RACV Solar

RACV Solar Reviews

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4.5

Based on 67 ratings

About

RACV Solar are your local solar experts, offering customers knowledgeable advice, quality components, leading warranties and great customer support. Our local team has tailored thousands of solar solutions to homes and businesses across Victoria and Australia. We specialise in the installation, servicing and repairs of solar panels, battery storage, EV charging, hot water solutions and heating and cooling systems.

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RACV Solar Reviews (67)

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Average Scores

4.3/5

Value for money

4.6/5

Quality of System

4.6/5

Installation

4.6/5

Customer Service

  • 5 star 30
  • 4 star 30
  • 3 star 3
  • 2 star 1
  • 1 star 3

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Premium installation

The quoting system was very thorough and comprehensive. I had a one hour on-line meeting with the technical / sales representative and was very impressed with the information I received. The quality and depth of the written technical presentation was very high with data for 2 systems to choose from. The sales representative replied to all of my email queries, usually within a day or less. After signing the contract I was told that there would be a lead time of 6 - 10 weeks before my installation could take place, but luckily for me there was a cancellation and the installation happened within 2 weeks, actually starting a day before I expected it! The team leader for the guys undertaking the installation kept me informed at all times and communicated with me all the way through the process. They arrived on site when they said they would, were very polite and finished the job they stared the day before within about 3 hours. There was very little disruption to my work from home day with the electricity turned off for only about 1/2 an hour. The installation itself is very neat, no exposed conduits, or dangling wires. I received all of the compliance documents the day after the installation was complete. My only complaint is the time it takes to organize the independent electrical inspection and final commissioning.
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2 year fiasco. Beware of this company's claims as to their ability

Be very wary of this company who proudly advertise "Fully vetted and reliable installers, from start to finish"
Getting this system working properly has taken many hours of my time on the phone and with techs and a lot of stress that I'd bought a lemon!

The initial installation was done in December 2021 and all appeared to be fine. At that point I gave a good review of RACV Solar.
SADLY that was a mistake.
The Fronius WiFi communications module was very poor and intermittently connected to the router so I could often see nothing on the app. I was advised that it would be much better if hard wired to the router. Luckily I had a couple of spare ethernet ports in my garage!
When I opened the comms cover on the bottom of the inverter to insert the ethernet cable, water started running out of it!!
When a tech came out to look at it, he discovered that the installation team had drilled a hole in the back of the inverter casing instead of using the glands on the bottom. This voided the Fronius warranty. Very professional!
RACV Solar agreed that it was their mistake and offered to replace the inverter. At this point I decided to buy a battery as well and got them to quote the whole thing. I accepted the quote and eventually the team came out to install it all.
The installation appeared to go very well until they went to programme the Hybrid inverter (already cabled and mounted on the garage wall. They discovered they had installed a 3 phase inverter instead of a single phase. The quote was for single phase and they had the history of my site!!!
Eventually another installer came out a few weeks later and replaced the hybrid with the correct single phase unit, but couldn't get it to work initially. After another delay, they came out and got it working. I finally got the certificate to use the system.

Since then, the Hybrid inverter has periodically "Disappeared from the app" so I had no idea about the state of the battery or how much power was coming from the roof. After a number of visits, one of which found a faulty plug in the inverter, I was told that this unit would also have to be hard wired to the router "where there are 2 inverters one of which is a hybrid, they must be ethernet connected, not wifi" !! The tech made up a cable to my spare ethernet port in the garage.

This seemed to work OK for a number of months, but the same problem started to occur again. I was told it needed a software upgrade, done, no difference. A number of visits happened but always upgrade the software and hope!!!

Then I was told that the two inverters might be interfering with each other on the server? Really??? Then I was asked to reset the wifi module - remember the inverters are both connected to the router by cable!!

After getting nowhere with all the above, I decided to test the ethernet ports in my garage. I plugged in my laptop and tested both the ports, both were fine. As I plugged the inverters back in, I noticed that the hybrid connected intermittently as I moved the cable. I reterminated the Ethernet cable (I have worked in the comms industry for some time) and the system has been up and running since!

