{"id":3801,"date":"2014-07-03T16:55:40","date_gmt":"2014-07-03T07:25:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=3801"},"modified":"2016-06-18T15:00:41","modified_gmt":"2016-06-18T05:30:41","slug":"cheap-solar-panels-grey-imports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/cheap-solar-panels-grey-imports\/","title":{"rendered":"Are those cheap solar panels grey imports?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"solar<\/a>

If you’ve been offered really cheap solar panels, please check that they are not grey imports.<\/p><\/div>\n

Recently, a number of people have asked me about parallel or ‘grey’ imports of solar panels.<\/p>\n

Parallel imports are defined as products (in our case, solar panels) that are imported unofficially by someone other than<\/em> the manufacturer or their official Australian distributors.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, in this day and age with so much online and internet based trade, the lines on this issue have become a little blurred. Some manufacturers will supply you directly with their product, but the majority do not. Most panel manufacturers\u00a0have carefully developed formal partnerships in place with Australian companies who distribute their panels and provide technical and warranty support for those panels.<\/p>\n

Why is parallel importing a problem?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are several reasons why cheap solar panels<\/a> which are parallel imports are to be avoided. And some recent cases in Australia highlight the serious potential risks.<\/p>\n

1) The panel’s specification<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0Manufacturers sometimes make products that are designed to suit different market conditions. For example, different standards exist in some countries that require additional features. Some countries (like Australia) have very high ultraviolet radiation and require premium materials; we have a specific fire rating requirement and so on. \u00a0Some markets may be quite happy to accept products with a wider power tolerance or cosmetic blemishes and others. In Australia we have tighter tolerances so that we get the power promised on the label. We also\u00a0expect our panels to look good\u00a0on our roofs, not full of blemishes and miscoloured cells.<\/p>\n

2) Warranty and Support.<\/strong> PV manufacturers with local offices calculate how much sales and warranty support will cost to provide based on the amount of product they officially import. \u00a0If parallel imports are brought in, they are potentially an unplanned additional cost and potentially don\u2019t meet local requirements.\u00a0They lose control if they can’t keep track of what\u2019s going on. In the worst case, parallel imports may not even be eligible for warranty – in some regions – as a result of these issues. This is true with some brands in Australia. Several manufacturers specify on their warranty documentation that products must be imported into Australia through official channels to be eligible for warranty.<\/p>\n

The sad truth about grey imports<\/strong><\/p>\n

The sad truth about these cheap solar panels\u00a0is that is that in general terms the people involved are cutting corners and cheating the system to make a quick buck. Yes, the system might add a little cost, but it\u2019s there for a reason \u2013 to support and protect buyers.<\/p>\n

One example I heard of recently involved ‘product brokers’ in other countries. These companies fulfil a role of clearing old stock, shifting left over product from specific projects or customers in bulk and typically sell at a discount to make fast sales. They are typically not solar technology experts and completely unconnected and unconcerned with where the product goes or whether support is in place. \u00a0Their job is simply to sell and sell fast. Not long ago, one of these companies was vigorously pursued for selling product through un-official channels to an Australian buyer.<\/p>\n

The flip side of this is that in some cases, local buyers are aware of the restrictions and consequences of buying parallel imported,\u00a0cheap solar panels\u00a0and yet, they choose to do it anyway. There are allegations that some have even re-branded products to try and hide what they are doing. A company who does this is clearly interested in short term gain and not focused on being a genuine and transparent supplier co-operating closely with manufacturers.<\/p>\n

In some cases, buyers are simply oblivious. I have come across several solar companies who were completely ignorant to the fact that parallel importing had risks or that there was a sound logic behind official channels. It\u2019s an ongoing challenge for manufacturers to educate and inform the market and for buyers to take the business seriously and understand the technology they are dealing with.<\/p>\n

