Australian Solar Designs Reviews
About
Australian Solar Designs specialise in the installation of Solar Power for your Home or Commercial Property.
We are a Company that provides professional Engineering advice to determine the best Solar Power System to suit your home or business. We will inform you about all facets of the installation, from planning the layout of the system, the components that will make up your solar system, and arranging the connection of your system to the grid.
Australian Solar Designs only supply Tier 1 Quality panels and high quality electrical components. We provide monitoring with all solar installations and will provide advice on how to maintain your system to keep your investment performing efficiently for many years to come.
Australian Solar Designs have worked as preferred installers for significant companies and associations such as ACT Government, Harvey Norman Commercial, Solar Switch, Marks Group, RF Industries and many more.
We have divisions in all major cities.
Panels, inverter and battery brands
Inverter brands currently installed
Inverter brands previously installed
The views expressed by reviewers are theirs' alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of Peacock Media Group, which makes no representations as to the accuracy of the reviews. For our full disclaimer and further information, see our Terms of Use and our Review Guidelines.
Australian Solar Designs Reviews (168)
Show Most Recent reviews from All time across Australia
Average Scores
4.4/5
Value for money
4.6/5
Quality of System
4.7/5
Installation
4.7/5
Customer Service
- 5 star 59
- 4 star 101
- 3 star 6
- 2 star 1
- 1 star 1
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20 March 2020
03 December 2019
Fantastic Job from start to Finish 2 x 30kwh Systems
The Sales/Quoting process was great, Ajay was a pleasure to deal with and everything was covered in there quotation and very reasonable.The Installation was quick and workmanship was top notch.
Customer Service was great throughout the entire installation, Ajay also visited after everything was done to check the installation and to make sure we were happy with the systems, installation and Grid connection etc.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
11 January 2019
ASD has been an amazing experience from start to finish! The installers were very efficient on the day(s) of installation and provided feedback where necessary. A++
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18 December 2018
Original Review on 25-04-2018:
8 months later we asked Adam: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes04 November 2018
Since the company has changed management the after-sales service is appaling. they took weeks to return phone calls (in the end I took to calling randomly hoping to finally get the service manager), and ditto emails. and when you did get onto them it didn't move anything forward - you just got a litany of excuses for not acting. Finally they misdiagnosed the problem, and told me that they problem was not covered by warranty, that no individual spare parts were available, so I would have to replace the whole inverter at my expense, and when they could get around to it. And when I challenged this they just gave me the number of the distributor (who only deals with suppliers) and suggested I call them and have the argument.
Eventually I found someone else who was preapred to go around adn look at the system. They diagnosed and fixed the problem within 90 minutes of arriving, and at a cost less than a tenth of the cost ASD proposed.
I strongly recommend that you have nothing to do with this company.
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Eventually I found someone else who was preapred to go around adn look at the system. They diagnosed and fixed the problem within 90 minutes of arriving, and at a cost less than a tenth of the cost ASD proposed.
I strongly recommend that you have nothing to do with this company.
10 October 2018
Company kind enough to replace inverter out of good will
Inverter rating: 2/5
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Inverter rating: 2/5
02 July 2018
The worst experience I have ever had buying a product or service. 34 emails and a half dozen or more phone calls so far. Many of the emails were just to clarify exactly what I was requesting and what I was going to be quoted for. I was quoted for one system which I signed and paid a deposit for - there were no model numbers for the components just a generic description and then I was invoiced for another with different model numbers to those I'd been asking fo and after requesting a clarification the final invoice has less panels to the original quote.
I could never have an investment that I hope to be trouble free for a decade or two be provided by this company.
I have asked for a refund and if I don't get one I'll be cancelling regardless and looking at my options with an ombudsman.
Avoid, avoid, avoid.
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I could never have an investment that I hope to be trouble free for a decade or two be provided by this company.
I have asked for a refund and if I don't get one I'll be cancelling regardless and looking at my options with an ombudsman.
Avoid, avoid, avoid.
