Solar Service Group Reviews
About
A note from SolarQuotes:
Solar Service Group is a solar installation company that serves most regions of Australia. This company has been recognised for its extensive direct mail campaigns, often promoting various battery offers.
It's worth noting that Solar Service Group sends this mail under multiple business names, including:
- Solar Battery Group,
- Sunbank Solar and
- SouthAus Solar.
The business names they trade under are on the Australian Business Register.
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Inverter brands previously installed
Battery brands previously installed
The views expressed by reviewers are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of Peacock Media Group, which makes no representations as to the accuracy of the reviews. For our full disclaimer and further information, see our Terms of Use and our Review Guidelines.
Solar Service Group Reviews (39)
Show Most Recent reviews from All time across Australia
Average Scores
3.4/5
Value for money
3.6/5
Quality of System
3.6/5
Installation
3.2/5
Customer Service
- 5 star 14
- 4 star 9
- 3 star 1
- 2 star 4
- 1 star 11
View Timeline
28 April 2023
03 March 2021
Battery bliss
I already had a2.9 Hive battery and as Term Deposits are not good I decided to go for 6x400 Jinko panels and goodwee 2 kw inverter to add to my original 12 panels with 3kw Solis inverter.On installation I added another 2x2.9 kw batteries modular. I found that even on cloudy and rainy days I was exporting more than enough power to charge another battery. I find it quite exciting to be able to go day after day without drawing very much from the grid. Today I added another battery giving me a total of 4 x 2.9 Hive batteries. My plan is to be able allowing for cloudy and rainy days along with shorter days in winter to hopefully generate sufficient to power our home. I am not concerned about getting a return on my investment as I am a pensioner and this is more fun than Term Deposit. It will be interesting to see how it all pans out. If I was starting from scratch I would go with Sunbank Solar and go for as big a. Single phase system as allowed and add whatever batteries to match.The Hive battery system is connected to my computer and I can see how much power I am using and generating.
Panel rating: 5/5
26 March 2020
Great service
Excellent sytem installation, delivered on time & with minimal fuss.Installers had the knowledge & advice regarding everything I needed to know to get up & running once they had completed.
Main office kept me in the loop throughout from initial purchase through to delivery, installation & followed up later to check everything was satisfactory.
Battery rating: 5/5
07 March 2020
happy customer
As I had been dubbed once before from a company with a article that was " to true to believe" and lost my money, I asked a lot of questions regarding the company, how long it had been operating etc, The lovely lady who I spoke to suggested I check the company out ASIC online, I didn't want to part with my money and find out that this may not be what I was told, I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised, apart from the lovely staff I am extremely happy with my solar battery and look forward to receiving my first bill from Synergy.I don't usually write reviews, but when I was asked if I could I was more than happy to.
03 March 2020
Battery Expansion Installation Very Poor Quality and Service
Sales Quoting was straight forward.The Installation had a problem and was not handled satisfactorily.
Due to brickwork at floor level on the side wall of the house under the main battery unit, the expansion box could not be mounted flush with the main unit and was properly against the wall.
I was at home at the time of installation and the installer made no effort to inform me of the issue and work out an acceptable solution. It was not until after the installer had left that I noticed the issue.
Lesson: do not let the installer leave until you have inspected the work.
I wrote an email to SSG support immediately on the day (Friday) with photos attached.
I followed with a phone call to the sales number on the following Monday and was told they would get back to me.
On Tuesday I call again this time to the support number.
They first tried to tell me that this was a normal installation and there was nothing wrong with it, after being on hold a few times while the agent spoke to engineers etc eventually she came back to me that they would try and work something out.
Later on Tuesday I got a callback and was told it would cost me $900 to get this problem fixed.
Not acceptable. But what choice do I have?
Battery rating: 4/5
29 February 2020
Great product and installation
My experience with this company has been fantastic from the word go the Quote process was accurate and fair .The installation went well time and date were very good the installers were very polite and informative of the product.Communication on the whole was fantastic.
28 February 2020
Here's to the future!
From start to finish this has been so incredibly easy for me.The sales team were informative and were able to answer all questions either on the spot or with follow up info. They were also patient in the day or so it took me to get a piece of required info to them.
The pre-install lads were the same ones doing the actual install and were very professional on both occasions. Plus they put up with me asking all the nerdy questions that came to mind. They did a great job and were respectful of my home while getting it all done.