For anyone with no knowledge of comms, they would still be running around in circles with this level of support

Standard of installation very poor
Standard of Service very weak knowledge of the product when there are issues

Beware the claims made by RACV Solar - I wouldn't wish what happened to me on anyone else

Inverter rating: 3/5
Battery rating: 4/5
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Went with someone else

I had one company supply me with a quote using a satellite image. They had place all the panels west facing which is the shadest side. I asked them to come and do a on-site inspection but never heard anything back. Another company phoned me, he was nice and informative but didn't provide a quote and I didn't hear from the third.
Went with RACV solar. They were very informative, gave me multiple quotes with different systems and battery. I went with the micro inverters but no battery.

I've had the panels installed but waiting on an electrician to get it certified.
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Absolutely stuffed managing at every point they could

No problems with the hardware or the installers. However RACV Solar dropped the ball at every step they had.
Didn't send the Solar Vic rebate form before the installers where scheduled, so the installers had put in half a day work before they got cancelled.
Called someone else about my install, then when realizing they spoke to the wrong person, they left for the day and never bothered to call me. It was sheer luck that the person they called knew me.
Was told the the morning after the rebate was approved I would receive a call to reschedule the installers, no call received, I had to call them 2 days later and they still did not know the rebate had been approved. I had received confirmation directly from Solar Vic.
Failed to invoice on time for my finance, resulting in the finance lapsing.
Lodged a complaint about the issues and it takes me calling them every week to get any action.
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Very professional

Of four quotes, RACV were the only one to point out an area of overshadowing I had not been aware of before. They made a few suggestions for alterations (relocating the TV antena), so that I was able to get a decent size system on the remaining part of the roof. Everything suggested was good quality and value for money, and the sales person was happy to answer all my questions before I decided to go ahead with them. The system has been up for a few weeks now, and it's all working exactly as I hoped.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Trying to get my Fronius inverter connected to the App since September 2022 (7 months)

I have a very disappointing experience with RACV Solar. I chose it as one of the largest presumably reputable providers in Victoria. The pre-sales service was great, the engineer explained his approach to my house very well. The installation happened on time and I was advised in advance that I need to have a few spare tiles for my terracotta roof just in case. I was advised to choose Fronius inverter, as "best in class" etc with 25 years warranty.

And this is where the service just stopped. The inverter works however despite 5 remote trouble shooting attempts I could not connect it to the App that can tell me the amount of energy my house is producing via Solar.

And here is the catch, the money is paid so now no one at RACV Solar is interested in whether I get what I paid for or not. I spoke to them repeatedly (at least 10 times) and guess what? I get promises that someone will call, someone from RACV Solar will come to trouble shoot on site, that the Fronius technician will come on site to rectify the issue (because this is a hardware problem), that the engineer is on holidays but as soon as he is back he will surely contact me, etc. So, all of these "holding statements" and nothing is done over 7 months period. My advice, if you decide to use RACV Solar do not pay the full amount on installation and do not pay the full amount until all your issues are ironed out. The post-service "care" offers no care whatsoever.
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Good quality, but rushed.

Quoting was a little confusing, but that is also the world of solar to begin with.

The quote for the installation was for 2 days, with inverter located on our eastern wall, but the installer tried to get me to agree to fit it to the western wall so he didn't have to run the cable under the house. The job was rushed to be completed in 1 day because they didn't want to have to come back (as all sub contractors do to earn a bigger paycheck, better to do 5 jobs in a week than 2.5.).

When the installer saw that my house was weatherboard, he told me he didn't have the correct materials to mount the inverter, because it requires cement sheeting for fire safety. Why didn't he supply this? Luckily I had a spare sheet left over from some recent renovation I had just done.

They broke my asbestos exhaust vent, which I had photographed prior to works commencing, and then denied it and said they were "nowhere near it"...even though they fit a panel within 100mm of it. After a few weeks we got some rain and I discovered that my roof was leaking through the cable entry point and was flooding the inverter! The company did send someone else out straight away to fix this, but even he said it was a poor install and that we were lucky to find the leak when we did.

