{"id":92993,"date":"2025-07-14T13:28:51","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T03:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=92993"},"modified":"2025-07-14T12:29:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T02:59:10","slug":"electricians-have-the-power-to-resist-battery-rebate-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/electricians-have-the-power-to-resist-battery-rebate-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"Electricians Have The Power To Resist Battery Rebate Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AThe launch of the battery rebate means there’s more work than ever for the industry. Instead of taking advantage of customers as happened with the solar rebate, installers should realise they now have the power to refuse to work with dodgy operators and poor quality brands.<\/p>\n

During the last 15 years of solar rebates, cheap gear and cheaper installs ran riot. We can\u2019t let that cycle repeat.<\/p>\n

This is our shot to do it right. While people are petrified that poor installation may lead to fires, I expect the hardware is actually pretty safe.<\/p>\n

The real risk is that batteries are much more complex. Poor installs won\u2019t burn down garages, but they’ll set fire to the energy industry credibility more broadly.<\/p>\n

You see it in the comments section all the time. People with no technical understanding and a lot of anger will declare “iTs aLL a bIg SCAM!” based on their feelings.<\/p>\n

Reputation Rehab<\/h2>\n

Having invested a large chunk of private and public money, Australians may find batteries bring them undone with much more mundane failures. As an industry, solar electricians need to invest the time to explain all the confusing, competing and infuriating details.<\/p>\n

It’s said that solar salespeople are as well-trusted as those flogging used cars, which considering we’re dealing with new products under Australian Consumer Law is pretty ludicrous.<\/p>\n

Simple wiring errors<\/a>, software problems, hardware conflict\u00a0<\/a>will all cause grief. Combined with poor understanding<\/a> of energy management\u00a0by end users and opaque electricity retail deals, we’ll have a cornucopia of potential disappointment. With so many<\/em> points of failure, it’s going to be difficult to avoid all the pitfalls.<\/p>\n

Most long-term installers know what\u2019s coming, it is after all the reason we call it the solarcoaster, but we need to be louder.<\/p>\n

\"A

You might want to think twice about a solar company that doesn’t know the difference between kW and kWh.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Blowflies Are Coming<\/h2>\n

As a qualified solar electrician, my phone is ringing every week with random solar retailers looking for new subcontract installers. The increasing regularity of these cold calls proves there\u2019s no shortage of work.<\/p>\n

I get them to email their rates to my @solarquotes.com.au email address, but amusingly, they are never bright enough to work out just who they’ve sent the terms they’re offering.<\/p>\n

For subcontractors who have to run a vehicle, insure themselves for income and risk, maintain licences and spend time on maintaining qualifications, buy tools, cable & consumables, unsustainable pricing looks like this:<\/p>\n

Standard installation (up to 6.6kW) \u2013 $1450 + GST
\nAdditional capacity (beyond 6.6kW) \u2013 $55 per panel
\nDouble storey installation \u2013 $150
\nThree-phase installation \u2013 $100
\nAdditional roof plane \u2013 $80
\nExport control device \u2013 $150
\nGSD \u2013 $100
\nExtra inverter \u2013 $250
\nSteep roof installation \u2013 $200
\nOptimisers \/ Tilt frames \/ Micro inverters \u2013 $10 per panel
\nSystem removal \u2013 $10 per panel
\nSystem disposal \u2013 $10 per panel
\nTravel beyond 60km \u2013 $1 per km
\nBattery installation \u2013 $800
\nBattery backup \u2013 $250<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How does this example break down?<\/p>\n