Essential Solar Reviews
4.5
Leave a review Based on 318 reviews
- 5 star 68
- 4 star 224
- 3 star 25
- 2 star 0
- 1 star 1
Average Customer Review
- Value 4.16
- System Quality 4.45
- Customer Service 4.59
- Installation 4.65
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About Essential Solar, Solar Installers
Essential Solar is a Solar Power Installation company based in Tullamarine and serves VIC. Here are their reviews as submitted by visitors to SolarQuotes
Essential Solar Solar Reviews
We follow up with all reviewers after 12 months to see how their system is going since it was installed. These are all the reviewers who have responded to our 1 year follow up:
I chose Essential Solar as my first impressions were they would deliver a good quality install and use better quality products. They delivered on all fronts and I’m happy to say they were professional , helpful and reliable . Also I’m particularly happy with the Fronius inverter and it’s monitoring functions so I can get the best out of the system .
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We had quotes from about four companies, and even though Essential Solar was not the cheapest, we felt that they provided the best value for money overall package. Firoz was very helpful in setting up the initial quote, but we had to make a number of changes to our planned layout due to our unusual roof. David was very helpful in discussions and leading us to a final solution. Mark and his installing team were very efficient and communicated well before and during the installation of our 21 300 watt panels with micro inverters.
The final step of connecting up to our electricity supplier was quick and efficient, and Essential Solar provided comprehensive documents and manuals on a USB stick.
The on-line monitoring software works extremely well, giving us reports on energy production and usage in real time. We are impressed with how much energy is being produced and presumably money saved.
I would highly recommend Essential Solar for your solar panel installation. Show additional information
The final step of connecting up to our electricity supplier was quick and efficient, and Essential Solar provided comprehensive documents and manuals on a USB stick.
The on-line monitoring software works extremely well, giving us reports on energy production and usage in real time. We are impressed with how much energy is being produced and presumably money saved.
I would highly recommend Essential Solar for your solar panel installation. Show additional information
We were very impressed with Essential Solar from Sales to Service and Installation. In fact, after sales service has been very good too. We got quotes from about 7 suppliers and everyone was very different.
We didn't go with the cheapest or the most expensive - we feel like we have obtained good value for money. They are installed now but not finally signed off - so time will only tell whether we made the right decision in terms of output! Show additional information
We didn't go with the cheapest or the most expensive - we feel like we have obtained good value for money. They are installed now but not finally signed off - so time will only tell whether we made the right decision in terms of output! Show additional information
The salesman stuffed up the number of panels that would fit, and the extra gear neeed for linking to our 3 phase system.The electritians did a nice installation job of panels and wiring. They now have to come back tomorrow to rewire to fix above problem.
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Very happy with your 3 recommendations, all we on the same page, saved me days of mucking around. All quotes were competitive and recommended the same system due to my shading issues. Essential solar really ticked all of the boxes and thats who we went with. Good communication all the way through, installation faultless, really happy... very very happy.
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Always pleasant and friendly to deal with. Efficient, on time, and well organised.
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Not knowing much about solar, we found the information provided and quotes obtained from Solar Quotes very helpful in deciding the best system for our home.
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The installers were great. It was cold and then wet. They just powered on and completed installation. All of the Essential Solar staff we communicated with were polite and professional; we are happy to recommend to others.
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It was overall quick and easy
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Essential solar waste my time. They sales guy said that the installation was simple with no hassle. One month later the installer turns up and pulls the pin. To dangerous to install. This is after a site inspection by installers in between all of this. Waste of time. Keep away from these guys. All talk!!!!