The most frustrating this is to look at the asymmetrical installation, but that's just nit picking.

The whole reason we chose RACV Solar, even though they are more expensive, is so we avoided any poor installation.

Inverter rating: 3/5
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Original Review on 18-02-2022:

Only supplier who would cover our remote region

Only supplier who would cover our remote region and give me a system close to what I required. Solar Quotes was not able to provide a supplier here.

I have not rated installation or customer service. Not yet installed. Waiting battery subsidy approval
Original ratings

Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5

Value for money: 4/5
Quality of System: N/A
Installation: N/A
Customer Service: 4/5

8 months later we asked Ferenc: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"

The system has met our expectations. We are on the VPP plan but even so we have survived two blackouts of 8 hours during daylight with no loss of amenity
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Excellent customer service from quote to after-care

I have had solar service from RACV Solar Gippsland. They initially quoted for, and installed, solar panels on my roof in November 2021. They were organised and worked well to assist me also with the VicSolar rebate application. Since then, as I have been very happy with their service, I have had a quote for a heat pump to replace my old gas storage hot water system. Again, they were prompt, clear and professional in their quoting process, and then supportive while awaiting the VicSolar rebate. They were also very patient with my various queries during the excessive delays by VicSolar. The heat pump was installed in July 2022 and I had good service from it until recently when there was an electrical fault. The RACV staff were very responsive and organised an immediate investigation by their electricians. The electricians were very punctual in their arrival, something that women especially would appreciate as invariably we have to wait for tradespeople to arrive long after the time they specified. They were thorough in their investigation and completed the work in a timely manner. The electrical fault was fixed and they did advise if it recurred, the compressor may be faulty. That was very good to know that they were being clear and truthful and therefore providing useful advice as to what I should do if the problem recurs. I was also very impressed with the quality of the equipment installed as even when the compressor hadn’t been working for nearly 48 hours, I still had sufficient hot water for showers, general hygiene, and washing dishes. I know that if I need their assistance in future, I can contact them and receive helpful and supportive responses.
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RACV worked hard to make me happy

I was very happy with the product that was installed.

Previously, I left a review based on delays in my installation, and I was most pleased that RACV Solar took my concern very seriously. They went above and beyond to get things on track and making sure I was a happy customer
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Fantastic products & install, a bit pricey..

Ended up going with RACV Solar after struggling to get providers to quote due to our 36 degree roof slope. The one provider from Solarquotes who quoted (for a smaller Solaredge/JA Solar system) bumped the a quote up by almost 4k after the technical inspection, so in the end decided to go with the Micro-inverters, premium panels, and slightly larger 6.4kW system that RACV offered.

End to end process was really good, from sales to technical inspection, to the install which stretched over 2 days due to the roof complexities (3 angles, part shade). Lead installer knew his stuff and ran a tight ship and the system looks great.

Inspection took a couple of weeks which was per their docs and no major issues that side of things. Energy provider took a bit longer and switched me to a really poor Time of Use plan (although FIT @ 8c), so I switched to another provider with a better deal on daily charge and consumption.

System has now been feeding the grid for almost 2 months, so looking forward to the end of winter and the daily production exceeding consumption and getting a little bit more FIT.

Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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The installer was great, can't fault him.

All aspects of our solar installation process was without issues. Quotes and queries were received promptly. The installation was done well under the lead time quoted. Our installer was fantastic. The communication has been very clear and prompt.
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Fantastic System and Service

We purchased a system from RACV Solar in March 2022 to replace an existing system. We spoke with multiiple installers but RACV Solar spent the time in explaining the different systems and options especially around micro-inverters. We had only a small window to complete the installation and RACV solar worked in with our requirements. In addition, we were extremely happy within the quality of the installation as we had just replaced the roof.

We have also used RACV Solare for other electrical work.


