Essential Solar Reviews
4.5
Leave a review Based on 553 ratings Aus Ranking
- 5 star 174
- 4 star 336
- 3 star 40
- 2 star 2
- 1 star 1
Average Customer Review
- Value 4.26
- System Quality 4.54
- Customer Service 4.64
- Installation 4.71
Timeline
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Essential solar is a family owned renewable energy company established in 2012.
We are a high-quality retailer, designer and installer of both residential and commercial solar PV rooftop generators.
Our success lies in our devotion to quality of products and our enthusiastic staff dedicated to 100% customer satisfaction. We are committed to providing the right solution to each and everyone of our customers while focusing on Performance, Quality and Reliability.
At Essential Solar we regard every company and residential customer an important part of our business. We pride ourselves in providing exception advice, support and service from our first consultation to years after installation.
As well as the environmental benefits of solar power, we understand that an important driver to install solar is to save money. Our qualified CEC design team will ensure the best panel layout for your premises based on a number of factors, including shading, roof availability and electrical parameters to maximise efficiency of your system and providing the best financial return.
Of course, purchasing a solar PV is a long-term commitment so the reliability of the components of the entire system is critically important and for that reason Essential Solar’s CEC accredited installers will only install Tier 1 products. We are accredited direct service partners with Fronius Australia and believe our business relationships is an important aspect of our company to be able to supply our customers with the latest and most efficient products on the market and continue to provide our customers with the best support possible.
Don’t waste sunlight – make the sunshine work for you.
Essential Solar Solar Reviews
Fantastic installation
It was very good It was punctual and polite It was good Show additional informationGreat Advice, Great Service, Great System
I had a great hour session with Ray Bout from Essential Solar, during which we looked at the appropriate panels, inverter options and panel siting for my needs. Ray was fully across his game and able to answer all of my questions, whether techy or just general 'how does it all work'. Ray arrived for our appointment bang on time. By the end of the hour we had a design I was happy with and some good tips received.My installer team also arrived bang on time as arranged, Cathal and his workmate were up on the roof in no time (where Cathal even spotted I had a broken tile leaking into my roof - thanks dude). All of the work on my tiled roof and colour bond garage roof was done by lunch, with the inverter sited exactly where I asked for it, and my electrical box rewired. All of the wiring is neat and finished to a high quality. Everything was left neat and tidy.
The safety inspector David was round within 3 days to certify the system and switch on, so we could enjoy the power straight away.
Jessica and Hayley were great at rounding up all the loose ends, getting my retailer and grid connection sorted, and helping me to get the Fronius app working on my phone :-).
All done within 4 weeks from the first enquiry and the system looks cool and is performing great.
Seriously, call these guys first, don't mess about. Show additional information
Essential Solar was great to deal with
The salesperson I used was great, very patient and explained everything thoroughly. Just waiting for it now to be connected to by electrical supplier. Show additional informationGreat supplier, great sparky with installation crew. Great customer service
Sales process excellentGreat installation team
Great customer service
Can't ask for anything else Show additional information
Great company, highly recommend
Quote process - they came on time we’re prepared and professional, this was the only company who immediately booked a tome to come to my house. They went through options & came up with a good quality system to fit my budget. Install was excellent, they have their own workforce of tradies who work in dedicated teams, they were professional, quick and tidy and spent time problem solving to get the best location for panels and inverter. customer Service were proactive & helpful all the way through getting my application lodged & helping me to do my part, following up with paperwork and connection to the grid. Always very quick and responsive on email and calls. Show additional informationGreat experience with installer
Everything in the process was explained carefully. The installation people were nice and punctual. Customer services staff were helpful and nice. I would recommend Essential Solar to other customers. Show additional informationFantastic service and installation
The sales Quoting person was polite and very professionalThe installers was polite,Tidy and Punctual.
The customer service girls where very helpful and answered all questions put to them. Nothing was a problem,and yes they did organise the inspector to come to our house. Show additional information
Terrific Customer Service, willing to educate the customer
Essential Solar were not the cheapest quote I had, in fact they were the most expensive out of the 4 I received. Where they stood out though is that their service and expertise were head and shoulders above the others. For a start, despite being an hour away from my property, they were the only company willing to come out and look at my house prior to the quote. They also showed great patience in dealing with my many follow up questions. I though they were so professional that I referred them to do my parent's solar. Show additional informationFriendly and professional down to the last detail
Quoting was face to face; friendly and spent time to explain process clearly. Particularly impressed with the insulation. A potential fault with the electricity provider was picked up and the installation team worked with me on this while the electricity provider dealt with the issue. The installers were polite and professional. Customer service linked all parts of the process from beginning to end so it all went smoothly. Show additional informationFab solar panels
Good sales and quoting process.Installation was ok, punctual, polite, very loud very early (Couldn’t be helped), a few broken tiles that I wasn't told about.
