Smart Energy Answers Reviews
4.4
Leave a review Based on 114 ratings Aus Ranking
- 5 star 23
- 4 star 78
- 3 star 13
- 2 star 0
- 1 star 0
Average Customer Review
- Value 4.17
- System Quality 4.50
- Customer Service 4.41
- Installation 4.55
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With over 8 years of experience in the solar energy field, Smart Energy Answers brings together the knowledge and professionalism to provide you with the highest quality energy solutions for your individual needs.
Smart Energy Answers has an extensive team of designers, electricians, engineers, and technicians specifically trained in all areas of solar generation power systems.
They have in-house Clean Energy Council (CEC) accredited installation teams and CEC accredited designers and engineers, and their MD Sam is well known in the industry for the quality of his installation designs and workmanship and for having physically installed and commissioned the largest commercial Tesla Powerwall Installation in the world.
Smart Energy Answers is a certified installer of Sonnen and LG Chem Batteries, Flex Powerplay Solutions, Schneider Electric Push Home Automation and Tesla Powerwall.
Smart Energy Answers Solar Reviews
Found it strange that a proper, written quote wasn’t provided. Received an email with some costings which turned out to be in error and then just got a contract to sign, minimal information about the panels and inverters was supplied. I would have liked a detailed quote which I could then discuss with my wife regarding the pros and cons of different options but just had to rely on my memory from the apppointment to describe the different options. Both companies who quoted failed to give a detailed quote. The face to face appointments were an unnecessary waste of time as each salesperson didn’t look at any of the physical attributes of the house but relied on air photos and a computer programme. The whole “appointment” could have been done over the phone and saved everyone some time and money. There also seemed to be a push to install as big a system as they could fit on the roof as opposed to a system that actually met our demand. Seems to be more focus on securing extra STC’s rather than a system that is fit for purpose. Installation was fast and so far it seems to have gone smoothly. Now just waiting for the electricity supplier to do their thing so we can start saving.
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Very pleased with the whole process.
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Chose 10.2kw (30 panels), Fronius inverter and 8.2kwh Sonnen battery. Also took Sonnen as electricity retailer. Sonnen and Smart Energy are excellent with their service and responses. System commissioned today afternoon but all is looking very good. Sonnen app is excellent too.
Altogether very happy at the moment with your advice, Smart Energy and Sonnen. Hope it stays like that.
Regards and thank you,
Nick Show additional information
Altogether very happy at the moment with your advice, Smart Energy and Sonnen. Hope it stays like that.
Regards and thank you,
Nick Show additional information
The system was supplied as per our specification and the install was carried out on time and on budget. The sales and consultancy was first rate and the installation staff were couteous, on time and very clean in their work.
The only issue that I can flag is that there is a minor tidy up required for the installation (one train of panels needs to be reseated and aligned for what is mainly aesthetic reasons). This has been logged with the supplier and they still to get back tome with a time for rectification.
Overall, system performance is on the advertised and install quality is good. The staff at all levels are professional and knowledgeable. Show additional information
The only issue that I can flag is that there is a minor tidy up required for the installation (one train of panels needs to be reseated and aligned for what is mainly aesthetic reasons). This has been logged with the supplier and they still to get back tome with a time for rectification.
Overall, system performance is on the advertised and install quality is good. The staff at all levels are professional and knowledgeable. Show additional information
Fantastic service
Fantastic service. Installation was very efficient and was done quickly. Show additional information
Everything has been fine but where they said they would do all the paperwork with the provider, this didn't happen until I initiated it. In fact, it was only because I was speaking to our provider about rates that I asked them if they had our paperwork. They didn't so I had to chase it up with Solar Energy Answers. SEA then sent in the paperwork but left out a vital letter from Ausgrid which again I had to chase up. Was disappointed I had to do this. Once our meter box has been adjusted SEA will need to come back.
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Detailed consultation, high quality product and strong customer service
- Quotation involved a home visit with an in-depth discussion about my house suitability, as well as energy and financial objectives. The consultant was a highly knowledgeable technical expert, rather than just a salesperson.- Follow-up quotation was detailed and provided two main options, but it could have been presented more professionally as a documented quote, including terms and conditions, rather than the email quote I received. The consultant was also hard to follow up with to answer questions as I understand he was very busy doing other home visits. Perhaps this could have been handed over to the in-house customer service team for a more efficient process.
- Installation went smoothly and the accredited installer explained the whole process well. The only issue was that dust from drilling into the wall was not swept up afterwards.