Really highly recoomend RACV Solar...
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Lemons, lemons, lemons

Quoting and sales was as per usual...sell something they cant deliver on...installation was a bit ordinary as well...lol replacing machined screws they lost with self tapping crews....quality plus
At least they were up front on the costs
Grid connection was organisef but not permitted to export and still import 75% of my power...lol

Inverter rating: 1/5
Battery rating: 1/5
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RACV (Gippsland Solar) Sunpower Maxeons w Enphase MicroInverters - 15 year warranty. Also no FiT from PowerCor/CityPower for new installs?

I took the SolarQuotes information on longetivity & reliability being important, and noted that the inverters are the components that often take wear and fail first.

Thus I chose Enphase MicroInverters (which are nicely installed UNDER the Sunpower Maxeons) and I chose RACV (who own Gippsland Solar) as they are a PLATINUM Enphase partner and thus offered 15 year warranties. So company longetivity plus longest warranty were key factors for me (over price). 18xSunPower Maxeon3 400W & EnPhase IQ7X MicroInverters, Enphase Envoy Switch, RACV monitoring.

Happy with the outcome and although there were other quality vendors via SolarQuotes that were also less expensive, RACV + Enphase 15yr was key for me.

fyi for Melbourne inner east, PowerCor/CityPower don't seem to be giving ANY Feed-In tariffs any more for new installations

Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
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Professional approach

Absolutely delighted with the way the RACV walked me through the process From the quote stage to the installation and the necessary final paperwork it was all handled professionally by the solar team
A special mention to Sue for her excellent follow up

Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 4/5
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Efficient Professional and Tidy

We were very impressed in all dealings with this company.There was no stuffing around . From the initial site inspection to the actual installation they came on the days and times that they said they would. The job was completed with the minimum of fuss and the installers were polite and professional.

Apart from having to apply for the Victorian Solar Grant myself, the company handled everything else and were extremely helpful during the whole process.

I have no hesitation in recommending this company.

Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 4/5
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your total solar solution business

The whole process from initial visit to reaping the benefits was easy and painless. The quote was accurate and fair the installation was a tricky one as the solar system was placed on the shed roof approx. 60metres from the house. The system was working so well we could not use all the power it was producing and that's saying something with 2 girls in the house. The solution was to add a Tesla 2 power wall Battery and collect some of the power. Now we have power all night and all day, even in the winter. The system is so good apparently we lost power here for 7.6 hours and we didn't even notice.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
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Excellent service

Installation was outstanding. Paul and his work mates were thorough, most obliging and helpful in every way. The system was explained carefully and they made every endeavour to satisfy our needs. I would highly recommend them to others.
Re value for money, I find this hard to rate as I had only one other quote which was very similar
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We had some challenges with the installation regarding panel availability, configuration and installation date. The initial installation was done by sub-contractors and when Gippsland Solar were made aware that we were not happy with the outcome they came back and re-installed the panels to our satisfaction. The admin staff were friendly and helpful throughout the process. While it took a while to get to the desired outcome, we would recommend Gippsland Solar for genuinely ensuring customer satisfaction.
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We went with Gippsland solar as they don't use sub contractors, the salesperson told us that they perform a professional install with their own staff allowing them to control standard of installation. Issues arose when they could not supply initial spec of panel, and smaller watt panel was supplied with a reduction in invoice price. Next on install day staff arrived but were sub contractors on roof without harnesses. On raising the issue with Gippsland Solar they said that they have been using this sub contractor for over 9 months and they recommend the persons work. They then got the subcontractor to stop and reorganised another date with their own staff, a reduction in price was given due to time taken off work to get install completed again on another day.. On return the next week the staff then installed the system, on checking the result we found they installed 5 panels in the wrong space compared to the install diagram resulting in the panels being shaded in the morning from the ridge of the house (why they were to be located elsewhere at time of quote) they apologised and said the office will deal with the complaint. On request we asked for the work to be completed that day. We settled for the panels to be set up the operate differently in the same location and a reduction in price was offered as compensation for loss of panel efficiency. On completion we noticed that no protection had been used on gutters and they were stripped back to raw metal from dragging the rails up them when lifting to roof. Again more price taken off. In the end the price for the system was compatible with that out of the paper and the experience i had was what the salesperson said would happen if you use a cheaper supplier. All in all the system is up and working and the electrical inspector has given it the green light and over $2000 taken off the bill but i wonder if it would have just been easier to go with another supplier and not be deceived the whole way along and be constantly negotiating reductions in price due to promises on install not being meet. This company may be now growing to quick to keep up with its quality it used to pride itself on.
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I found Gippy Solar through ads in the local Hill End Herald & subsequent research of their website. Great local firm with competitive pricing, quality components & good installers. The Sunpower/Fronius system installed end Jan 2019 is working well here in Willow Grove and the ability to monitor its output is comforting. An excellent result all round.
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Not the best experience for us. Gippsland Solar promised to carry out all aspects of the installation themselves which was a big factor in us choosing them but on the day of the install subcontractors turned up to carry out the work. Subsequently they managed to leave hundreds of small dents in our colourbond as they were jumping from the roof onto the verandah. Gippsland Solar did admit liability and reduced our bill so credit to them. System cost was at the high end of the scale for a Fronius inverter and Opal panels but was happy to pay hoping for a fault less install. Overall if we had to do it again we would use a different company. The employees at Gippsland solar were very understanding and knowledgeable cant fault them there. They should just deliver what they promise and use their own installers.
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I just want to say how happy I am with the system Gippsland Solar installed for me in July.