01 July 2018
Original Review on 29-10-2017:
8 months later we asked Ian: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
The system is working really well. The panels are rated 6.6 kw and in mid summer I am regularly getting 6kw out of it in the middle of the day. At the height of summer I was getting up to 48kw out of the system on a fully sunny day and now in June I am still managing to get 25kw out of it on a sunny day. My summer power bills are way down, but still waiting to see what a winter power bill looks like (June has been a bit cloudy and wet around here, so I have had a few 5kw days).11 June 2018
Original Review on 10-10-2017:
Apart from having to wait a little while for the inverter I selected, the system was installed with no fuss and to a high standard.8 months later we asked Stuart: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Exceeds expectations11 June 2018
The company is now run via a call center. They were very attentive right up until the deposit was paid then the interest dropped away. They said installation would only take 4 weeks, it took 8 weeks. You have to call them and remind them or they forget about you completely. The service team were professional and friendly but check you driveway after installation, at least a dozen roofing screws were left scattered over our driveway waiting for my tyres.
The display on the (Fronius) inverter stopped working and I advised their service section (same call center). That was five weeks ago, and still waiting. Their registered office is a house in a residential area of Kiama. You only have a 50% chance of getting anyone on the phone, you just have to persist. The 1300 number does not always work and the only other numbers they will give you are mobiles which go to voicemail. The owner of the business is unable to be contacted.
My advice... This is a company on its way out, avoid at all costs.
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The display on the (Fronius) inverter stopped working and I advised their service section (same call center). That was five weeks ago, and still waiting. Their registered office is a house in a residential area of Kiama. You only have a 50% chance of getting anyone on the phone, you just have to persist. The 1300 number does not always work and the only other numbers they will give you are mobiles which go to voicemail. The owner of the business is unable to be contacted.
My advice... This is a company on its way out, avoid at all costs.
06 June 2018
04 June 2018
The only hitch with the whole experience was that there was a problem with the emphase envoy system not working correctly. The envoy was replaced and then had difficulty connecting with my router using wifi. This was put down to two possible problems. 1: Router two far from the envoy. 2: The envoy mounted in a metal fuse box. I have purchased a wifi extender and the problem seems to be rectified.
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31 May 2018
I was asked to sign a form “on the spot†stating that I understood there would be a reduced performance due to the position of panels. The installer was unable to quantify the reduction and I felt that I should have received this information in advance
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14 May 2018
Original Review on 11-09-2017:
I found your Webb site invaluable. I kept on referring back to it each step of the way, plus many hours research on other sites. My wife and I decided to go with Australia solar designs as they offered the Fronius inverter with Trinia panels cheaper than any one else could and Steve was the only one of the three recommended by Finn that actually came to our house. We did get Solarhart to our house but they wanted more than double the amount that Australia solar designs quoted. They are due this Friday for installation so fingers crossed all goes well.Thank you Finn for all the available info. For a complete novice it definitely helped.
Thank you
Mark
8 months later we asked Mark: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes the first electricity bill was halved and the next was $150 in credit. Admittedly this was at the height of summer this winter will reveal more.09 May 2018
25 April 2018
Well they were going to install the system about two weeks ago. The installers turned up and found they hadn't been given the correct stuff - wrong inverter, no meter and no optimisers so the panels would never work.
A day away from the office for them to install the inverter and some wiring. Also a two hour trip to the house and two hours back.
They were meant to go back the next week to finish. I call on the Thursday but it appears they only just found out they don't have the meter. Apparently a few days later they sent the meter but since the house is empty during the day that doesn't help. I call again and they say that 'Kristie' signed for it.
" Do I know a Kristie?" NO. "Maybe one fate servants?".
Honestly, I have know idea what is going on, or why they sent a meter to an empty house rather than the installers (who still have my solar panels, and optimisers.
Hopefully something will come good, but some preemptive communication is always a good idea.
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A day away from the office for them to install the inverter and some wiring. Also a two hour trip to the house and two hours back.
They were meant to go back the next week to finish. I call on the Thursday but it appears they only just found out they don't have the meter. Apparently a few days later they sent the meter but since the house is empty during the day that doesn't help. I call again and they say that 'Kristie' signed for it.
" Do I know a Kristie?" NO. "Maybe one fate servants?".
Honestly, I have know idea what is going on, or why they sent a meter to an empty house rather than the installers (who still have my solar panels, and optimisers.
