Urban Renewables Reviews
4.7
Leave a review Based on 66 reviews
- 5 star 24
- 4 star 42
- 3 star 0
- 2 star 0
- 1 star 0
Average Customer Review
- Value 4.38
- System Quality 4.62
- Customer Service 4.82
- Installation 4.89
View images of Urban Renewables Installations:
About Urban Renewables, Solar Installers
Urban Renewables is a specialist in the design and installation of Solar PV systems across Victoria. With a traditional base as an electrical company, Urban Renewables has been involved in the Solar PV industry since early 2010, focusing on providing an informative, reliable and clean service that you would be happy to refer to friends and family. Whether it's for your home or business, Urban Renewables is that smart choice for Solar installation and maintenance.
Urban Renewables Solar Reviews
We follow up with all reviewers after 12 months to see how their system is going since it was installed. These are all the reviewers who have responded to our 1 year follow up:
Top Notch form start to finish
I wrote to several installers
Two companies came back with competitive prices.
Urban Renewables gave a competitive price and clarified all my questions, however the seller from Metro ended up giving me the best price and I paid them 10% deposit.
After 1 month waiting for them, they contacted me giving me a day for the installation. I took the day off and surprise surprise they did not show up.
I called them next day and they said they had sickies and apologised. They said they would call me back with a new date. They re-booked almost one month later and 3 third party contractors arrived. All dirty and initially I thought they were wall painters. They all looked rushed and after spending 5 minutes trying to pass the cable from the garage to the first floor, they said they would not be able to do it and ran away for their next job. I reckon they are all pretty busy due the Solar VIC rebate.
I contacted their installation team asking for the alternative and they in a very rude manner said their contractors lose money not performing installations and they were going to refund my deposit because they could not do it.
I felt bad for not going ahead with Urban Renewables and I contacted them again. Adrian said although he was very busy, he would try to find a day for me.
A few days later Ana wrote to me saying they had Monday afternoon available.
I was a bit worried they would give the same excuse from the previous company but I was wrong...
They arrived all clean in uniforms and did not care when I said I had issues passing the cables to the first floor. They installed an external conduit in a very professional manner and did the job in less than 3 hours. In the end they vacuum all the dirt. Adrian explained how to use the Enphase App and said the invoice and everything else would be sent by email to me.
Payment was due to 14 days later and once the Certificate of Electrical Safety was provided, they sent me all docs for my Solar VIC Rebate.
From start to finish they were top notch professionals. They are the type of business they go a bit further to explain and make you happy. Please do not waste your time with bigger companies as they are more for profit and don't care about quality anymore.
I will recommend Urban Renewables to all my friends due to their price and quality. Show additional information
I wrote to several installers
Two companies came back with competitive prices.
Urban Renewables gave a competitive price and clarified all my questions, however the seller from Metro ended up giving me the best price and I paid them 10% deposit.
After 1 month waiting for them, they contacted me giving me a day for the installation. I took the day off and surprise surprise they did not show up.
I called them next day and they said they had sickies and apologised. They said they would call me back with a new date. They re-booked almost one month later and 3 third party contractors arrived. All dirty and initially I thought they were wall painters. They all looked rushed and after spending 5 minutes trying to pass the cable from the garage to the first floor, they said they would not be able to do it and ran away for their next job. I reckon they are all pretty busy due the Solar VIC rebate.
I contacted their installation team asking for the alternative and they in a very rude manner said their contractors lose money not performing installations and they were going to refund my deposit because they could not do it.
I felt bad for not going ahead with Urban Renewables and I contacted them again. Adrian said although he was very busy, he would try to find a day for me.
A few days later Ana wrote to me saying they had Monday afternoon available.
I was a bit worried they would give the same excuse from the previous company but I was wrong...
They arrived all clean in uniforms and did not care when I said I had issues passing the cables to the first floor. They installed an external conduit in a very professional manner and did the job in less than 3 hours. In the end they vacuum all the dirt. Adrian explained how to use the Enphase App and said the invoice and everything else would be sent by email to me.
Payment was due to 14 days later and once the Certificate of Electrical Safety was provided, they sent me all docs for my Solar VIC Rebate.