- Follow-up customer service was very good. They helped me with several issues I had with my home wiring and the meter upgrade process with the installer. They also came out (free of charge) to inspect a panel that I mistakenly thought was damaged (it turned out to be an optical illusion caused by water on the panel after rain). These were not issues caused by the installer, but they were nonethelss very helpful in resolving them. Show additional information
Daniel was professional and knew what he was talking about. Service was excellent, explained the different types of configurations I could get. The installer came on time and they were efficient in getting everything done, when i asked if i could move the inverter to another location (not next to the meter box as it will cook) - no problem at all.
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Still having teething issues with the system however the installer is working through these problems as we speak.
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Installation was so quick that we’re still waiting for our smart meter!
Everyone I dealt with, from John Tagliano who came and discussed options at our home, to the guys installing, were wonderful to deal with. Show additional information
Everyone I dealt with, from John Tagliano who came and discussed options at our home, to the guys installing, were wonderful to deal with. Show additional information
Quality with professionalism
Very punctual & polite. Listened to our requirements and were able to do installation in the way we wanted. Show additional information
I obtained quotes from 14 solar installer companies ultimately choosing SMART Energy Answers (SEA), whose NSW headquarters is located at Parramatta Road, Auburn.
SEA was one of a number of companies recommended by Solar Quotes, a mine of information on solar, thanks Finn!
I was immediately impressed by SEA’s energy specialist and consultant, Daniel Kim, whose comprehensive knowledge and expertise was formidable. His SEA quote for a well-thought out, high-quality 13.1 kW system was very reasonable and less expensive than many inferior-quality quotes of other installers.
The owner and managing director of SEA, Sam Husband, is a no-nonsense, hands-on bloke, who solved my old 3KW non-functioning solar panel system with a new inverter and enabled me to change from a relatively expensive Elgas hot water system to a highly efficient Stiebel Eltron WWK 302 hot water heat pump. The Stiebel Eltron installers placed the pump in a much better position than that used by Elgas, ensuring virtually-instant hot water throughout our large house, instead of having to wait 20 secs for hot water, as was the case with the Elgas system. The cost of running the Stiebel Eltron is zilch, as the electricity is generated from the solar panels.
SEA’s Admin and Scheduling Manager, Joe Liberale, ensured a quick start to the solar installation, which was smoothly carried out in a day-and-a-half, despite inclement weather, by SEA’s very efficient team of knowledgeable, young installers.
My new system comprises 41 REC 320 watt solar panels, with SolarEdge optimizers, arranged over the North, East and West facing roofs to ensure good solar reception throughout the day. From about 6.30am in the East to 5pm in the West, the sun so-far has provided a late-Autumn average of 37.7 kWh from my combined system through the SolarEdge SE10000H inverter, much of which gets exported to the grid for a feed-in tariff payment to me. My system enables full monitoring through the SolarEdge web app showing solar production, home consumption, electric energy imported from the grid, and electric energy exported to the grid in a colour-coded hour-by-hour graph as well as through numerical data. Moreover, the SolarEdge monitoring app provides a layout of the instantaneous power through each of the 41 solar panels, so it is easy to check whether everything is working ok.
Basit Ali, the Tech Support and Operations Manager, provided me with a comprehensive user manual for my newly-installed system covering system details and expected performance, equipment supplied, an electrical diagram, system operation general description, shutdown & maintenance procedures and schedules, trouble shooting guide, equipment manufacturers’ documentation, warranty information, PV Array mounting system certification, installation and commissioning checklist, and the installers and designers declaration of compliance. Additionally, Basit was very helpful in answering all the queries I had simply and promptly.
In short, I can wholeheartedly recommend this professional team of experts for a really top-notch solar solution, which fully lives up to the company name, SMART Energy Answers. Show additional information
SEA was one of a number of companies recommended by Solar Quotes, a mine of information on solar, thanks Finn!
I was immediately impressed by SEA’s energy specialist and consultant, Daniel Kim, whose comprehensive knowledge and expertise was formidable. His SEA quote for a well-thought out, high-quality 13.1 kW system was very reasonable and less expensive than many inferior-quality quotes of other installers.
The owner and managing director of SEA, Sam Husband, is a no-nonsense, hands-on bloke, who solved my old 3KW non-functioning solar panel system with a new inverter and enabled me to change from a relatively expensive Elgas hot water system to a highly efficient Stiebel Eltron WWK 302 hot water heat pump. The Stiebel Eltron installers placed the pump in a much better position than that used by Elgas, ensuring virtually-instant hot water throughout our large house, instead of having to wait 20 secs for hot water, as was the case with the Elgas system. The cost of running the Stiebel Eltron is zilch, as the electricity is generated from the solar panels.