Customer service has been great, paperwork straight forward, prompt connection and apps, great communications. Show additional information
I initially had a good feeling about using Essential Solar from my interactions with the salesman and also by looking at the positive reviews they had. Unfortunately the design turned out to be different to what I had expected. I ended up with all North West facing panels when I had initially requested some panels to be North East facing to capture the sun exposure in the morning. A couple of days before the install they sent me the varied design which was not what I had agreed to. The salesman said that their engineers had decided that all north west facing was the best design and it would be too much trouble to install the north east facing panels and scaffolding. So I was given very little notice of this change and just felt I had to accept it as to change the design meant I would have to wait another month and miss out on the maximum rebate. They told me that their designers have the overall say, so I am not sure why they even bothered consulting with me about the design in the first place.
Secondly, I was assured by the salesman that the panels would be very discrete as they were putting half of them on my front roof which did worry me. He said the panels would be very discrete and will blend in with my black tiled roof. The thing he didnt tell me is that they would put the big ugly white isolator switch (size of a big shoe box) in full view on the front roof, and now it’s the only thing I can see when I look at my panels as I am pulling into my driveway. Everyone who comes to the house notices the isolator switch it as it stands out like a sore thumb right in the middle of my roof. The inspector even told me they could have put it in a more discrete location. When I asked if they could move the isolator switch to the other more discrete side, they told me they would charge me $500! So now I am stuck with a white eyesore on my black roof and can’t do anything about it, I am absolutely not happy about this.
In addition, the sales person said I would be able to monitor all of the panels to see how they are performing and he recommended I go with the Fronius inverter due to its monitoring ability and now I realise that it just gives me a graph with the overall energy production but I can’t see how each string is functioning i.e. if there is a problem with shade etc. So I am not happy about this either. Overall I am very disappointed and wish I had gone with another provider. Show additional information
Secondly, I was assured by the salesman that the panels would be very discrete as they were putting half of them on my front roof which did worry me. He said the panels would be very discrete and will blend in with my black tiled roof. The thing he didnt tell me is that they would put the big ugly white isolator switch (size of a big shoe box) in full view on the front roof, and now it’s the only thing I can see when I look at my panels as I am pulling into my driveway. Everyone who comes to the house notices the isolator switch it as it stands out like a sore thumb right in the middle of my roof. The inspector even told me they could have put it in a more discrete location. When I asked if they could move the isolator switch to the other more discrete side, they told me they would charge me $500! So now I am stuck with a white eyesore on my black roof and can’t do anything about it, I am absolutely not happy about this.
In addition, the sales person said I would be able to monitor all of the panels to see how they are performing and he recommended I go with the Fronius inverter due to its monitoring ability and now I realise that it just gives me a graph with the overall energy production but I can’t see how each string is functioning i.e. if there is a problem with shade etc. So I am not happy about this either. Overall I am very disappointed and wish I had gone with another provider. Show additional information
Easy Replacement and Upsize
Thank you Essential Solar team.From the knowledgeable Salesman, to the neat and tidy work done by the installation team the job was hassle free.
The customer service organized everything and were always there to answer any question, then after the completion sent out a comprehensive data pack.
Very happy with the end result and the contact people, would recommend Essential solar to anyone needing to replace, upgrade or buy a new system. Show additional information
Professional and hassle-free installation!
The quoting process was timely, friendly and efficient. The installation went smoothly with no problems encountered. The staff helped organise the grid connection immediately after completion and this happened very quickly with no problems. The staff have also been happy to help with follow-up questions relating to the retailer's website and app plus inverter warranty. Show additional informationExcellent install of the panels BUT poor service
The quoting process was smooth although they did not ask me if I wanted consumption monitoring which would mean that I have to get it installed after which is more expensive. I only realised I wanted one when I started looking at the data and consumption is missing.The installers arrived on time. The installation took pretty much the whole day. The panels were installed neatly on the roof. It was excellent. However, the installer had issues connecting the fronius with my router so had to install a wifi extender. I only realised that he did not setup the extender properly and wasnt working. I suspect that he only needed to refresh his browser connecting to the Fronius to get the signal. In the end, I had to pay extra for the wifi extender which i never needed. Customer service werent that particularly helpful as well. I was told that if I returned the extender and there was any connection issues then i'll have to pay for them to come out and have a look. They never believed me that the installer had not properly setup the extender thus it wasnt working in the first place. I am very disappointed in this regard. Show additional information
East to work with, good installation team
Sales rep. Vipul was very informative, explaining the different systems and following up with emails. Jessica from customer service was very efficient, keeping me updated with the progress.Installation team were efficient, installation was done in good time with minimal power interruptions and no mess
Customer service arranged grid connection and all paperwork submissions Show additional information
Really great support and experience
Essential Solar have been really great for us through the whole process. Knowing that the company is based locally, in our area, did make a big difference for us, but I think they'd do a good job anywhere!The sales rep spent a lot of time making sure the details of our system were correct, and would fill our needs. This is our first home and it was important to us to get things right, but we had no idea what we were doing so good and honest information was important. It was really clear that the rep knew the products and the installation process, and really paid attention to our energy requirements and our budget - when we asked for a lower-cost solution, we got it. Everything was backed up with manuals and manufacturer's specifications - this was a really transparent and detailed process. We had help navigating the State Government rebate system, which can be confusing (especially for first-home buyers like us), and the customer service was always outstanding with quick turnarounds.