From start to finish they were top notch professionals. They are the type of business they go a bit further to explain and make you happy. Please do not waste your time with bigger companies as they are more for profit and don't care about quality anymore.
I will recommend Urban Renewables to all my friends due to their price and quality. Show additional information
I started looking into solar a few months ago, i received multiple calls from multiple solar installers. All of them came to 'visit' the property for a site-check. However, the reality is that they wanted to come into your house and pressure you into making the decision on the spot. Typically, each session involves these steps
1) Give you a call and insist on a site visit. None of these companies is willing to provide an indicative quote at this stage.
2) Checking the mains switch
3) Sitting down in the house to explain how solar will work
4) Use their laptop, jumping on a mapping tool (similar to Google Maps) estimating the number of panels that my roof can fit
5) Pressuring me into a making a decision there and then, which includes offering me 'discounts'
The experience I received from Adrain and Jol from UrbanRenewables are completely different.
1) Adrian gave me a call and followed up with an email with information regarding solar as well as a fixed price list.
2) Jol came to my property a few days later and checked the main switch. He then took a ladder and went up the roof to measure the space available for solar panels. He provided me with the number of panels that could fit on my roof. He didn't even attempt to sell me anything, just measured up and left.
3) Adrian followed up with a call and email with information.
What I like about UrbanRenewables.
1) Other installers said that I could fit 24 panels on my roof, however, Jol said I could only fit 18 panels on my roof. I was hoping for a bigger system, but I'm glad Jol actually went up the roof to measure instead of just using computers to estimate. At the day of installation, they managed to install 1 additional panel as they are aware of me wanting a bigger system.
2) Communication with the team was amazing. There was a delay in the shipment of the new LG panels. Adrian ensured that I was updated along the way.
3) Unfortunately, there was a leak in the roof caused by a hairline cracked tile. I messaged Adrian at 11:30pm, he responded to my message within 5 mins and organised Jol to rectify the situation the very next morning. He even offered to have a painter coming in to fix up the wet patch. He has taken on full responsibilities.
4) Taken full responsibilities to ensure that I get my feed-in-tariff as soon as possible. All paperwork was handled by the office and I managed to get FIT within a month of installation. Show additional information
1) Give you a call and insist on a site visit. None of these companies is willing to provide an indicative quote at this stage.
2) Checking the mains switch
3) Sitting down in the house to explain how solar will work
4) Use their laptop, jumping on a mapping tool (similar to Google Maps) estimating the number of panels that my roof can fit
5) Pressuring me into a making a decision there and then, which includes offering me 'discounts'
The experience I received from Adrain and Jol from UrbanRenewables are completely different.
1) Adrian gave me a call and followed up with an email with information regarding solar as well as a fixed price list.
2) Jol came to my property a few days later and checked the main switch. He then took a ladder and went up the roof to measure the space available for solar panels. He provided me with the number of panels that could fit on my roof. He didn't even attempt to sell me anything, just measured up and left.
3) Adrian followed up with a call and email with information.
What I like about UrbanRenewables.
1) Other installers said that I could fit 24 panels on my roof, however, Jol said I could only fit 18 panels on my roof. I was hoping for a bigger system, but I'm glad Jol actually went up the roof to measure instead of just using computers to estimate. At the day of installation, they managed to install 1 additional panel as they are aware of me wanting a bigger system.
2) Communication with the team was amazing. There was a delay in the shipment of the new LG panels. Adrian ensured that I was updated along the way.
3) Unfortunately, there was a leak in the roof caused by a hairline cracked tile. I messaged Adrian at 11:30pm, he responded to my message within 5 mins and organised Jol to rectify the situation the very next morning. He even offered to have a painter coming in to fix up the wet patch. He has taken on full responsibilities.
4) Taken full responsibilities to ensure that I get my feed-in-tariff as soon as possible. All paperwork was handled by the office and I managed to get FIT within a month of installation. Show additional information
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Urban Renewables. There was no sales bull - in fact no salesperson at all in the normal sense of the term. They came for an on-site visit and actually got up on the roof to check things out - the only company out of seven that did so - arrived on time to do the work and did an efficient and tidy installation in quick time. Everything was explained and post-installation customer service was excellent with emails being answered the same day the query was made. You can't go wrong with these guys.
