RACV Solar Reviews
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)
Show Most Recent reviews from All time across Australia
Average Scores
Value for money
Quality of System
Installation
Customer Service
- 5 star 30
- 4 star 30
- 3 star 3
- 2 star 1
- 1 star 3
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18 March 2024
28 February 2024
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
02 October 2023
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.
09 August 2023
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.
14 June 2023
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
29 May 2023
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.
29 April 2023
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
20 October 2022
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
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 amenity19 September 2022
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.12 September 2022
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
20 July 2022
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
08 July 2022
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.25 June 2022
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...
22 March 2022
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 plusAt 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
16 February 2021
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
12 December 2019
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 teamA special mention to Sue for her excellent follow up
Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 4/5
10 December 2019
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
09 September 2019
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
30 July 2019
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
29 March 2019
29 March 2019
24 March 2019
14 February 2019
11 February 2019
05 January 2019
28 November 2018
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!
23 September 2014
29 May 2014
07 May 2014
25 April 2014
05 March 2014
24 February 2014
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.
20 February 2014
03 February 2014
03 November 2013
01 November 2013
30 October 2013
22 October 2013
28 August 2013
18 June 2013
14 June 2013
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.
31 May 2013
27 May 2013
27 May 2013
16 May 2013
04 May 2013
04 May 2013
26 April 2013
04 March 2013
08 February 2013
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.