Installation was very professional and punctual (installers arriving bang on time!) - the lead time between paying the deposit and the installation date was a bit quicker than we'd been quoted which was actually great. The installation was very quick and extremely neat, and all of the various safety checks and dealing with the distributors and retailer have been very quick and painless, with a really great level of support.
I absolutely recommend Essential Solar. Show additional information
Communication through the Journey of Solar
The process from Start to Finish is no doubt a journey, but dealing with hard working installers and follow up due to monitoring issues by Sam made the journey easier. I want to make particular reference to Jessica Kidd who was always on top of my questions, thorough and prompt with responses. Dealing with Jessica through the rebate and wifi extender had me never lose faith. Jessica's customer service skills were of a very high quality. Essential Solar came highly recommended from a family member and Paul Hammond set the scene with recommendations. I would have no hesitation recommending Essential Solar to anyone else considering Solar power. Show additional informationSuperb Service
You cant go wrong with essential solar, from quoting stage to installation everything went as planned, after service was great as well they made sure everything was running, sent all relevant paper work to my energy supplier to configure my meter and even made sure my extended warranty was applied, installers were polite and cleaned up their mess, there is no complaints from me Show additional informationGreat job
The process was seamless, all the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable, installed and running in a day. Show additional informationCan't fault them at this point and would recommend Essential Solar :)
The entire process has been great to this point, the sales team are knowledgeable and helpful, the installation process was great and have had no issues so far. And so far, after the install, the customer service has also been great, I have had a couple of queries which have been answered immediately. I will say that I have only had the system up and running for a couple of weeks though, so still too early to judge system performance, savings and responses to potential issues, but again, so far, can't fault Essential Solar and would (and have) definitely recommend them. Show additional informationVery poor service. Left me in the lurch after taking deposit.
I had a sales person visit and she was very thorough and knowledgeable, though she did make the point several times that Essential "weren't like the other dodgy companies". I decided to go ahead and was promised that if I committed by a certain date, install before Xmas would be guaranteed. Deposit was paid and I went through the rebate application/approval process with the government. Then it was crickets.I rang a couple of times to get an install date but nothing was locked in and I was never contacted back. Finally I sent an email saying please advise a date as it was guaranteed before Xmas. The sales person called me to say they wouldn't be performing the works because the install was too hard. They weren't open to discussion, no options to re-look at the pricing even though I was willing to cover extra costs, just bad luck, seeya later.
So terrible service from Essential. They ARE just like the dodgy companies that want to only do the quick and easy stuff. And now i'm months behind getting my solar. Show additional information
Essential Solar made the solar process easy
The sales/quoting process was discussed in detail with us, with all questions answered promptly.Essential Solar assisted us with the application process for the solar rebates. The installers were professional, knowledge, tidy and punctual.
I contacted them several times throughout the process from application to installation. Essential Solar were very professional and great to deal with along the way. I would recommend them, and use them again. I have referred a couple of friends to them as well. Thanks for your help. Show additional information
Solid
Great service, accommodated all my questions and requests. Installers turned up as promised and were very efficient, took the time to explain and confirm all details. From a purely return on investment I probably could have found a cheaper installer (so scored 4/5 for value) but not sure I would have had the same service. Outstanding 10 year whole system warranty. Show additional informationVery Happy with Essential Solar
A most informative Vincent attended our home to discuss needs and potential solutionsBack up by helpful office staff.
The installation team were first class
System is working well Show additional information
Great installer with good after sales care
Great solar company, very happy with quote and service. Salesman isn't pushy and very informative. Sales team had good communication all through the process. Have had the system for 4 months now. A few software quibbles were sorted out very quickly and they've been very helpful when I've had questions post install. Show additional informationProfessional and friendly in all aspects.