Show additional information
A great all round experience, excellent communications, great knowledge, speedy installation and follow up
Show additional information
The installation is complete but there is still paperwork for the inspection, energy provider and Government rebate to be handled.
Show additional information
Jol and Adrian were great to deal with and did a fantastic job installing the system. I would have no hesitations in recommending Urban Renewables to anyone.
Show additional information
Adrian from Urban renewables has been great to deal with and so was His partner Joel who did the installation. I liked that it was the same people from start to finish. There was a slight delay on inspection and so getting connected to the grid, but Adrian was very apologetic. I have already recommended them to friends.
Show additional information
Very happy with the installation and personal service. Being new to the solar experience Urban Renewables gave me full confidence in their integrity, quality of service and workmanship.
Show additional information
When it came to install, Adrian had a full book and the wait was going to be about a month. But, a gap came up and we only had to a wait a couple of weeks. His team were very thorough and professional and he was on site the whole time making sure everything was right.
Post install Adrian cleaned up thoroughly and did all the paper work and got the process going as quickly as possible. Adrian installed on 16 May and we were fully operational with new better (market leading) rates from our existing retailer and our smart meter reconfigured by 1 June!
I'm expecting the next electricity bill to be 1/3 of previous month and have the whole system paid off in 5.6 years with at least $40K of net savings over the following 20 years!
As a bonus, LG increased the warrantees on the panels to 25 years (up from 12 when I booked and 15 when we were installing) so given that I'm expected 25 years of trouble free production (with maybe a new inverter somewhere in the middle.)
Go solar everyone - big and now - its a no brainer!!!!!! Show additional information
Post install Adrian cleaned up thoroughly and did all the paper work and got the process going as quickly as possible. Adrian installed on 16 May and we were fully operational with new better (market leading) rates from our existing retailer and our smart meter reconfigured by 1 June!
I'm expecting the next electricity bill to be 1/3 of previous month and have the whole system paid off in 5.6 years with at least $40K of net savings over the following 20 years!
As a bonus, LG increased the warrantees on the panels to 25 years (up from 12 when I booked and 15 when we were installing) so given that I'm expected 25 years of trouble free production (with maybe a new inverter somewhere in the middle.)
Go solar everyone - big and now - its a no brainer!!!!!! Show additional information
Adrian and Joel were fantastic. Very neat and thorough. Adrian took us through the entire process; inspecting the roof and power set up before quoting and carrying out the work. Extra time and ingenuity was used to resolve a problem with our wifi. Adrian was readily available via phone and email. Definitely a quality company and highly recommended.
Show additional information
They were good to get along with and unlike the main players on TV ads , they came out and inspected the roof and meter box and offered advice and their knowledge ... NOT PRESSURING YOU TO SIGN OVER THE PHONE WHITHOUT EVEN SEEING THE JOB .!!!
Show additional information
A great experience all round with SolarQuotes and UrbanRenewables.
Show additional information
After confirming our order, and before install, communication could have been better. But from install onwards, support and guidance was exceptional. Solar edge monitoring app has some problems. (Wow, we produced 70 kWh in one day from a 4.6kw system). But that is nothing to do with Urban Renewables. To their credit they raised a support ticket with the manufacturer and are following it through.
Show additional information
Adrian was fantastic to deal with. Was always available for questions, and very responsive to emails as well. Was also willing and able to go above and beyond for some additional works to be included in at the same time of the solar install, for a a very reasonable price for the work completed.
Submitted all the paperwork and organised all of the extra components that complicated our install above a normal install. I can't speak highly enough of the service, attention to detail and competency of these guys. Show additional information
Submitted all the paperwork and organised all of the extra components that complicated our install above a normal install. I can't speak highly enough of the service, attention to detail and competency of these guys. Show additional information
The company was small and very knowledgeable Adrian had the information we needed and he was not only the sales person but the installer. We were very pleased with the visit to our home before quoting and checking our roof for the optimum placing of the panels. Installation was completed very efficiently and the paperwork put into place to ensure the inspector came out promptly. The Electrical inspector commented that Urban do good work, which is nice to hear. We used Peacock media site to check for an alternative supplier and we were very pleased with the references so called them to quote. Very impressed with the whole process.