You can also hop on-line and find a variety of suppliers willing to sell you product ‘directly’. \u00a0Many of these companies are not the manufacturers, so you really aren’t buying directly, you’re just cutting corners. These offshore suppliers rarely understand or care about local regulations. And let\u2019s face it, if you buy a few kilowatts of cheap solar panels over the internet and they turn out to be a problem, shipping them back and\u00a0getting a refund\u00a0is going to be expensive if it’s even possible.<\/p>\n

In all these cases there is a common theme; deception and ignorance.<\/p>\n

You have to ask yourself whether saving a few cents by buying parallel imports is worthwhile, given that these businesses are demonstrating such behaviour.<\/p>\n

The upshot<\/strong><\/p>\n

The upshot of buying parallel imports is that you could end up paying as much as genuine product and get\u00a0little or no warranty in Australia. Even if you do save a little on cost, if anything goes wrong you could find yourself with no support or in the worst case a product that doesn\u2019t meet local standards and actually has to be removed or destroyed.<\/p>\n

Although it is very tough to track such behaviour, several companies have been caught out recently so Australia does have a system and it is working. The Clean Energy Regulator<\/a> (CER), who authorises the registration of STC\u2019s, maintains close ties with manufacturers and has been looking very closely at this issue along with other agencies such as Customs and the Clean Energy Council. Product serial numbers are registered with the CER and manufacturers have the ability to confirm \u2013 or deny – whether they are genuine or fraudulent. If they turn out to be un-official or fraudulent, the CER can potentially ask you to pay back thousands of dollars in\u00a0STC\u2019s. Ouch!<\/p>\n

These days the cost gap between top brand products and unknown brands is pretty minimal. Good manufacturers have established concise and well developed channels to market that are designed to manage distribution, sales and support.<\/p>\n

When you are buying any product you have a personal and logical obligation to ask questions; caveat emptor (buyer beware) because manufacturers can only do so much. Make sure your supplier is part of a genuine supply channel and take careful note of the warranty documentation and if you have any doubts or concerns, contact the manufacturer and ask them to confirm that your panels are official imports.<\/p>\n