Office staff were always friendly & helpful. The installation team were amazing & very professional & finished on time & sowed us all we needed to know. Thoroughly recommended. Show additional informationSeamless from start to finish
From my first phone call to coming on line Essential Solar were great.They were the only company to send someone out to look at the job, gave me a quote and plan on the spot the person had all the answers to all my questions.
I was able to choose the date for the install and the electricians were on the door step right on time, I was able to get the inverter where I wanted it .
The install was done with a minimum of fuss and cleaned up after the job the workers were polite and courteous and explained how the system worked.
It took no time at all to get the system inspected and the paper was submitted the same day and I was contacted by my supply company within two days.
This is one company I would recommend and have already done to a couple on friends already. Show additional information
Good company
The sales meeting was at the property and the explanation was thorough and informative ( even if the sales guy confused kWh with kW). I ended up ordering three systems for my children and and am attempting to arrange a system installation on my slate roof at the moment. Their assistance with the Victorian govt rebate was invaluable. Show additional information
Yes. The panels were installed on Monday this week.
We used Essential Solar, who have numerous positive reviews on your site.
I can’t recall whether they contacted us (or vice versa) in first instance.
Your site and information have been most useful and informative.
Next steps for us are to choose our retailer/supplier (presently Origin). Do you provide any advice in this.
Given that we have 11 north and 7 west-facing panels, should we seek (what I am told) is a late-afternoon premium/bias feed-in tariff.
Regards
Tom Show additional information
We used Essential Solar, who have numerous positive reviews on your site.
I can’t recall whether they contacted us (or vice versa) in first instance.
Your site and information have been most useful and informative.
Next steps for us are to choose our retailer/supplier (presently Origin). Do you provide any advice in this.
Given that we have 11 north and 7 west-facing panels, should we seek (what I am told) is a late-afternoon premium/bias feed-in tariff.
Regards
Tom Show additional information
Extremely helpful
Essential Solar were extremely good and recommended the best unit to suit my situation. The girls in the office kept me up to date on the application process and once approved the installation was quick and without any problems. Show additional informationExcellent customer service, excellent sales advisor and (so far) competent installation. Very happy!!
From go to whoa the company was polite, all staff were courteous including the installers, sales advisor was knowledgable and answered all my questions and installation occurred as promised before Christmas! Just waiting for certification and connection to the grid. Show additional informationFantastic Solar Installation!!
Dealing with Essential Solar was a great experience. The salesmen Paul was very informative and gave us a very accurate estimation of the power we would generate with our new solar panels. I found their quote to be competitive and was keen to use a company that didn't outsource the installation of the actual solar panels system to a third party. Throughout the process I dealt with Jessica who was very helpful with organising the solar rebate & providing information about the installation date. The quality of Essential Solar's workmanship is excellent and the installation team work worked overtime to get the job completed. Show additional information
Went through Essential Solar myself after looking at reviews of company on SolarQuotes website. Green Sky offered a good system, although the most expensive (with microinverters), while Traeger Solar was offering a full Solaredge branded system - panels and inverter. Was unsure about the quality of solaredge's panels, could find very little information online about them. Ended up going for Fronius inverter with Suntech panels, and Tigo optimisers on the panels that will be affected by shading.
Show additional information
Be sure to check the System Design document for over-shadowing. In my case the planned layout of solar panels had 5 panels where they would be shaded by next doors trees.
Also insist that your Inverter is in the shade.
Using Solar Quotes selection diagrams I selected Panels and invertor for quality not price. I could have had a much cheaper system if I selected cheaper components.
Following Solar Quotes advise I got 6.6kW of panels, Ausnet limit the inverter to 5kW export. I can export 3.6kW on an overcast day, more on a clouldless day Show additional information
Also insist that your Inverter is in the shade.
Using Solar Quotes selection diagrams I selected Panels and invertor for quality not price. I could have had a much cheaper system if I selected cheaper components.
Following Solar Quotes advise I got 6.6kW of panels, Ausnet limit the inverter to 5kW export. I can export 3.6kW on an overcast day, more on a clouldless day Show additional information
It has gone fantastically well, surprisingly smoother and quicker than I had suspected particularly this last part - installation was on Thursday pre-Easter, inspection occured Tuesday after Easter and it was all turned on following the inspection. Essential Solar has received the certificate of electrical safety and now having paid the balance, I expect to get all my paper work shortly, so that I can follow up the Vic State Govt rebate.