Show additional information
Adrian is a top guy and good at his craft but also very good and patient in explaining whats what. Highly recommended
Show additional information
Adrian and Jol were very knowledgeable and were able to answer all my questions - and I had a lot. They suggested a system that was perfect for what we needed and were the only company that quoted me that actually got onto the roof to check for shade, installation points etc. Same people who quoted did the install which was very important to me as we had a 100 year old roof and tiles, so wanted to make sure they did a good job. Very professional and friendly service. I would definitely recommend them.
Show additional information
I'm glad I found the Solar Quotes website. I'd been thinking about solar for a while and didn't know where to start - the website is great for explaining solar. I got the quotes and was happy with all of them. I went with Urban Renewables and they were great start to finish ... from quote, to installation, to all the paperwork. The system was up and running in a day and now all checks (retailer/distributor) have been done and I'm feeding in to the grid as well. Highly recommend Adrian & Jol from Urban Renewables.
Show additional information
Adrian from Urban Renewables has been excellent throughout this process.
He is very knowledgeable and an excellent communicator. Highly Recommended
I'm also very happy with the attention to detail during the installation, which included replacing a couple of my tiles and cutting off branches that may have obstructed the panels at a later stage. Show additional information
He is very knowledgeable and an excellent communicator. Highly Recommended
I'm also very happy with the attention to detail during the installation, which included replacing a couple of my tiles and cutting off branches that may have obstructed the panels at a later stage. Show additional information
Would thoroughly recommend them.
Show additional information
Show additional information
Really great service. Manged to install 17 panels where other installers could only do 15. Great investment as the additional 2 panels worked out great for a good design solar system. Really good work on the installation and the system performing to expectations. Went with 5.61KW LG Neon 2 panels and 5KW Fronuis inverter at a very competitive price
Show additional information
Adrian has installed systems on two homes now. Couldn't be more happy. Does roof assessment and design of system personally, not using Google maps, and does the fitting himself with colleague.
Show additional information
Came the day nominated, quiet, efficient, no rubbish left - 1 month on we have had no hassles and performing as anticipated
Show additional information
Perhaps ask me again in 12 months time after I can see what the system can do, just switched on yesterday. This is the reason I only ticked the "good" for Value for money and Quality of System...to early to tell.
Show additional information
Adrian made a time to visit, get up on the roof and give great advice on what system to go for having regard to design of roof, different orientations and how we use our power on a daily basis. The system has be up and running for about 3 weeks and is operating very well. We are able to monitor it through the Enphase Enlighten application which is great. I addition Adrian handled all the required paper work and the whole process was smooth and seamless. Have followed Adrian up a couple of times with a couple of questions and he always gets back to you with a response. Could not fault Urban Renewables
Show additional information
They were the last of 3 quoters so I was very familiar with the issues concerning options for my roof. I was impressed by the extra effort they put in to recommend the best installation for the different roof angles. I correctly judged that they would pick the best most appropriate hardware and do a good job. Installation was quick and with no inconvenienve to us and a thorough clean up. After installatin service is terrific also. We are extremely happy and glad we made a good choice.
Show additional information
Adrian and Joel were both very professional and provided excellent service
I would highly recommend them to anyone else Show additional information
I would highly recommend them to anyone else Show additional information
They are going to install next Tuesday.
So can't comment on the process but my judgement is it will be a thoroughly professional job. Show additional information
So can't comment on the process but my judgement is it will be a thoroughly professional job. Show additional information
Very busy guys; we expected to wait several weeks, but turned up soon after engagement and did a second storey install within a day. They were $1000 cheaper using Enphase and LG panels than another quote for same components. The independent inspector said these are the neatest and best installers.
Show additional information
Adrian at Urban Renewables was a stand-out compared to the others that I asked to quote (one of the others didn't even bother to quote). He managed to fit 12 panels on a roof space that the other company claimed could only fit 8. He actually took the trouble to get up and measure it where the other company estimated using satellite imagery. The result is extremely pleasing. He continues to offer advice and assistance as required when dealing with the retailers. Outstanding service and highly recommended.
Show additional information
Could not fault Adrian and his team. Outstanding attitude to their work and towards us explaining every issue that they felt or we felt was important
Show additional information
I looked around and I got a number of quotes. I was impressed by the attitude of Adrian and I liked what he proposed.