I'm storing my generated power while feeding over supply in to the grid thanks to their awesome work!
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
27 February 2020
Installation testimonial
We had our battery system installed by two highly efficient and experienced personnel. At the completion of the installation the site was left extremely clean and tidy. Fully recommended.27 February 2020
A great installation process
The sales team were very efficient and talked me through the whole process to determine size of system would be best.The installers were there when they said they would be.
After the installation was completed they commissioned the system and explained how it all worked, since the install I have been off the grid totally.
Battery rating: 4/5
21 February 2020
Installation on time and done well
Hi Matt, The team at Solar service have done a great job right from the office team to the installers, Kane and George. I love the online monitoring. Well done team.18 February 2020
Communication nightmare
Initial contact was fantastic.very efficient and well informed young people, very polite and very quick to take the money,but to be fair quite flexible about when to pay.Installation was quick and very efficient but then it all went terribly wrong, my inverter showed the alarm and the battery showed fault.
Communication was a nightmare, I emailed every day and never received a reply, I phoned every day and never really got through. Eventually my battery was replaced and I have been promised a new inverter, I live in hope. Terrible customer service, many sleepless nights, no resolution as yet but I do have a line to one person now who would appear to be on my case. I have been without my solar system now for 5 weeks
Battery rating: 1/5
04 February 2020
professional quick installation
Communications always good, details supplied, installation on time and neat and professional, now all working and has been checked with followup.Panel rating: 3/5
Inverter rating: 3/5
Battery rating: 4/5
31 January 2020
22 January 2020
AVOID!!!
Solar Service Group installed a battery at our house in October 2019. This was placed in a location that we didn't consent to and it did not work from day 1. When we tried to get it fixed they were uncommunicative and initially told us to get a local installer to get it working at our cost. They eventually attended the property again to get it operational but refused to move it to the location we had originally requested - offering to move it for an additional $550! They then produced a document that they claimed we signed stating that we were happy with the installation site. Pure fraud!! We signed no such document. The installation team (contractors) also agree that no such document was sighted or signed at installation. Avoid this company at all costs!!!Battery rating: 1/5
19 January 2020
Deceptive and Misleading
The sales process was deceptive and misleading. The monitoring system inaccurate. After sales service was disrespectful. For me there is no savings on my power bill and no sign of profit. To top it all technicians "checking" the installation left a loose wire in my switchboard which came close to burning my home down and could have potentially caused loss of life. SSG offered me $400 discount "for my trouble" and I have had to involve Government Agencies to obtain justice.Battery rating: 1/5
30 December 2019
Very good installation & no problems
Overall very good service. I had very good customer service. The price us very reasonablePanel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 4/5
Battery rating: 4/5
11 December 2019
Hive Battery installation
The install team rang to inform us prior to arrival .The battery instal was quick.
Polite team.
Also turned grid on after install
Didnt require an export meter as its built in to batteries.
Battery rating: 5/5
25 October 2019
Misleading Claims
I received an 'offer' from Solar Service Group to install a solar battery at a special price in mid 2019. When I rang I was pressured to sign up on the spot otherwise I would not be eligible for the 'deal'. When asked I told them that my power supply was 2 phase (common in older houses) and the salesperson told me that would not be a problem because the battery would work fine. When it was finally installed I found it worked only on 1 phase, so no connection to the other phase and no reduction in power consumption on that phase. I got some independent advice and was told that I needed to convert my power supply to single phase to make full use of the system. I had to complain to the NSW Office of Fair Trading and register a case with the NSW small claims tribunal before Solar Service Group agreed to stump up a contribution towards the cast of conversion. It was done, but now the battery readings have gone haywire and Solar Service Group won't fix the problem.Stay away from this company.