I am fantastically happy with the service, advice and support from the team at SolarQuotes and the quality of the 3 companies that submitted quotes. The process has been highly educational and we are very happy with the outcome. Show additional information
I am fantastically happy with the service, advice and support from the team at SolarQuotes and the quality of the 3 companies that submitted quotes. The process has been highly educational and we are very happy with the outcome. Show additional information
Great service from Essential Solar. Made the process of buying solar easy.
Good sales process, great customer service along the way, installation yet to occur. Show additional informationExcellent work
Good experience. Essential Solar helped us every step of the way from providing help with login into Solar Victoria to register a placing for solar rebate to reorganising the trades to come out on the weekend due to them unable to come out on the actual scheduled day. Show additional informationProfessional Installers!
Essential Solar were easy to work with, had top support and were able to answer any concerns and questions I had during installation. Show additional informationExcellent installer and a job well done
Essential Solar came highly recommended by a previous customer and, after having decided to use them for my install, I can fully agree and second the recommendation. From sales through to installation to support the whole process has been painless. The options for different systems were clearly explained without any pressure, the installation was fast and done with minimal disruption and the ongoing support has been excellent. Show additional informationVery professional attitude - made every thing about installation go smoothly.
All steps were handled very professionally. Quotes were adjusted to meet our suggested changes. Installation took place on day arranged and was carried out quickly & efficiently. Installer arranged to purchase box which matched our existing circuit breaker box - at no additional cost to us. Grid connection was carried out without problems. Show additional informationGood job
Essential Solar gave professional service from the quote through the installation and with some fine tuning after the installation. Still sorting out some minor grid issues because the grid voltage is too high or house to pole connection to small. Essential Solar is remaining engaged in this process even though the system has been paid in full. They were helpful in navigating the solar rebates process and ensured that the quote was submitted to Solar Vic in plenty of time to apply for the next rebate round. Show additional informationEssential Solar - Essential Opportunity
The team at Essential Solar went over and beyond to guide us through the process and the installation team who arrived were efficient, professional and cleaned up! A big thanks to Hayley who answered all our questions promptly and was terrific to deal with. The quote was perfect, and they are Melbourne based with their own employees to do all the work, not sub-contractors. I felt for our neighbours who had another company and they had taken 3 days to install them! Essential Solar is a must. Show additional informationVery professional and proactive
The whole process was very professional from start to finish. Well explained site visit, good communication throughout the various stages and great installation. Excellent customer service and they organized all the paperwork for grid connection. They even helped with the Vic Solar rebate. I have recommended Essential Solar to a good friend of mine and he is getting a system installed in January. Show additional informationFantastic experience from start to finish
Best reviewed installer in Victoria. What can go wrong, right? Well, that's right! It was such a great experience from start to finish, from salesperson Vipul explaining the process and cost to have it installed and to the installers that came to install the system. They were friendly, efficient, fast, spoke perfect English and left the place without a mess. After-sales person Hayley was efficient to follow up on inspection and wifi setup to ensure everything is running smoothly. It's such a painless and amazing experience that made this purchase a positive one. Can't fault them at all. Highly recommended. Show additional informationGreat customer service and quality. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
Was put onto Essential Solar by a friend but did my due diligence anyway. Made several requests of them prior to signing and they obliged promptly. Quick and easy set up and install was done with care. They accidentally lost power to one of my circuits and I didn't realise until the follow day however they came out to site and fixed the problem as a priority. Took quite a while for them to send the instruction pack out and when it was delivered the content wasn't up to scratch - very short on detail. Other than that, great customer service and quality. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend. Show additional informationSolar Essential were brilliant from start to finish
The whole process from start to finish was completed in a highly professional manner, from the office staff to the installers nothing was ever to much trouble for them. Solar Essentials have been one of the most professional companies I have dealt with. Would highly recommend them. Show additional informationCan't Fault!!
Essential Solar are a fantastic company!From sales, and the office team to the install guys - everyone is so helpful, friendly and willing to go out of their way to help you.
Even after sales care has been wonderful - helping us set-up and teaching us how to use the Fronius app to monitor plus any other random questions I come up with.
Highly recommend for all your solar needs - A+++ Show additional information
Perfect installer
From start to finish all bases covered very happy with product and workmanship would highly recommend Show additional informationProfessional solar providers
From the quoting process to aftersales questions all facets were handled in a extremely professional manner.The installation team are essential solar employees and are very obliging. The information supplied as to what, when and where the applications and government red tape should be handled was perfect. Just read and do as required and you will have the solar system of your choice and little stress.
Pricing and product availability are top of the tree. You pay for quality so do your homework. Ask for cheap and be prepared to pay more eventually. How do you feel when asked to discount your services. They are very nice (fun) people to deal with. Show additional information