Hopefully something will come good, but some preemptive communication is always a good idea.
15 April 2018
System not yet installed, haven't hear from ASD for some time, so I'd prefer to comment when finally installed.
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27 March 2018
At the moment we are having issues connecting the phone App to the ininverter. ASD have tried to help me but its still not working. I also didn’t know that ASD contracts the installation out to contractors. I found the main guy who installed the system to be very good and knowledgeable but his two helpers were let’s say unmotivated . They put a whole in my ceiling inside my house and no one has fixed it yet. Luckily I was standing a metre away otherwise I would have been knocked out from the conduit that came flying through the ceiling.
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27 March 2018
Had no problems at all would recommend them to all.
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22 March 2018
Original Review on 19-07-2017:
Wes Green was very helpful and explained everything well.He also recommended that we should be battery ready rather than install one now.
8 months later we asked Mark: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes and I am going to get quotes for battery storage14 March 2018
Aj From Australian Solar Design was so professional and the best service i have come across in my life i actually payed more to go with this company because of Aj customer service was really outstanding!!
I don't do reviews but had to let every one know how happy i am with the Installation of the product and service!
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I don't do reviews but had to let every one know how happy i am with the Installation of the product and service!
10 March 2018
Were with Origin and their service is poor, still waiting for grid connection four weeks now. Good service from AJ and team
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05 March 2018
We decided on the type and make of panels and inverters and asked for the three quotes to be assessed on those criteria, providing us with consistency between quotes. The installation has not been started to date so can give no detail on installation service at this time.
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14 February 2018
Wes was great to deal with. Very well informed, offered clear explanations and gave honest suggestions on what we needed or didn't need. We've been using our system for many months now and are very happy with installation and performance. Highly recommended.
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04 January 2018
03 January 2018
18 December 2017
Original Review on 18-04-2017:
We were not unhappy with any of the suppliers that you suggested and your service was very helpful in getting us started. All your recommended companies were helpful, particularly Martin from Solar Hub, who came to our home and explained his system well and gave us good information. I did a lot of research, and in the end decided to go with Solar Designs as they provided what we wanted at a better price. We were very happy with Wes, from Solar Designs. His customer service, installation and so far, after sales service has been excellent. We haven't had our solar panels very long, but feel confident that the decision to go with solar will well and truly pay off.8 months later we asked Robert: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Very satisfactory11 December 2017
The people who own and run the company do the installation, so no subbies, that's good top quality workmanship too and friendly blokes.
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08 December 2017
08 December 2017
Installers were very efficient, careful and pleasant.
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07 December 2017
Original Review on 20-03-2017:
Wes the salesman was excellent and easy to talk to. Came to inspect our house and advise on the best solar input consumption we would achieve also came on site during installation. Able to answer a lot of the questions we thew at him. Very quick installation from time of inspection. Very prompt returning my messages.9 months later we asked Diane: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Very happy with the performance of my system.07 December 2017
07 December 2017
07 December 2017
I have had the system installed for a year now and it has worked flawlessly from day 1.
I chose Australian Solar Designs because of their consistently high quality reviews by past customers and I wanted a "done once and done correctly" installation which is certainly what I have got. Another point for me was that they use their own employees to do the site work unlike some others who simply outsource the installation to contractors.
From the beginning Wes Green was most helpful, answering all my questions and supplying a quality quote which stacked up very well against the others and on the day of the installation he was there supervising the team. Clean up was impeccable and I could not recommend them highly enough. I have actually just recommended them to a neighbour of mine so that says it all.
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I chose Australian Solar Designs because of their consistently high quality reviews by past customers and I wanted a "done once and done correctly" installation which is certainly what I have got. Another point for me was that they use their own employees to do the site work unlike some others who simply outsource the installation to contractors.
From the beginning Wes Green was most helpful, answering all my questions and supplying a quality quote which stacked up very well against the others and on the day of the installation he was there supervising the team. Clean up was impeccable and I could not recommend them highly enough. I have actually just recommended them to a neighbour of mine so that says it all.
07 December 2017
Installers came on time and were friendly and helpful.