Battery rating: 2/5
21 August 2019
Quick and neat Installation, happy with results
Hi, we were happy with the quoting and installation process from Solar Service. Installation of the battery was arranged within a few weeks of purchase, the installation itself was neat, and the installers arrived when they said they would. We've yet to see any difference in our power bills but that should come in Summer when we use air conditioning.Battery rating: 4/5
18 August 2019
Excellent service from start to finish
From the start from when receiving the letter. Explanation of whole process was explained. Costings through to instal. had read varying reviews but had used the group in the past and were professional. Wanted a solar battery setup. Was not disappointed. Placed order. Then booking service was done to work around me as self employed. Thank u :). Electricians doing installed, rang and had earlier openings and again worked around me and go install done quicker. Flawless instal, cleaned up after themselves. A few days later, Elect inspector contact me, came on time too. Passed. Communication right through was flawless and perfect. Sent email with a few questions. Answered within 24 hrs. Installed app. Instructions clear. Could not be happy. Now while using the app you can see the power usage and helps manage power equipment & solar battery to maximize stored energy. Thank you !Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
15 August 2019
Fantastic installer, quality products and outstanding service
Working with the Solar Service Group was 100% seamless. They made the offer very clear and easy to understand. When I asked a bunch of questions about average consumption during the evenings, installation flexibility and online monitoring, they had every answer to hand. I was never once put on hold or put through to another department awaiting an answer. When I booked my installation appointment, the team were not just on time, but PERFECTLY on time and completed the install within 45 mins, not leaving a single bit of mess as they went through my garden for access. I am totally delighted with picking this organisation and now have modern and sophisticated technology installed which is flexible to grow with the energy consumption of our home.Battery rating: 5/5
15 August 2019
Quality company and installation
From start to finish has been a great experience. It moved from sales to installation within days. Installer was prompt and on time, install is very neat.Battery rating: 5/5
06 August 2019
Cunning, coniving and a absolute disgrace
Their smooth and sweet as honey to lure you into their web of lies and fantasies and than taking absolute bugger all responsibility for the rubbish they call batteries when 2 weeks after there installed they go faulty, than fixed than faulty (after 2 weeks again) than fixed than faulty (after 3 weeks this time) see the pattern, once the finance company paid this company SOLAR SERVICE GROUP the $6000 for the installation, the $6000 that we now owe the finance company not SOLAR SERVICE GROUP, these clowns have had a total disregard towards us and for the predicament this company has put us into, if this company had a conscience and i doubt they do, they should hang their head in shame as a company, total disgrace.Inverter rating: 4/5
03 August 2019
It's a misleading company that get your details
This company is dodgy misleading they said it's a whole sale cost due to data gathering and it's a testing phase it's a bs marketing tactic there are hidden costs and it's not a whole sale cost. It's a company that is so hard to deal with once you made a purchased. Be very careful about solar service group they also go by the name sun bank solar12 July 2019
Appalling service - battery not working - avoid!
Their sales process is very slick and customer service is great at that point. The initial install was straight forward. HOWEVER about 4 weeks after installation the battery just stopped working - and stopped our solar panels and inverter working as well. We reported it and waited over a week before they did anything - and that required multiple phone calls and getting irate for them to even agree to get a technician out. He eventually came and said they couldn't find anything wrong. Turned it off and on and it started working again. Three more weeks and it stops working again - same problem. Have called twice and contacted the installer, two days later still no visit and no fix. They're now saying they've never seen this before and need to contact the battery manufacturer!!! Don't buy an Alpha ESS Storion-SMILE-B3, they are clearly crap and DEFINITELY don't buy one from Solar Service Group, they will leave you in the lurch.03 June 2019
Misleading expectation
I was called out of the blue inviting me to install a battery for my solar system. The promise was if I went for the biggest battery; which cost me $9000; I would pay no electricity or very little indeed. I went for it and my very first bill, about three months after the installation, was the biggest power bill I have ever had, even before the Solar System was installed. My protestations fell on deaf ears and their only response was I must have used a lot of power. They stopped communicating with me when the next bill, admittedly much lower but still over $300 was submitted to them. I have reported the matter to Fair Trade but because there was some reduction in my bills, they would not take it further. Beware of any promises made by Solar Service Group.17 May 2019
Successful Installation
The sales/ quoting process proceeded smoothly but I was not present at the installation so whilst I cannot comment on it, I can say that the battery looks great and the installer left the premises in a clean and tidy state.Solar Service Group connected the system to the grid for me.
I subsequently had two telephone conversations with Brianna who was extremely helpful and friendly in explaining the diagrams available on the website.