16 July 2018 additional feedback provided:
I ordered and paid a deposit for a 10 kw system on May the 29th. Solar inspection completed within a week and all ok as per the technicians who visited the site. Installation booked mid June. Two days prior to install I get a call that essential solar are out of panels and it would need to be re-scheduled. Didn't think much of it. A week after that I was notified another site inspection is required and i get the pleasure of meeting an installer who talks about how hard the install will be and that it will take him 3 days to complete. July 5 I am told it is not safe to install on my roof and the deposit will be refunded. No explanation on what can be done to make it safe, no amendments to initial quote for safety reasons, etc. What a joke! Why does it take Essential Solar 6 weeks to work out it is not safe to install on a roof, unless they have decided the job is too hard and could not be bothered. Get your act together Essential solar.
Hi George,
This is David Bruce, the business owner. I'm sorry you feel this way but I have a responsibility to my installers to ensure their continued safety at work. The first site inspection on your steep two storey property showed up serious concerns. As a result, I asked for a second site inspection to examine the costs of scaffolding or an alternative safety system. The result was we could not find a solution within your budget. I do not like to lose any customer, but I will not compromise with safety. Perhaps you can review your emotional response with some consideration for the safety of my employees. For the record, your deposit was refunded, in full, within 24 hours of the cancellation. Show additional information
16 July 2018 additional feedback provided:
I ordered and paid a deposit for a 10 kw system on May the 29th. Solar inspection completed within a week and all ok as per the technicians who visited the site. Installation booked mid June. Two days prior to install I get a call that essential solar are out of panels and it would need to be re-scheduled. Didn't think much of it. A week after that I was notified another site inspection is required and i get the pleasure of meeting an installer who talks about how hard the install will be and that it will take him 3 days to complete. July 5 I am told it is not safe to install on my roof and the deposit will be refunded. No explanation on what can be done to make it safe, no amendments to initial quote for safety reasons, etc. What a joke! Why does it take Essential Solar 6 weeks to work out it is not safe to install on a roof, unless they have decided the job is too hard and could not be bothered. Get your act together Essential solar.
Supplier Reply
09 July 2018Hi George,
This is David Bruce, the business owner. I'm sorry you feel this way but I have a responsibility to my installers to ensure their continued safety at work. The first site inspection on your steep two storey property showed up serious concerns. As a result, I asked for a second site inspection to examine the costs of scaffolding or an alternative safety system. The result was we could not find a solution within your budget. I do not like to lose any customer, but I will not compromise with safety. Perhaps you can review your emotional response with some consideration for the safety of my employees. For the record, your deposit was refunded, in full, within 24 hours of the cancellation. Show additional information
Very professional service everything was handled without any problems and leaving me feeling very happy with my choice of solar company, unlike my experience having dealt with a cheaper supplier for a previous install
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Sales person, Firoz, was very knowledgeable and demonstrated credibility up front and with subsequent advice / negotiations.
They were not the cheapest but I felt I was dealing with good people. No hard up-sell - in fact I was advised that I didn't need to spend more money on tilt-frames as the efficiency impact was low and could better / more cheaply be off-set by a couple of extra panels.
The installers needed to fit in with my builder's schedule and on-site rules (new property), which they did without any issues, including turning up on the date arranged and roughing in for cabling which enabled smooth subsequent inverter installation after the plastering had been completed. Quite impressive actually as in my experience it isn't uncommon for plans to change.
The panels are a little closer to the roof edge than I would have preferred to allow for easier maintenance, but in fairness I had asked them to move them closer than the original plan (to allow for future panels on the roof), and I wasn't there to guide them.
The handling of enquiries by front-office people was efficient and accurate (Brenda and Hayley).
Overall a very good experience and I would comfortably recommend them. Show additional information
They were not the cheapest but I felt I was dealing with good people. No hard up-sell - in fact I was advised that I didn't need to spend more money on tilt-frames as the efficiency impact was low and could better / more cheaply be off-set by a couple of extra panels.
The installers needed to fit in with my builder's schedule and on-site rules (new property), which they did without any issues, including turning up on the date arranged and roughing in for cabling which enabled smooth subsequent inverter installation after the plastering had been completed. Quite impressive actually as in my experience it isn't uncommon for plans to change.