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07 December 2017
09 September 2017
Solar Quotes provided details of one provider in the Port Macquarie area. The quote obtained from that provider was reasonable, however, after further research (including reading numerous positive reviews of Australian Solar Designs (ASD) on the Solar Quotes website) and detailed discussions with Scott at ASD, we obtained a quote from ASD giving us five options covering five price ranges. After further research and discussions with ASD, including confirming the suitability of the preferred option for our yet-to-be-completed property, we selected a system comprising LG panels and an SMA inverter. Although at the high end price wise, we are satisfied that the selected system provides good value for money and our experience with ASD throughout the process has been excellent. They have been quick to respond to information requests and queries; we are confident that when installed, the selected system will meet all our needs, including its suitability for future connection to battery storage.
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01 August 2017
Original Review on 30-11-2016:
The only reason I have said 'Good' and not 'Fantastic' for all of the ratings is because the system has only been commissioned and running for one week so it is a little early to crack open the champagne (I'm tending towards 'Fantastic'). So far I am very impressed with almost all aspects. Australian Solar Designs (ASD) streamlined and facilitated the whole process of approvals and inspections. The whole operation, from proposal to completed installation took just over 3 weeks, with inspection and final commissioning another 12 days - this is not under their control. The only downside is that sometimes I felt out of the loop as the client when the details of dealings between ASD and the other players were not always made known to me at the time. Having said that, ASD worked very efficiently with the ACT Government agencies and the electricity supplier. ASD do not require a deposit up front, another plus, and an indication of the relationship of trust they have with the client, but having paid the full amount by EFT upon installation, I had no confirmation of the financial transaction for a week and had to ask for a receipt, which ASD then promptly supplied. In summary, ASD could do better at making sure the client is well informed and feels like a full partner at all times in the process, but their proposal was sound and flexible in terms of future addition of storage, good value for money, in short the best; their installation was quick and efficient, and their relationship with government authorities and electricity supplier, key ingredients, was very good.8 months later we asked Mark: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
My 5.2 kW system has now been in operation for 8 months so I have not seen the results in output over a full year, but I have now seen the the energy production and the effect on electricity bills over two full quarters - January to March, and April to June. The installer, Australian Solar Designs, provided an installation report indicating the expected output of the system over a year. It looks like the system is well on track to meet, and is likely to exceed that expectation. I'll need to confirm this, of course, after a full year of operation but with the expectation of increased production in spring and early summer yet to come, there seems little doubt that over the year I will be a net exporter of electricity rather than a consumer. At 5.2 kW, the system is bigger than I require for my daily energy needs, but was designed with my participation and agreement such that I would be able to retro-fit a battery at a later date without needing to increase capacity in either panels or inverter. I am watching developments in battery technology and pricing closely. With the addition of a battery, I believe I would be in a position to go totally off-grid if I chose.The best recommendation for an installer is where no further support or assistance has been required, and this is the case with my installation so far. This has been a hassle free installation. So far - Flawless!
07 July 2017
I have full confidence in ASD as I was talking to engineers. Their customer service is wonderful. Nothing is too much trouble. They emailed instructions on how to connect my iPad or smart phone to monitor my system and offered for one of them to come to my home on the South Coast to do it if I had difficulty.
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26 June 2017
Original Review on 24-10-2016:
8 months later we asked John: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes it has and even on cloudy days usually pumps out enough to run my pool filter.Looking at installing a battery and perhaps two extra panels when the price becomes a simple decision.
12 June 2017
Very happy with process and result. Particularly appreciated the way Scott got back to us promptly when we had questions or concerns during the whole process.
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28 May 2017
11 May 2017
Original Review on 10-09-2016:
8 months later we asked Tony: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
looking at the current billing period which started when the meters were last read on March 10th, through to last Saturday (7/5/17) which is 57 days.I have drawn 286Kwh from the grid and pumped 625Kwh back into the grid.
I am drawing just over 5Kwh per day from the grid and a similar draw from the solar each day for domestic use.
Cost of electricity from the grid: $73.71 including gst
Credit for the return to the grid $62.50
meaning that for 57 days I owe the electric company $11.61 (or 19 .5 cents per day) for electicity
Add on the supply charge of $43.18 (to date) which is the biggest chunk of the bill, and i am looking at a sub $100 total bill for the quarter.
