocket to fix a heater that the installers never reconnected.
However, there are also plenty of four and five-star reviews for the company, such as an assessment from Anup who said the crew left the property “super neat” with “all leftover cardboard boxes collected and area left clean.”
Nevertheless, as with any solar retailer, it is always sensible to pay particular attention to the one-star reviews to see how a company might treat you when things go wrong.
An inverter incorrectly installed by Solar Power Nation that fell off the wall, leaving live cables exposed.
Australia’s #1 Claim, Checked
Solar Power Nation’s homepage claims it is “Australia’s #1 Solar & Battery Retailer.”
Dig one level into their own site, and you find a narrower version: “Solar Power Nation has been ranked the #1 battery installer in Australia by the REC Registry” for the month of July 2025. The REC Registry is real, run by the Clean Energy Regulator to track renewable energy certificates. So that narrower claim might genuinely hold up for one metric for one month.
The solar industry’s independent firm, Sun Wiz, which watches the market, publishes rankings based on actual installation volume. Their 2025 numbers rank Smart Energy number one and 1KOMMA5° number two. Solar Power Nation doesn’t appear in the top ranks at all.
There are two different rankings, timeframes, and sources, but the broader claim is the one on the homepage. This doesn’t prove anything about installation quality. “Australia’s #1” is a marketing statement, not a fact checked by regulators.
How To Protect Yourself
Here is how you can do these checks, in the order you would normally follow.
- Check the installer as well as the company. Accreditation for individual installers and designers is now managed by Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA), not the Clean Energy Council. Look up the electrician’s name using SAA’s accreditation status check. A company claiming “accreditation” does not always mean the individual is accredited.
- Check the retailer separately. The old CEC “Approved Solar Retailer” program has been replaced by the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC). Use NETCC’s Find an Approved Seller tool to see if the company is actually signed up to the consumer protection code, not just suggesting it is.
- Get at least three quotes. Do not automatically choose the cheapest or most advertised option. Our guide to finding a reputable installer explains what questions to ask each one.
- Know your cooling-off rights. Door-to-door and unsolicited sales generally come with a mandatory cooling-off period under Australian Consumer Law – confirm the current requirement before you sign anything on the day someone knocks on your door.
- Be wary of large deposits paired with pressure. “Sign today” urgency and a big upfront payment are a bad combination on their own, and several of the complaints above involve exactly that pairing.
- Look for patterns in reviews, not just star ratings. If you see many similar five-star reviews or a big difference between recent positive reviews and older complaints, take a closer look to see if the review is fake.
If you have been personally affected, approach your state’s relevant regulatory body. If the issue concerns a claimed rebate or certificate, the Clean Energy Regulator’s rooftop solar complaints process may be worth pursuing.
To do your own homework on a prospective solar installer, look into other customer experiences via our installer review portal.
About Jacob Boyd
RSS - Posts
A damning ABC report, read it a couple of days ago.
How many others out there ?
Having spoke to an online acquaintance in the past week, I told him I’d ordered a Sig battery a couple of weeks ago, he said they don’t need a battery, their usage is too low for viability . . . I talked about future proofing a bit to keep his 6.6kw solar effective.
So last night he calls me and is excited, just paid a deposit for a battery from a company advert received from ‘somewhere’.
No site visit, oh boy.
Tiny 5.0kwh Alpha, Solar Battery Group, national presence, obviously using contractors.
Can’t trust reviews, even Solar Power Nation has decent reviews, but recent ones seem to be going downhill fast.
I asked to him to consider a few quotes and advice, maybe consider a little bigger capacity.
Was worried for him when he boasted all up just under $3100 out of pocket :/
Hope he doesn’t get bait / switched, get a system that doesn’t work or is useless, but he’s head strong and won’t listen.