With cheap solar panels, if things look too good to be true, they probably are.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Nigel Morris from Solar Business Services<\/a> for help with this article. If you are a solar installer looking for help navigating the wholesale solar panel market, I recommend talking to Nigel. He knows his stuff.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recently, a number of people have asked me about parallel or ‘grey’ imports of solar panels. Parallel imports are defined as products (in our case, solar panels) that are imported unofficially by someone other than the manufacturer or their official Australian distributors. Interestingly, in this day and age with so much online and internet based […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[112,129,58],"class_list":["post-3801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-solar-panels-2","tag-buyers-guide","tag-cheap-solar","tag-solar-cowboys","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAre those cheap solar panels grey imports? | Solar Quotes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover if those cheap solar panels, that you have been offered are the real thing, or grey imports, which may not have proper warranties or support.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/cheap-solar-panels-grey-imports\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Are those cheap solar panels grey imports?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover if those cheap solar panels, that you have been offered are the real thing, or grey imports, which may not have proper warranties or support.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/cheap-solar-panels-grey-imports\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SolarQuotes Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SolarQuotes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-07-03T07:25:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-06-18T05:30:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/grey-import-solar-panels.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Finn Peacock\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@FinnPeacock\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@solar_quotes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/cheap-solar-panels-grey-imports\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/cheap-solar-panels-grey-imports\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Finn Peacock\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/495c35fb3086e6ef93220dcf2472b178\"},\"headline\":\"Are those cheap solar panels grey imports?\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-07-03T07:25:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-06-18T05:30:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/cheap-solar-panels-grey-imports\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1145,\"commentCount\":4,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/cheap-solar-panels-grey-imports\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/grey-import-solar-panels.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"buyers guide\",\"cheap solar\",\"Solar Cowboys\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Solar Panels\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/cheap-solar-panels-grey-imports\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/cheap-solar-panels-grey-imports\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/cheap-solar-panels-grey-imports\\\/\",\"name\":\"Are those cheap solar panels grey imports? 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I started SolarQuotes in 2009 and the SolarQuotes blog in 2013 with the belief that it\u2019s more important to be truthful and objective than popular. My last \"real job\" was working for the CSIRO in their renewable energy division. Since 2009, I\u2019ve helped over 800,000 Aussies get quotes for solar from installers I trust. Read my full bio.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/","https:\/\/x.com\/FinnPeacock"],"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2FF2s-Zj","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63414,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-panels-parallel-imports-mb2553\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":0},"title":"Solar Panels: Parallel Imports, Support And Warranty","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"July 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A solar panel brand with an Australian presence should mean expedited warranty claims and support handled locally - but that may not always be the case. If a solar panel starts playing up, getting support or pursuing a warranty claim should usually happen like so: Contact your solar installation company\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar panels - parallel imports","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/panel-parallel-imports.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/panel-parallel-imports.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/panel-parallel-imports.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/panel-parallel-imports.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/panel-parallel-imports.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5377,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/trina-takes-tier-1-gong\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":1},"title":"Trina Solar Panels take Tier 1 gong – but avoid the grey imports","author":"Staff Writer","date":"February 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Trina solar panels took the stage this week as the solar manufacturing giant was named the most bankable PV producer in the world. The survey, conducted by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), asked banks, asset managers, engineering contractors, consultants and independent power producers from across the globe which \u201cmodule manufacturers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"trina tier 1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/trina-solar-panels-no-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/trina-solar-panels-no-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/trina-solar-panels-no-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22294,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/zhejiang-bld-solar-mb0629\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":2},"title":"Zhejiang BLD Solar Panels De-Listed By CEC","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"June 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The Clean Energy Council has announced that Zhejiang BLD solar panels have been removed from its Approved Products List. \"The de-listing was required as the CEC has been advised that the company has ceased trading,\" states the CEC. \"According to the CEC terms and conditions, the manufacturer should be available\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"BLD solar panels","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/bld-solar-panels.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/bld-solar-panels.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/bld-solar-panels.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/bld-solar-panels.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":64328,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/leapton-solar-australia-mb2591\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":3},"title":"The Australian Leapton Solar Panel Saga","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"August 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Australians visiting a local Leapton Solar branded web site might come away from the experience believing the company is no longer operating here. That's not the case. But first ... Who Is Leapton Solar? Leapton Energy is a Japanese firm manufacturing panels through its Chinese subsidiary, Leapton Solar. The company's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Leapton Solar - Australia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/leapton-solar-australia.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/leapton-solar-australia.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/leapton-solar-australia.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/leapton-solar-australia.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/leapton-solar-australia.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56018,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/imported-solar-panels-australia\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":4},"title":"Buying Imported Solar Panels Does Not Hurt Australia","author":"Ronald Brakels","date":"December 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ch3Ofwx-n04 If you want Australian made solar panels, I recommend Tindo Solar.\u00a0 They have a track record of quality panel production nearly a decade long.\u00a0 But you'll pay a premium for Australian made. \u00a0 If you're happy to pay extra, this isn't a problem. \u00a0But if you choose cheaper, imported\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Economics Of Solar"","block_context":{"text":"Economics Of Solar","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/economics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Imported vs. Australian made solar panels","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/au-china-made.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/au-china-made.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/au-china-made.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/au-china-made.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/au-china-made.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15292,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/itc-solar-trade-case-mb0220\/","url_meta":{"origin":3801,"position":5},"title":"An Uncertain Future For The US Solar Industry","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"September 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The USA's solar sector is in for a nervous wait after a decision from the International Trade Commission that some imported solar cells and panels pose a threat to the nation's domestic manufacturing industry. On Friday, the ITC announced it had determined the level of cells being imported into the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ITC solar trade case","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/itc-solar-trade-case.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/itc-solar-trade-case.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/itc-solar-trade-case.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/itc-solar-trade-case.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3801"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6363,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3801\/revisions\/6363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}