I have just received my first bill from my retailer (Red Energy) and I am in credit!

It's great to know that the by choosing the biggest system, along with a battery, that I will probably never have to pay for an electricity bill ever again!

And with the state governements and the federal government stating they will be coming down hard on electricity companies for charging incredibly high rates, hopefully the feed in tarrifs will also improve in the near future too.

Gippsland Solar were outstanding from start to finish and I could not have asked for a better result!

I highly recommend if you are considering installing solar panels and/or a battery as well that you give Gippsland Solar a call!
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I chose Gippsland Solar because they are a local company, have done a lot of work in the region and are well reviewed. I thought they did a great job in a timely fashion.
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The service was very personal. You can be confused with technical issues & Andrew was able to give us all the help we needed. Also, with so many people now trying to get in on the act with solar installations, it was great to know we are working with people who know their stuff and can be trusted. It also works in VERY well with Mirboo North's Energy Hub.
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Although one can always find a cheaper price for anything, quality, service, punctuality and professionalism are probably a lot more important. My experience with the Gippsland Solar team has been fantastic and can truly recommend them.
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Gippsland Solar were a very professional company to deal with. Andy came to the house to discuss options, sent through a quote within 48 hours and answered all questions in a timely manner. Charlie who installed the system was very efficient and professional and gave a thorough run through of how to read the inverter at the end of his visit. I was so pleased with Gippsland Solar that I chose the same company to install a 3kw system and solar hot water unit at my daughter's house.
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We found Andrew and his team to be very friendly, approachable, helpful and professional in all our dealings with them. They were extremely efficient and what a clean job. We did a lot of research before purchasing a solar system and with Andy we got good value for money, with both quality and price. Would highly recommend Gippsland Solar. Well done Andy, look after those fingers mate.
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The Gippsland Solar team was great, very professional and had the installation completed within one day.
We received our first Electricity bill recently after the solar install, meter switch over and agreement with Origin Energy. I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the last quarter of 2013, was totally paid for, the meter switch over fee ($165) was paid for and also, $185 credit on my bill to top it off !
This was not even a full quarter with the system in operation.
So in summary, really happy with Installation, operation and feed-in from the system.