SEA’s Admin and Scheduling Manager, Joe Liberale, ensured a quick start to the solar installation, which was smoothly carried out in a day-and-a-half, despite inclement weather, by SEA’s very efficient team of knowledgeable, young installers.
My new system comprises 41 REC 320 watt solar panels, with SolarEdge optimizers, arranged over the North, East and West facing roofs to ensure good solar reception throughout the day. From about 6.30am in the East to 5pm in the West, the sun so-far has provided a late-Autumn average of 37.7 kWh from my combined system through the SolarEdge SE10000H inverter, much of which gets exported to the grid for a feed-in tariff payment to me. My system enables full monitoring through the SolarEdge web app showing solar production, home consumption, electric energy imported from the grid, and electric energy exported to the grid in a colour-coded hour-by-hour graph as well as through numerical data. Moreover, the SolarEdge monitoring app provides a layout of the instantaneous power through each of the 41 solar panels, so it is easy to check whether everything is working ok.
Basit Ali, the Tech Support and Operations Manager, provided me with a comprehensive user manual for my newly-installed system covering system details and expected performance, equipment supplied, an electrical diagram, system operation general description, shutdown & maintenance procedures and schedules, trouble shooting guide, equipment manufacturers’ documentation, warranty information, PV Array mounting system certification, installation and commissioning checklist, and the installers and designers declaration of compliance. Additionally, Basit was very helpful in answering all the queries I had simply and promptly.
In short, I can wholeheartedly recommend this professional team of experts for a really top-notch solar solution, which fully lives up to the company name, SMART Energy Answers. Show additional information
Always available, superb customer service!
From day one when SME consultant Oren visited our home the the customer service was outstanding. He was always available to answer any questions and put a lot of effort and attention into keeping us happy and up to date. The installers were very professional and friendly and did a quality installation. Our panels are producing the power that we expected and we're now waiting for our energy provider to install a smart meter.I cannot fault Smart Energy Answers in any aspect of the way that they run their business and have no doubt at all that any follow up help will be forthcoming if required. Thank you guys.- Tom. Show additional information
Friendly Solar Installer
I heard the solar system but I don't fully understand how it works and what system equipment are good and suitable to my house. The SMART Energy Answers consultant was very helpful and told me the info in details. The installation arrangement was quick and efficient, besides the installers were very friendly and the system was completed neatly. The after service is good although I have encountered a little communication problem in the portal setup. Show additional informationGreat service and installation. Very professional
Very good company to do business with. The installation went without a hitch. Very satisfied Show additional informationHighly Recommended
Very friendly, happy to do multiple quotes for me for different sized systems and different products to compare. Great communication throughout. Installation team were punctual and friendly. Quick to answer questions after installation and guide me through grid connection and claiming my rebate. Highly recommended. Show additional information
I am waiting for the rebate to begin again for installation.
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I got a call from Smart Energy Answers (SEA) after I searched for solar providers on a solar system aggregate website. SEA was the third company that contacted me. When the sales tech John came to our place for a site visit and provided preliminary design, I already had received quotes from two other providers. I have done research, and the biggest issue is with the installation and support after the installation. John explained the product, system, and installation process in great detail and answered all my questions patiently.
Even though SEA was about $250 more expensive than the other quotes (different panel and inverter, so not comparable, but even if it is comparable, I would spend more money on the good service SEA provides), I decided to go with SEA because of John's professionalism and the trust that was built.
In less than a week, the system was installed. The installation was very professional. SEA brought in replacement tiles and even fixed existing tile leaks. The electricians did a fantastic job. The electrician made sure that the system was working before leaving the site. SEA sent the request to my energy company advising them of the solar system installation and sent me the design and maintenance details on the same day.
I had an issue with the Powerplay App not displaying the solar generation correctly. The support was more than helpful in trying to resolve my issue. The support team responded to my concern within 24 hours and contacted the manufacturer and sent electrician onsite to tweak the system. The App issue was resolved in less than 48 hours. The operation of the solar system was not affected; it was working and providing solar power since the installation. The support team even asked me to send screenshots to them to make sure that my App was working fine and advised that they will be able to monitor my system distantly.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the whole process and have recommended friends and colleague who are interested in getting a solar system to order from SEA. I highly recommend SEA to any reader of this post as well. Show additional information
Even though SEA was about $250 more expensive than the other quotes (different panel and inverter, so not comparable, but even if it is comparable, I would spend more money on the good service SEA provides), I decided to go with SEA because of John's professionalism and the trust that was built.