This is a small company; two guys who deliver a quality product - they made it easy for me and they seem to try to ensure that you set a good outcome. Communication is good. The actual work is excellent - fast, clean, effective, efficient and professional; they even clean up the inevitable mess.
We liked the fact that the guys we bought from did the install.
We are recommending them to our family and we would recommend them to others. Show additional information
This is a small company; two guys who deliver a quality product - they made it easy for me and they seem to try to ensure that you set a good outcome. Communication is good. The actual work is excellent - fast, clean, effective, efficient and professional; they even clean up the inevitable mess.
We liked the fact that the guys we bought from did the install.
We are recommending them to our family and we would recommend them to others. Show additional information
Professional installers great job. No problems with system all running quite nicely.
Show additional information
Obtained 2 quotes, 1 from my electricity provider and the other from Urban Renewables. The first was all internet transacted with quote received for 2 systems. Thereafter, there was a series of follow up discussions, that were reasonably well dealt with, but the question was always asked, "when was I going to make a decision?". This process occurred during January and towards the end of the month I received a phone call advising that "there is a special" on the go and if I decided to go ahead I could get a bit of a discount. I had raised a matter in respect of the existing switch board and asked the question, would it require any modification and if so what is the likely cost? The consultant was unsure but advised it could be in the vicinity of $600 - $1200, but he would refer my photo of the switchboard to the electrician for comment and get back to me. To this day I am still awaiting his response. My experience with Urban Renewables was, that on contact, a time and date was set to come and inspect the site and Adrian arrived as agreed. He physically inspected the site, advised what sort of systems would be best for my location and power usage, indicated where the hardware would be located and the steps required thereafter. Three days later the quote arrived. I selected the system and we agreed the installation date. The following day Adrian rang to advise there was no current stock of the Inverter I had selected and probably would not be until towards the end of March. He then advised that an 8KW inverter was available but at an extra cost of $100 to which I agreed. Installation went smoothly and professionally,with the job completed on the day. When time came to "flick the switch", the system failed to respond. Two days later Adrian returned and replaced the inverter and it has been working smoothly ever since. When the independent inspector came to review the installation, he made specific comment on the quality of workmanship that he has seen at every site installed by Urban Renewables. It was indeed a pleasure to deal with Adrian from start to finish of the process and as a licenced electrician and to get informed comment on the requirements of the switchboard. I would highly recommend Urban Renewables services.
Show additional information
Adrian was very thorough in his quote, even getting up on the roof to check measurements. The quote also included the option of using micro inverters if required.
They were the only installer who insisted on placing the inverter in a shaded position on the east facing wall, even though it meant longer cable runs (others said it would be OK on the north facing wall!). Adrian and Jol did the installation, which was completed quickly and quietly with no mess left behind. Show additional information
They were the only installer who insisted on placing the inverter in a shaded position on the east facing wall, even though it meant longer cable runs (others said it would be OK on the north facing wall!). Adrian and Jol did the installation, which was completed quickly and quietly with no mess left behind. Show additional information
Adrian at Urban Renewables was really good to deal with. Inspected the site, gave great advice, always willing to provide information when requested and quality installation. I would highly recommend Urban Renewables
Show additional information
This was not the cheapest quote I received but I am so glad that I went with Urban Renewables as it has been a stellar process. The connection was not straightforward (difficulty in getting a line from the power box to the units because of the architecture of the house) but all was resolved with little fuss. Energy production has been brilliant. All steps in getting linked to enable feed back into the grid were explained with projected time frames, and all fell into place with no fuss. I cannot be more emphatic in saying what an excellent job Urban Renewables did in installing this system.
Show additional information
The three quotes offered similar / same top tier equipment at very similar prices.
My initial proposed install (3 micro-inverter equipped arrays on different roof tops) would have been costly and, in hindsight, a bit too big. Urban Renewables proposed a smaller, simpler to install, two array micro-inverter system with a view for future expansion (battery) as required. In light of the metering (production and consumption) that I can now view through the Enphase Enlighten system, I think that even a 2Kw system would have sufficed (not much profit to be had with $0.07 feed in tariffs).