My spreadsheet is saying around the $85-$90 total bill.
outstanding mate, bloody awesome.
(to date, since installation back in December the system has generated >3Mwh of energy)
09 May 2017
Very painless, with the Installer keeping me informed all through the process.
Great job with no mess and the meter is running backwards at a great rate.
Wouldn't hesitate to recommend this installer to anyone who asks
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Great job with no mess and the meter is running backwards at a great rate.
Wouldn't hesitate to recommend this installer to anyone who asks
01 May 2017
Scott from ASD answered all of my questions honestly and I felt confident that the information he gave me was correct. A lot of other quotes that I got had salesmen who gave very misleading information. The installation was done in a morning and the whole process was very smooth. I'd definitely recommend!
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28 March 2017
I thought ASD were brilliant. Wes was very knowledgable; being an electrician and not a generic salesman is a huge plus. As an electrical engineer I appreciated ASD's command of the technology and quickly adapting to my evolving requirements. They have a simple an efficient business model. The installation by a team of 4 was done within a day. The quality of the workmanship was excellent. They offered plenty of flexibility in systems they could install and knew the cost/benefits. I'd unconditionally recommend them.
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26 December 2016
The installation has not yet been finalised as we are waiting for regulatory approvals and switchover by the local authority. This is not the fault of the supplier, whose performance has been highly satisfactory throughout the tendering and installation process. They have been very good in keeping us informed of developments at all stages, and in responding to questions
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13 December 2016
In addition to the 3 quotes triggered through the amazingly informative SolarQuotes web site I also got quotes from two highly rated installers nearer to where I live. Those two came to the property for site inspections and very helpful discussion. Scott Mason from Australian Solar Designs was outstanding and I chose to go ahead with him because of his excellent advice on component quality and suitability to a sea side environment, and being a locally based installer. Being in a small regional town I feel follow up service and proposed future battery addition would be much easier than with a capital city based company over two hours away. ASD's top ranking was also a big factor!
From quote to sign off the whole process was smooth and seamless, with Scott and Wes being in contact and available all the time. The two guys who did the actual installation in one day on Dec 3rd did the most careful and tidy job - way better than my expectations. (spirit levels on the switches,all wiring to the switches and inverter hidden in the wall cavity etc.) To have the company owners/directors on site at times during the work, and to have it grid connected the same day was a real bonus. I could not be happier and would rate them way above 5 if it was possible.
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From quote to sign off the whole process was smooth and seamless, with Scott and Wes being in contact and available all the time. The two guys who did the actual installation in one day on Dec 3rd did the most careful and tidy job - way better than my expectations. (spirit levels on the switches,all wiring to the switches and inverter hidden in the wall cavity etc.) To have the company owners/directors on site at times during the work, and to have it grid connected the same day was a real bonus. I could not be happier and would rate them way above 5 if it was possible.
05 December 2016
Original Review on 03-04-2016:
Australian Solar Designs gave the very best quote and service for our needs, prompt honest people to deal with.Another organisation I believe mislead me about details as I had researched and overall quote was too much.
The last organisation did not call until we had already gone with ASD.
8 months later we asked This person: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
NO Definitely not, the meter that was installed was incorrect (single meter, not sure) it did not measure what was sent back to the grid and to date we have only received $50 credit for back to the grid from the last bill. All of the bills received have been more or much the same as we got before the system was installed.Origin electricity estimated the first bill because of the meter, after one month of solar (understand paperwork not through to advise)
The second bill reading showed nil back to the grid, because of the meter.
Third bill reading showed nil back to the grid again. Origin then advised meter not reading correctly. Contacted ASD and he replaced the meter saying it was the wrong type installed from the beginning and came back to replace the inverter that was faulty. Wes took photos of the meter to send to Origin and said we should get a big refund for power back to the grid.
The next bill was half estimated because of the meter change (understandable) and the credit for power back to the grid was $50
So I am still waiting to see some benefit from taking the plunge into solar power.
We of course have all the bills to show our results and yeah I thought it would have been a better experience.
24 November 2016
Original Review on 24-03-2016:
8 months later we asked Bruce: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes
Good company to deal with fast service
Reliable company with fast service. All staff are very professional and they know about their product that they are selling.Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5