In less than a week, the system was installed. The installation was very professional. SEA brought in replacement tiles and even fixed existing tile leaks. The electricians did a fantastic job. The electrician made sure that the system was working before leaving the site. SEA sent the request to my energy company advising them of the solar system installation and sent me the design and maintenance details on the same day.
I had an issue with the Powerplay App not displaying the solar generation correctly. The support was more than helpful in trying to resolve my issue. The support team responded to my concern within 24 hours and contacted the manufacturer and sent electrician onsite to tweak the system. The App issue was resolved in less than 48 hours. The operation of the solar system was not affected; it was working and providing solar power since the installation. The support team even asked me to send screenshots to them to make sure that my App was working fine and advised that they will be able to monitor my system distantly.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the whole process and have recommended friends and colleague who are interested in getting a solar system to order from SEA. I highly recommend SEA to any reader of this post as well. Show additional information
Sales and installation staff friendly and professional. I would recommend them to my friends.
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First of all I think your website site is excellent in providing information on Solar, thank you.
Solar Energy Anwsers have been reasonable to deal with however they failed to notice that my meter box was in a no-compliant condition after they had installed the panels and inverter which held up the whole installation, they should check all meter boxes to make shaw it can take solar before they hand out quotes. Show additional information
Solar Energy Anwsers have been reasonable to deal with however they failed to notice that my meter box was in a no-compliant condition after they had installed the panels and inverter which held up the whole installation, they should check all meter boxes to make shaw it can take solar before they hand out quotes. Show additional information
Still waiting for app for phone!
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Fantastic in the sense that they responded in a timely manner to all questions, requests and follow - up support. In general, however, I would have to say that the whole process is a bit like going down a dark tunnel, not idea what to expect at every turn. for example once signed up, each stage of the process handled by a different person and in their own timing, as with follow up inspections, contacting Electricity supplier etc, not to mention all the steps /paperwork involved in the rebate.
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8kw system (24 x Sunpower E327 panels and Fronius 8.2-1 inverter including 5 TiGo power optimisers for winter shadeline).
What I liked:
* Generous 2 hour onsite consultation which asked our needs, explained options, industry trends, and long term considerations. Very knowledgeable and strategic thinker.
* introduction to Sunpower panels and explanation of the difference between quality panels, in particular degradation of panels over time, and factoring this into the overall cost of a system
* Overall a professional install that has worked seamlessly without issue in the first few months.
* Accurate estimate of expected output
I wish:
* Price still feels quite high compared to some other offers
* Customer service post install is quite slow to respond. Feels like this is done in their spar time when not doing installs, and they are very busy doing installs
* The inverter included an aesthetic shade box, as inverter gets morning sun, and can overheat on very hot days. Also worried LCD screen on inverter will fade within a year.
* I had chosen SolarEdge so I could have individual panel monitoring. When system is not performing as well as I would expect, I have no idea why, despite having read all your articles, which offers many reasons why. Show additional information
What I liked:
* Generous 2 hour onsite consultation which asked our needs, explained options, industry trends, and long term considerations. Very knowledgeable and strategic thinker.
* introduction to Sunpower panels and explanation of the difference between quality panels, in particular degradation of panels over time, and factoring this into the overall cost of a system
* Overall a professional install that has worked seamlessly without issue in the first few months.
* Accurate estimate of expected output
I wish:
* Price still feels quite high compared to some other offers
* Customer service post install is quite slow to respond. Feels like this is done in their spar time when not doing installs, and they are very busy doing installs
* The inverter included an aesthetic shade box, as inverter gets morning sun, and can overheat on very hot days. Also worried LCD screen on inverter will fade within a year.
* I had chosen SolarEdge so I could have individual panel monitoring. When system is not performing as well as I would expect, I have no idea why, despite having read all your articles, which offers many reasons why. Show additional information
The installation was quick and efficient, the follow up paperwork, no so. It has taken three weeks to get some of the legal requirements finalised.
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Couldn't fault them, to date, great customer service, very quick, good communication. Not yet connected to the grid (that's for Ausnet to do).
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GOOD - Daily output seems to be slightly higher than forecasted average for a system my size so I am grateful they suggested the components I eventually went with
GOOD - Installation work was top notch, Installers explained every step of the install to me, this alone made up slightly for the marginally higher purchase price
Not so GOOD - still questioning the installers use of a single phase inverter vs 3 phase, Energy provider installer of Smart Meter advised this was a poor decision - remains to be seen if it was or wasn't
Have not yet had a full quarter of billing to determine what the ROIC will be Show additional information
GOOD - Installation work was top notch, Installers explained every step of the install to me, this alone made up slightly for the marginally higher purchase price
Not so GOOD - still questioning the installers use of a single phase inverter vs 3 phase, Energy provider installer of Smart Meter advised this was a poor decision - remains to be seen if it was or wasn't
Have not yet had a full quarter of billing to determine what the ROIC will be Show additional information
There is a performance anomaly that we are currently arguing about, and I keep getting seem rolled.