The panels are a little closer to the roof edge than I would have preferred to allow for easier maintenance, but in fairness I had asked them to move them closer than the original plan (to allow for future panels on the roof), and I wasn't there to guide them.
The handling of enquiries by front-office people was efficient and accurate (Brenda and Hayley).
Overall a very good experience and I would comfortably recommend them. Show additional information
Essential Solar were great to deal with. Promptly replied to emails and always updated us on where we were at in the whole process.
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Essential Solar were great to deal with. From the quote process till activation of the system. Did everything they promised to do.
I never had to chase up for anything.
Will recommend to anyone looking for solar. Show additional information
I never had to chase up for anything.
Will recommend to anyone looking for solar. Show additional information
Just had Essential install our second solar electric system, and are very happy with the results. Our first system, in 2016, was on our own home, in Hoppers Crossing, Melbourne, and consisted of a Redback inverter , 4.05 Kw of panels and a 4.8 kwh Pylon battery system. My only regret with this is that we should have installed a few more panels. Our second system has just been installed on a rental property, also in Hoppers Crossing. It has a Fronius Inverter and 6.5 kw of panels. Both systems were installed promptly and efficiently, and at very competitive costs. The second system will give our tenant lower electricity costs and provide a small income to us as well. If the opportunity arises to put solar units on our other rental properties, Essential will be our supplier of choice.
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Looking forward to longer and sunnier days
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Our tech advisor was very helpful and explained everything clearly to us. They happily accommodated our requests and changes regarding the layout design. Our system was installed within a couple of weeks of us making the decision to choose Essential Solar and everything went very smoothly.
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Essential Solar were one of the first quotes I received. Not knowing a thing about Solar, all the information was explained in detail and the quote for a 4 Kw system was straight forward and easy to understand. After getting six quotes and doing a lot of investigating of what were quality Tier 1 panels and the best Inverters, I asked Essential Solar to re-quote on a 5 Kw system, using Premium Panels and Inverter. We negotiated and installation took place the next week. The installers were great. Very efficient and quick. They explained what they were about to do and when completed explained what the Inverter was about. The office staff are a credit to Essential Solar in answering queries and in one instance contacting my electricity supplier to ensure that connection to the Grid was in their system.
Allover, a seamless experience from acceptance of the Quote to completion of the installation. Highly recommended. Show additional information
Allover, a seamless experience from acceptance of the Quote to completion of the installation. Highly recommended. Show additional information
What a great company to deal with their installers were really helpful explaining how it works and the excellent quality of the system.
The office backup and communication has been awesome with Hayley sorting out our supply back to the grid.
They have constantly been following up and making sure I don't have to worry about the forms being filled in.
They werent the cheapest but they did what they said when they said and I wasnt willing to gamble price for quality and service.
I couldnt recommend them highly enough and have done so to my friends.
All in all a great experience Show additional information
The office backup and communication has been awesome with Hayley sorting out our supply back to the grid.
They have constantly been following up and making sure I don't have to worry about the forms being filled in.
They werent the cheapest but they did what they said when they said and I wasnt willing to gamble price for quality and service.
I couldnt recommend them highly enough and have done so to my friends.
All in all a great experience Show additional information
Not really sure if it's value for money as I didn't do a recent comparison. I had a quote a few years ago which was cheaper but heard good reports about ES from my son. I wanted a reliable, good quality system so I didn't have any hassles. It's only been installed for a month but seems to be doing everything it is supposed to.
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Great advise and very approachable.
Only disappointed with the activation process from the certificate of safety to the electricity retailer. Massive delays (in relation to installation 1 day! which was fast) Means you don’t get get value back for well over a month. Meanwhile you can’t even use what you produce! Show additional information
Only disappointed with the activation process from the certificate of safety to the electricity retailer. Massive delays (in relation to installation 1 day! which was fast) Means you don’t get get value back for well over a month. Meanwhile you can’t even use what you produce! Show additional information
Great service and quality. No complaints.