Working for a genuinely local quality solar installation business we are constantly educating customers to lift the bar and buy better. The common law of business says you cant pay a little and get a lot. But consumers will roll the dice and be lured by not just SPN but all these DAF “experts” fronted by retired cricketers cos it was cheap. Everyone in the industry knows to avoid these plonkers. But customers like a bargain and will take the risk……and then call us looking for help when the non existent after install service vanishes into thin air and the low paid contractor in the beat up Hiace has left the scene.Genuinely what is the answer?
Cricketers and their solar ads; Captain Pat led the charge with his Solar Clubs and his Cricket for Climate campaigns, then we have Michael Clarke with Solar Power Nation, then we have Alex Carey with Goodwe and then there is the living legend himself…Ooo Aah Glenn McGrath with Sunboost.
Hi Joachim,
You forgot Alan Border and Steve Waugh…
The alignment seems to be the used cricketers and the less that ethical retailers.
Thanks for completing the rollcall for me – Alan Border, with his Sunboost and Steve Waugh, with his Arise Solar.🌞🏏
I am currently experiencing many of the issues described in your report and have extensive documentation to support my case. Following the installation of a Fox ESS battery system by Solar Power Nation, I discovered that despite the battery appearing operational, most household consumption continued to draw from the grid. After conducting my own diagnostics and providing detailed evidence, including photos and system data, I made multiple requests for technical assistance and a site inspection. Fox ESS Support later identified a CT installation fault causing incorrect readings and preventing normal battery operation, recommending the installer return to rectify the issue. Due to delays in obtaining a resolution, I lodged complaints with NSW Fair Trading and NETCC. NETCC subsequently advised that Solar Power Nation had been expelled from the program. My experience has raised concerns regarding installation quality, defect rectification and post-sale support.
I make a point of never buying from any company advertising on TV with Cricketers and never buying from a leaflet dropped in my letterbox.
ABC TV have just published a news report on these guys. It’s hardly complimentary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypQXBLLQ_Us
Solar Power Nation’s NETCC accreditation gave customers confidence that the company met recognised industry standards and could be trusted to deliver quality work. However, if the company was ultimately expelled from the scheme, serious questions need to be asked about the effectiveness of the accreditation process. How did the NETCC fail to identify and address these issues before consumers were affected, rather than acting only after the damage had been done?
More importantly, what assistance has the NETCC provided to customers who relied on its endorsement and were left with defective installations, unfinished work, or financial losses? Customers chose the company in part because the NETCC badge implied a level of oversight, quality assurance, and consumer protection.
Accreditation schemes are often promoted as a way for consumers to identify reputable businesses and minimise risk. However, when an accredited company fails and customers are left to deal with the consequences on th
I signed up to Solar Power Nation last year for a solar upgrade to my existing 3kW system.
After much technical talk I paid a deposit.
Then virtually no contact for many months.
Emails and calls were left unanswered.
I then set my phone to not send my number (ie caller ID switched off).
Got straight through. They apologised and gave the usual excuses.
Again, months passed.
I contacted ACT Consumer Affairs. They set out what I should do to recover my deposit.
I wrote to SPN explaining due to the extensive delay I wish to get my deposit refunded and that I have engaged Consumer Affairs. Consumer Affairs also wrote to SPN.
Within a few days I got an email from SPN agreeing to refund my deposit!!
That took a few weeks to arrive, after another email from me.
A big THANK YOU to ACT Consumer Affairs!
I have night mare this company since last October 2025, And anyone need information more information pl contact me.
Solar Power Nation installed a solar and battery array with blackout protection for us in October 2025. Within weeks, the system failed completely with a loud bang due to poor installation and incorrect switchboard (PCB) wiring.
When their technicians came back, instead of fixing the issue correctly, they completely bypassed the blackout protection system and altered the switchboard wiring. This electrical fault blew out our oven.
Despite providing two independent oven electrician reports confirming the fault and warning that the current wiring is unsafe for any new appliance, the company refuses to take responsibility. After over 50 emails and phone calls, they still refuse to replace our damaged oven or reconnect the blackout protection we paid for.
Avoid this company at all costs—terrible installation practices and zero accountability.