I have SolarEdge optimisers and 5kW inverter and 17 x 315W sunpower panels in 3 groups thus;
9 panels on a flat roof, no shadowing
4 panels facing E at 10°, wall to W produces complete shadow from 0% @ 14:00 to 100% @ 16:00
4 panels facing E at 33°, same wall to W produces complete shadow from 0% @ 11:45 to 100% @ 13:45
On12/3/19, under zero cloud the system gets to full power 3.5kW @11:15, then drops to 2.3kW @ 11:45 before there is ANY overshadowing and the 33° panels are slightly better than 45° from perpendicular to the sun's rays.
After that, there is a much more gradual drop in power as the 2 adjacent E facing 4-panel groups go into shadow one after the other.
To me, as an engineer, the 1.2kW drop over 30 minutes should not occur. And the responses from the previously garrulous Norman Kozlowski have become rather terse. It seems the "optimisers" are stealing about 2kWh a day, and I'm getting no answers. Show additional information
I have SolarEdge optimisers and 5kW inverter and 17 x 315W sunpower panels in 3 groups thus;
9 panels on a flat roof, no shadowing
4 panels facing E at 10°, wall to W produces complete shadow from 0% @ 14:00 to 100% @ 16:00
4 panels facing E at 33°, same wall to W produces complete shadow from 0% @ 11:45 to 100% @ 13:45
On12/3/19, under zero cloud the system gets to full power 3.5kW @11:15, then drops to 2.3kW @ 11:45 before there is ANY overshadowing and the 33° panels are slightly better than 45° from perpendicular to the sun's rays.
After that, there is a much more gradual drop in power as the 2 adjacent E facing 4-panel groups go into shadow one after the other.
To me, as an engineer, the 1.2kW drop over 30 minutes should not occur. And the responses from the previously garrulous Norman Kozlowski have become rather terse. It seems the "optimisers" are stealing about 2kWh a day, and I'm getting no answers. Show additional information
These guys were the most expensive, however they were the most professional and skipped all of the usual sales BS that the other excelled in
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Smart Energy answers were the only one of the 3 recommended installers who both personally visited and submitted a written quote. Norman was a very knowledgeable and engaged sales person.
Installation was a little rushed (they underestimated the complexity due to installation team not visiting beforehand). Some quality fit and finish issues on cable conduits. Also, did not program physical layout of SolarEdge inverter, so I can't use the function to see which physical solar panels are getting best performance.
Actual system performing extremely well despite our complex roof configuration on an inner city terrace. LG 360W panels with SolarEdge inverter and optimisers. Love the detailed reporting from the SolarEdge monitoring portal and App.
Regularly getting peak performance of 4.5 to 5KW in middle of the day and total system performance from 25-30KWh a day depending on weather. Very good given tree shading issues and different roof angles.
Would recommend Smart Energy, they just need to slow down and take a bit more time on complex projects. Show additional information
Installation was a little rushed (they underestimated the complexity due to installation team not visiting beforehand). Some quality fit and finish issues on cable conduits. Also, did not program physical layout of SolarEdge inverter, so I can't use the function to see which physical solar panels are getting best performance.
Actual system performing extremely well despite our complex roof configuration on an inner city terrace. LG 360W panels with SolarEdge inverter and optimisers. Love the detailed reporting from the SolarEdge monitoring portal and App.
Regularly getting peak performance of 4.5 to 5KW in middle of the day and total system performance from 25-30KWh a day depending on weather. Very good given tree shading issues and different roof angles.
Would recommend Smart Energy, they just need to slow down and take a bit more time on complex projects. Show additional information
Smart Energy Answers were efficient in all respects - from initial contact through installation & followup
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I'm very satisfied with their service and products.
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My Solar Edge Converter is over 24hrs installed and is not working. No one knows why yet but I had to contact the electrician to get him to hurry the process up. No solar energy yet but it all looks good.
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There was very little to tell the 3 providers apart as they had similar products, prices etc. The thing that got us over the line with Smart Energy Answers was that they sent a sales person out to our house. This meant that we were able to discuss it together (my husband, salesperson and me) and consider different options - requesting prices for different combinations. Smart Energy Answers were good - no complaints.
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