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From Sales to service, Essential Solar has been very pro-active in their follow-ups all the way through. They were thorough and knowledgeable in the entire process and always kept us informed of what's happening, as well as reminding us exactly what we need to do from our end. Highly recommended for all those who are considering solar installation.
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Was not made aware of the fees charged by Jemena to change 2 meters over to 1 centralized meter.
Was informed post installation that this fee for $460 +GST !! Show additional information
Was informed post installation that this fee for $460 +GST !! Show additional information
After much deliberation we went with the quote from Essential Solar. Not a lot of price difference but reading through reports they appeared to be the most favoured. We found the team to be professional in their approach and the installing team led by Jason to be extremely proficient and helpful. The work was carried out efficiently and they cleaned up afterwards. Waiting now on inspections and connection to be finalized. Will comment further when these tasks are completed.
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Essential Solar were the only company willing to organise a face to face meeting prior to signing. Though other companies were quite helpful over the phone and email, this meeting made a difference in our minds considering the cost of the system we were considering. It also meant that Essential Solar had a first hand opportunity to inspect the site and pick up on any issues or opportunities for system improvement. Without this, some of the companies we sought quotes from seemed to be loading up the installation part of the quote given we had terracotta tiles claiming that it would be inevitable that tiles would be broken and this had to be allowed for. On the day, the installation went very smoothly and no tiles were broken, probably a reflection of the fact they were newer terracotta tiles as opposed to 100 year old tiles that I am certain do pose installation challenges, particularly with breakage. All aspects of the installation were completed efficiently and neatly which was good to see as although I had insisted on Essential Solar's employee installation team doing the install, the paperwork I received seems to indicate a subcontractor was involved. No biggie but you do hear that this issue has led to poor installation outcomes for some solar system buyers. In any case, we were happy with our experience and appreciated a follow up call from the consultant a few weeks after install to see if we were satisfied with the process and how the system is performing. I would happily recommend Essential Solar to family and friends.
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Essential Solar stood out amongst the installers that quoted. They actually turned up on site, clearly explained the whole system and the support they offer after the installation. All the things they said would happen, did happen and while there were small hiccups they attended to them promptly and effectively.
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We had a great experience with Essential Solar. We bought 24 x Canadian Solar PV panels with a Fronius inverter.
We got three quotes and Essential Solar were the only ones who came to our house to check the positioning of the inverter and to speak to us about options. Paul, our sales consultant knew his stuff and we really liked the fact that Essential Solar are closely located with and aligned with Fronius which gave us the comfort that if something went wrong it would be fixed.
Our install team were also great, communicated well and did a good job.
I can definitely recommend, they did a good job and the follow up customer service has also been excellent Show additional information
We got three quotes and Essential Solar were the only ones who came to our house to check the positioning of the inverter and to speak to us about options. Paul, our sales consultant knew his stuff and we really liked the fact that Essential Solar are closely located with and aligned with Fronius which gave us the comfort that if something went wrong it would be fixed.
Our install team were also great, communicated well and did a good job.
I can definitely recommend, they did a good job and the follow up customer service has also been excellent Show additional information
From the sales person to the final installation, everything was explained in simple terms and everything went smoothly. Totally hassle free. Everything was done on time and all of the background paperwork was handled taking the stress off me. My experience was a positive one and I would recommend Essential Solar without hesitation.
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Thorough and professional approach.
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Please read other reviews as most appear to be largely positive about this company. However, mine was not. Choose Essential Solar as they were able to do the job, good reviews on this website and other companies that SolarQuotes proffered either didn’t get in contact or weren’t interested as my roof pitch (34degrees) was too steep.
After discussing with Essential Solar’s salesperson, settled on a 5.22kW system with 18 x 290w Longi panels and Fronius Primo 5 inverter. Was promised pre Christmas installation after paying deposit in early Nov.
