Solar quotes for our house

[Mrcoolabah1au]

We got our of an ad on Facebook the they came from Melbourne called them self HELLO SOLAR getting credit back anyway that all i wanted

[Eddy]

George - we installed ours in 2017 - got a lot of info off the Whirlpool site. Our setup is 23x285w LG panels with a Fronius Inverter for $6K - by my calculations it should pay for itself in just under four years. Most of our quotes were all around the same mark
Eddy

[Newcastle George]

I am currently going through the Terms and Conditions of the Contract from Arise Solar with a fine tooth comb and have even checked the current value of the STCs which they are giving us credit for just to make sure that I will not owe Arise if they had underquoted.

George

[T1 Terry]

Look for the brand panels used and Google it to see if there are any reported problems with them. Get a guarantee that this will be the brand panels they will install on your roof and a guarantee they will replace, free of charge, any solar panels found to be faulty within the guarantee/warranty period they say the panels have.
The words guarantee and warranty have different meanings, a guarantee means a person will do a prescribed service, a warranty is to do with goods and not services. A guarantee on solar panels means diddly squat, you can force a solar panel to do anything in a court of law, the seller warranties the solar panel to function to certain level for x number of yrs. The service provider guarantees he will perform the work required at no cost for that period of time.
Wording is everything and that is how these mobs have gotten away with it for so long, people simply do not understand the difference.
Also, be aware, the company can bring in as many highly paid professionals to support their case in a small claims court, if you loose you must pay the costs of these professionals. They are not allowed to bring a legal team into the court to speak for them, but they can have them sitting at their table handing out advice to the person representing the company. They can not ask for payment for these people if they are declared as legal professionals, but if they are declared as professionals within that area of expertise, then they can claim.

Been there, done that, cost quite a bit, but would have cost even more if we had lost.

T1 Terry

[Newcastle George]

At the moment I am extremely angry. On May 30 I contacted Energy Australia to have a smart meter installed to replace the analog and received an email stating that it would be done within 15 working days. I then was advised that it would be installed on June 25 and at 3:30 I phoned to ask why the installer had not arrived I was told that the installation had been cancelled because someone had phoned Julie's mobile but because she did not answer the installation was cancelled. (They did not leave a message).

Another appointment was arranged for today, 2nd June 8am, but at 8:40 I received a call from the technician to advise that he was under the weather and had just realised that he should have been here at 8am but would be here in 10 minutes. He arrived at 9am only to tell me that as there was not an isolation switch in the meter box he would not install the meter. On inspection it was noted that there is an isolation switch on the gal pole at the front of our premises but it is above his pay grade to access it so just gave me a card stating that "We were unable to safely interrupt your power supply because there is no isolation point on the switchboard of the meter box". He then left.

I contacted Energy Australia again only to be told that it could take a month before a technician with the correct pay grade could be organised to do the job. I then requested that I be transferred to a higher authority but was told that hopefully someone would contact me by 12:00.

In the interim I have twice delayed the installation of the solar panels as well as cancelled appointments with my clients.

Now do you understand why I have the sh**s?

George

[T1 Terry]

So you don't even have the solar installed yet? Best brace yourself, you are only nibbling at the tip of the ice berg, wait till you get stuffed around by the installer, then the next pay grade up that connects it to the meterbox, then the next one that inspects it all before turning it on .... only to find it's not working. The next door neighbour had solar installed while we were away over Easter, the whole lot is on there and wired up etc .... it still isn't working and although people have been out to look at it there is no sign that it will actually be working anytime soon. Why? The electricity authority has to write into their distribution network the input from the solar generation, but first they need a reading of just how much and during what period it will be generated. This is winter where the sun is low on the horizon and lately we have lots of rain clouds heading off to rain some where else, so no stable readings can be taken, so no authority to actually turn it on ..... No one mentions these issues when they are selling you a system.

T1 Terry

[BernieQ2]

No hassle here when I had mine put on . Half a day to do the job and was on and working .
The energy mob turned up a few weeks later to install their digital thingy and bobs your uncle .
The meter was running backwards till the energy bloke turned up . Told him to leave it ...mongrel wouldn't ...
Same for the 4 others that have put solar on since mine .
Bernie .

[Newcastle George]

I am now told by Energy Australia that i have to locate and pay for a Level 2 electrician to install an Isolation Point (service fuse) in the meter box following which i will need to make another request for installation of a smart meter.

George

[BruceS]

After all the fully qualified electricians fighting for total monopoly and job protectionism you'd think they would jump into gear? Yeah right ..............
Maybe invite OldTrack & his son down for a visit to sunny Newcastle?

[Shirley]

Is it worth the installation cost of solar when you are senior citizens, would you ever recoup the outlay ?