The installation date moved around a bit due to weather, but it happened all in one day and Adrian & Jolian did a neat job and re-arranged the existing meter box layout to fit it all in.
The paper work is working it's way through the retailer and supplier and all appears to be progressing as expected. Show additional information
My initial proposed install (3 micro-inverter equipped arrays on different roof tops) would have been costly and, in hindsight, a bit too big. Urban Renewables proposed a smaller, simpler to install, two array micro-inverter system with a view for future expansion (battery) as required. In light of the metering (production and consumption) that I can now view through the Enphase Enlighten system, I think that even a 2Kw system would have sufficed (not much profit to be had with $0.07 feed in tariffs).
The installation date moved around a bit due to weather, but it happened all in one day and Adrian & Jolian did a neat job and re-arranged the existing meter box layout to fit it all in.
The paper work is working it's way through the retailer and supplier and all appears to be progressing as expected. Show additional information
Extremely happy with our installation by Urban Renewables. We chose 285W LG Mono X2 panels and a Fronius Primo 5kW inverter, very happy with the quality of the equipment and the price. Urban Renewables were the only installer who actually went up on the roof to have a look when they quoted, the only ones who demonstrated the online monitoring which the Fronius inverter can provide, and the only ones who recommended installation of the additional Fronius smart meter. Very neat and careful installation, completed in a day and cleaned up thoroughly after themselves. They also completed and submitted all the paperwork on our behalf, and updated the inverter to the latest firmware. Great to deal with, no pushy salesmen just down-to-earth guys who are the ones actually doing the installation. I couldn't recommend them highly enough.
Show additional information
Urban Renewables is a small company, but deliver a VERY HIGH quality system, honest, reliable, and are to be trusted. Adrian (the Director) quotes and delivers the installation.
Personal service, there are no catches or 'gotchas'. What you are quoted is what you get.
Adrian and his installer came on the day he booked with me, worked quietly (no loud jangling music or swearing), and cleaned up afterwards.
No mess, no fuss.
We've had the system in for nearly 3 months, and even on cloudy days its converting sunshine into electricity. Amazing! Our electricity bills are really down.
We wholeheartedly endorse their products and services. We've had no trouble and do not foresee any either.
Urban Renewables is a great company, they choose the best quality solar equipment and install it neatly and strongly on the roof. Don't be fooled by other companies. Show additional information
Personal service, there are no catches or 'gotchas'. What you are quoted is what you get.
Adrian and his installer came on the day he booked with me, worked quietly (no loud jangling music or swearing), and cleaned up afterwards.
No mess, no fuss.
We've had the system in for nearly 3 months, and even on cloudy days its converting sunshine into electricity. Amazing! Our electricity bills are really down.
We wholeheartedly endorse their products and services. We've had no trouble and do not foresee any either.
Urban Renewables is a great company, they choose the best quality solar equipment and install it neatly and strongly on the roof. Don't be fooled by other companies. Show additional information
Adrian, from Urban Renewables, was the only person I had visit to assess the site and offer a quote who actually got up on the roof and measure the space and assessed the roof space for suitable mounting points and cabling options. The other "consultants" relied on the Nearmaps application. Urban Renewables also provided good quotes for both string inverter and micro-inverter options (I have significant shade problems in the morning and a little in the evening) that included all the relevant data sheets for the quoted products and Urban Renewables terms and conditions. Compares to the other (bigger) companies who sent out representatives, I was much more comfortable with exactly what I would get from Urban Renewables than these other companies. And their pricing was competitive.
Show additional information
Helpful access to a good and competent supplier. The supplier was prompt to inspect and give a quote and accepted our changes along the way. He quickly installed the solar system with the latest technology for monitoring performance via my computer. We would never have found him without help from Solar Quotes.
Show additional information
Adrian and Joel provided an excellent service and were quick to respond to all our questions. There high quality product was good value because there were no consultant fees. I would strongly recommend this company for home solar power installation.
Show additional information
Brilliant service and quality of install. Only company to quote and measure on top of roof. Most said we'd only get 9 panels on North & West aspects, Adrian got total of 19 on North & West aspects. United Energy inspector said out of the 400+ installers he inspects for in Melbourne these guys are always perfect and never have any faults. Very happy.
Show additional information