After not hearing anything from ES for several weeks, I chased them up about system design and likely install date. After several emails/calls was told that design was not done and that install date was now mid to late January. Very frustrating to not get system installed pre Christmas as promised and therefore delaying a return on my investment in solar.
On installation day in late Jan (which was very hot) sub contractors (not ES employees) advised that they wanted to deviate from the proposed design. This meant an easier install for them and possibly better efficiency? (how would I know?) I was disappointed that this was not brought up in the design phase but agreed on the day to the revised design. The sub contract installers did the job in oppressive heat (and for which I indicated to both ES and the installers that I would be happy to wait until milder conditions). However, panels were not aligned, at different angles and one panel was obviously twisted as it was bolted down to the roof rails. It didn’t look great compared to other panel installations. I had to recall the installers to fix the twisted panel and then emailed ES to question the quality of the install. To ES credit they did send their company installers who rectified the panel positioning and improved the aesthetics.
All in all, I felt like I needed to chase ES for information most of the time about the install process and was disappointed that they didn’t deliver the system at the agreed timing. Install quality was not great but was later rectified. All in all I rate ES average only.
I have no idea if I have a value for money system (don’t buy solar systems every day to do a comparison!) and impossible to tell about whether system performance is as expected for my size system (there has been no follow up from ES so far). However, electricity bill had dropped by around $80 to $100 per month since Feb so it looks like it’s working ok.
I hope this review has helped inform your choice. Show additional information
After discussing with Essential Solar’s salesperson, settled on a 5.22kW system with 18 x 290w Longi panels and Fronius Primo 5 inverter. Was promised pre Christmas installation after paying deposit in early Nov.
After not hearing anything from ES for several weeks, I chased them up about system design and likely install date. After several emails/calls was told that design was not done and that install date was now mid to late January. Very frustrating to not get system installed pre Christmas as promised and therefore delaying a return on my investment in solar.
On installation day in late Jan (which was very hot) sub contractors (not ES employees) advised that they wanted to deviate from the proposed design. This meant an easier install for them and possibly better efficiency? (how would I know?) I was disappointed that this was not brought up in the design phase but agreed on the day to the revised design. The sub contract installers did the job in oppressive heat (and for which I indicated to both ES and the installers that I would be happy to wait until milder conditions). However, panels were not aligned, at different angles and one panel was obviously twisted as it was bolted down to the roof rails. It didn’t look great compared to other panel installations. I had to recall the installers to fix the twisted panel and then emailed ES to question the quality of the install. To ES credit they did send their company installers who rectified the panel positioning and improved the aesthetics.
All in all, I felt like I needed to chase ES for information most of the time about the install process and was disappointed that they didn’t deliver the system at the agreed timing. Install quality was not great but was later rectified. All in all I rate ES average only.
I have no idea if I have a value for money system (don’t buy solar systems every day to do a comparison!) and impossible to tell about whether system performance is as expected for my size system (there has been no follow up from ES so far). However, electricity bill had dropped by around $80 to $100 per month since Feb so it looks like it’s working ok.
I hope this review has helped inform your choice. Show additional information
I received six (6) quotes & while Essential Solar's quote was not the cheapest nor most expensive it seemed to me to offer the best value for money in regard to quality & service.
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Your site is great, the recommended installers were all really good to deal with. I reflected on this the other day via email to someone at your organisation, that the one downer in the whole process was the each installer told me in writing that they 'used their own installers, not just a bunch of subcontractors'. Of course on the the day of installation, subcontractors did the work. The installers were nice, and did a great job. They told me that subcontractors are used by nearly every solar company they had heard of, but each of the suppliers uniformly told be that they didn't use this practice. They even made mention of other companies who weren't as good because they used subcontractors, as a way of highlighting their service was better. I found this to be intentionally misleading.
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Hasn't been installed yet
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