Don’t Let This Guy Install Your Solar
By Finn Peacock – Chartered Electrical Engineer, Ex-CSIRO, Founder of SolarQuotes.com.au
Meet ‘Damo’.
Damo is a solar installer who works for DodgySolarTM, a company that pays its subcontractors way below market rates for solar installations.
This means that if Damo wants to feed his family, he is incentivised to install as many systems as he can, as quickly and cheaply as possible.
It definitely doesn’t help that DodgySolar sources low quality solar panels, solar inverters, and racking/wiring equipment for Damo to install in order to keep their costs as low as possible.
This is why you can see ads screaming about the low, low cost of their solar systems compared to others.
Who would’ve guessed that if you use low quality equipment installed by people who are rushing to get to the next job, you’re able to undercut other reputable companies that care about the quality of their installations?
Thankfully, today, consumers are increasingly aware that a crazy-cheap solar system, installed in a rush, made of the cheapest components you can find is actually a huge pain in the backside, and can end up costing you a huge amount of time, money and stress.
Here are some of the ways people buying solar have been burned by using companies like DodgySolar:
1. Bait & Switch: They use quality components as the bait, advertising genuine Tier 1 panels and a top end inverter. They put in their conditions of sale that they reserve the right to swap out the inverter and panels for ‘equivalents’. Then, they install a really cheap inverter and panels instead.
2. Bait and Switch V2: They don’t advertise the brand of panels and inverter, just a really low price. When the customer makes an enquiry, they upsell them to better hardware, with the end result that customer pays much, much more than the price that was originally advertised.
3. Cut corners on the Install: I was shown a job ad on Gumtree last week. It was asking for backpackers who wanted to earn $17.50 per hour wiring up switchboards and panels for a solar company. It said they needed their own ABN but didn’t need an Australian Electrical Licence. This is a recipe for disaster (and probably illegal). For example, here’s what can happen when a novice works on your switchboard:
(No ferrules, terminal over tightened) Photo: Crap Solar
4. Cut corners on the install V2: Some companies have reputations for paying the lowest install rates in the industry. Guess what – they also have a reputation for really poor installations. Most solar systems operate at high voltage DC. If installed well, high voltage DC is safe. If it is not installed well, it is very dangerous. Here’s what happens when high voltage DC goes wrong:
Photo: Crap Solar
5. They use crappy panels – but claim they are the absolute cream of the crop. Some companies claim their panels are Tier 1, but they are nothing of the sort. Cheap panels do not last in the Aussie sun. Good panels should last 30 years plus. The recent import statistics show that around 60% of panels coming into Australia are not Tier 1.
That’s a worry. These low end panels will start failing and it can be really hard to get a low-cost solar company to honour the panel warranty for these reasons. Here is what can happen to a badly made panel within 2 years:
Pictured above: A thermal fracture caused by a hot spot expanding within the panel.
This is what can happen when panels are mishandled or worse still, poorly made.
The back of the same panel. The installer refused to replace it – they claimed it was impact damage.
6. They use a crappy inverter and claim it is the best quality money can buy. A really cheap inverter will be unlikely to last 3 years. Inverters are easier to replace under warranty than panels, but still some manufacturers will blame the failure on ‘grid spikes’ and you’ll either have to fight, or pay $1500+ for a new inverter.
Hey inverter manufacturers! If you want to sell into the Aussie market, then you have to cope with grid spikes because our grid voltages are all over the place!
7. They hire commission only salespeople, treat them like crap and fire them if they don’t reach their quotas. If the salesperson you let into your home is under constant threat of being fired, do you think they might be more likely to oversell the benefits, exaggerate the quality and push for the sale there and then? Of course. These guys are under the pump.
8. They turn crap quality solar panels into an opportunity to make even more money. There is a loophole in the solar rebate – you can replace all the panels on someones roof and claim the rebate again! The rebate is worth over $700 per kW installed. A really cheap and nasty panel can be bought for under $500 per kW. Do the maths!
I could go on and on – but I’m starting to get depressed!
If you want a system that is well designed for your roof and your consumption patterns;
– One that is genuinely designed with a view to adding batteries in the future
– One that uses good quality panels, inverters, racking, wires and isolators
– One that is installed by a trained electrician who is paid a fair wage and is given the time to do things properly
– One that will make you happy for decades to come and give you a well optimised return on your investment
– One that will be supported into the future if there is an issue
Then please be wary of the ‘too good to be true’ offers online, in the papers and on TV.
All the information you need to make an informed choice is on this website, and you are absolutely welcome to contact me if you need any help, whether you got your quotes through this site or elsewhere.
If you’re considering installing solar panels for your home or business, SolarQuotes can help you get quotes from high-quality installers quickly and easily:
About Finn Peacock
I’m a Chartered Electrical Engineer, solar and energy efficiency nut, electric car and e-bike owner, dad, and founder of SolarQuotes.com.au. My last “real job” was working for the CSIRO in their renewable energy division. Since 2009 more than 785,000 Australians have used my site to get quotes for high quality PV systems from pre-vetted solar installers.