16 May 2019
Great works well as I had hoped
1 Sales went well I was given good answers to all my questions. 2 The installers worked really fast and very tidy great job. 3 Had a few problems with the wifi dropping out but was solved the system was working still behind the scene.28 March 2019
Customer service initially started out very well. However the information given to me was misleading, the sales person said my battery could hold "2 charges". She kept repeating this over and over so when I questioned her about it, she said it will literally store up to 2 full charges therefore effectively turning my 2.9kw battery into a 5.8kw battery (this was the reason why I signed on). When I asked the electrician about this, he said that was 100% not the case.
When signing up, I discussed my power bills with the sales person as I thought that the battery wouldn't be big enough to supply me with electricity throughout the night. Again, she referred to this "2 charges" thing and said it should be enough for me to power through the night. As it turns out, the battery definitely does not get me through the night.
I was told my monitoring system would be active in a few days but it took 3 weeks for it to become active. I have tried calling solar service group but you are forced to just leave a message for them to try to return your call the following day. Interesting how when it comes to sales or payment, you are always about to speak to someone directly with minimal wait times. But as soon as you have an enquiry about your installed product, you are forced to leave a message.
If this is something they are not willing to help me out with then I will be contacting the ombudsman
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When signing up, I discussed my power bills with the sales person as I thought that the battery wouldn't be big enough to supply me with electricity throughout the night. Again, she referred to this "2 charges" thing and said it should be enough for me to power through the night. As it turns out, the battery definitely does not get me through the night.
I was told my monitoring system would be active in a few days but it took 3 weeks for it to become active. I have tried calling solar service group but you are forced to just leave a message for them to try to return your call the following day. Interesting how when it comes to sales or payment, you are always about to speak to someone directly with minimal wait times. But as soon as you have an enquiry about your installed product, you are forced to leave a message.
If this is something they are not willing to help me out with then I will be contacting the ombudsman
25 March 2019
27 October 2018
Sales rep on the phone was fantastic knowledgeable as easy. Once they had my deposit it went down hill. Phoned constantly for progress payments even though we agreed on a date for the payments which I honoured. Cancelled the installation the night before. When the installers turned up at the revised appointment they were great, fast, clean and did a good job. After then it took 3 phone calls and 2 weeks before the promised (in 48 hrs after installation) envoy monitoring email and link arrived. From there on the monitoring has been offline more than on. Call to the service line was met with "please send an email", did that and a week later still no response. The system has been in 2 months and I have no idea if its registered and if I'm getting any benefit from the unit. My electricity provider knows nothing of the system. I have waited 8 weeks from when the bad service began to give the company opportunity to prove the service wasn't as bad as it seemed. I now feel compelled to provide this account of my interaction from this company so that hopefully others can avoid the frustration I am having. Theres plenty of providers around and from my experience I say avoid Solar Service Group.
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18 October 2018
Lots of promises on the phone. Installation occurred faster then expected. Good quality installation. After that, you're on your own. 4 weeks later, still trying to get documents needed for rebate application: ie: electrical certificate etc.
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11 October 2018
10 October 2018
After instillation the inverter shuts down due to power over supply from grid. this is being rectified waiting on a service man to adjust settings on the inverter.
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18 August 2018
The tradesmen who installed the system were very polite and respectful. There was no mess left behind as everything was cleaned up after themselves. I would highly recommend them to anyone thinking of installing a battery backup to hire them. If only all tradespeople were like them everybody would be happy
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08 August 2018
Absolute disgrace! I have contacted them numerous times over the past three weeks to get assistance on our battery that was installed. It is interesting how happy they were to bend over backwards and communicate leading up to the sale of the battery and now that it is installed, they go missing in action. Even though we purchased the 'gold' package with follow up service for 12 months.........
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24 May 2018
12 December 2017
Half price Trial service for 2 batteries 1.25kw each
Need to up their services from the time of ordering to installation appalling. As for installation fantastic experience, pride in work and knowledgeable. Clean up, great. Thank you so much for your service.
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Need to up their services from the time of ordering to installation appalling. As for installation fantastic experience, pride in work and knowledgeable. Clean up, great. Thank you so much for your service.
23 October 2017
Getting back online with Enphase Enlighten
From what seemed a great system, last November 2022 we lost our Wifi/internet connection to the sunbank solar system via our laptop and have been trying unsuccessfully numerous times to have it reconnected… let alone find out what rebates may or may have not been received.Totally frustrated with the whole experience and certainly don’t feel a valued customer at all, and we don’t really matter.
I guess it’s only been 6 months so maybe I was expecting too much.
Regards
Mark
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 3/5