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Andy really knows his stuff, I walked in to his shop just to talk about the possibility of getting solar panels, and what is available. Within ten minutes he met me at my house to assess the available space on the roof and to get a better idea of what we required. I had a quote emailed to me the next day. As for the installation team, they were excellent as well. It was a very hot (40+) day and the team worked all day to get the job done on time. They were courteous and polite, one even asked if we would like our pet rabbits cage moved into the shade! Most of all, they did an excellent job installing the panels. I would recommend Gippsland Solar to anybody who asks. Andy seems to have a real passion for solar and it shows in the knowledge he has and in the tradies he uses.
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If your looking for a salesperson and company that's straight up, honest and returns your calls then give Gippsland solar a ring. The solar system we ordered was supplied promptly and installed with great detail to quality of fitment. Would I recommend this company, certainly would. thanks again Andrew and the crew from Gippsland solar.
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I can highly recommend Andrew and his team. The customer service was excellent and I felt they had my best interests at heart during the whole process. The system is now generating power to cover my needs at this time, however I have the ability to add more panels when I decide to add an air conditioner upstairs! Please talk to Andrew and get him out to your place - you will be very pleased you did!
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Professional, Caring and Respectful. Great service and communication from start to finish.
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It has been a long time since we have experienced such prompt, polite and informative service. From our first contact with the company, we have received excellent service and have appreciated the promptness with which our system was installed. Also thought the installers were polite, respectful and did a great job cleaning up afterwards. Andrew's follow up call to make sure all was done to our satisfaction was appreciated. Really kept in touch and no phone calls from us necessary. Friends had told us of their satisfaction with this company but it exceeded our expectations greatly.
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We purchased a solar hot water unit from Gippsland Solar and when we moved was so impressed that we purchased another one form our current home. Andrew gives value for money, service out of this world and quality products. Highly recommend Gippsland Solar
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Received 3 quotes for my system.

Although not the cheapest, Gippsland Solar were so far above the other 2 companies in presentation, knowledge (both spoken & supplied) and all round customer service, I felt that as
far as total value for money, they could not be beaten.
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Salesperson & installers were all very professional & efficient. I have been happy with all aspects of the purchase & installation process. I would highly recommend Gippsland Solar to anyone.
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Sensational "good old fashioned service"! I can highly recommend Andrew and the team. I shopped around and couldn't be happier with my decision. The system was high quality and the installation was great. All the care was taken and not one of my old brittle tiles was cracked (thanks Rick)! Time was taken to answer all of my questions and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Gippsland Solar.
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Extremely professional service from the very first contact with Gippsland Solar. We tracked our extreme power bills down to our electric hot water heater and something needed to be done. Andrew provided me with detailed descriptions of the options and answered all my many questions (and seemed to really enjoy answering them too). I double check everything and he was spot on with all his info. Made making the choice for our hot water service simple. Installation was a simple and quick process. We had a couple teething problems with the system that were rectified quickly and easily. If you have any issue you can call Andrew and he sorts it out fast. We also took the opportunity to install a 4.56kw PV system which was supplied and installed at a great price. Again this was a quality and clean install with no issues at all. Our new meter was hooked up about a month after the install and with a flick of the switch we were generating. I recommend Gippsland Solar very highly.If you want to do business with one of the good guys out there, call Andrew.
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The whole exercise was pain free, professional and prompt. Would recommend Gippsland Solar to everyone.
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I initially was signed up with another company for solar panels and to cut a long story short it turned out to be a scam. Following this after researching a few companies I was not sure of which way to go until I heard about Gippsland Solar. From the first phone call with the info I was given from them, I knew I found the right people to deal with and their products were top quality. I recommend Gippsland Solar
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Soooooooooo happy with Gippsland Solar's service. From day dot they were so professional, was prompt to reply to emails and even though our electricity company stuffed us around, Gippsland Solar went out of their way to help us out after installation!!! I cannot highly recommend them enough. Thank you Andrew and team!
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Andy was great to deal with and did not abandon us when the job was done, like our last expererience.
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Andrew and his team are the most profesional team i have come across. We asked Andrew for a quote which he emailed by days end. With in 2 weeks of accepting his quote our hot water and power system were installed. Hot water was installed and operational in 1 day.but power company took another 2 weeks to connect our system, it was connected today. Thank you ANDREW.
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Gippsland Solar is fantastic to deal with and provide superior customer service. Nothing was too hard and was always willing to discuss the progress of the project. Overall a exceptional experience. I would highly recommend Gippsland Solar.
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