Beware the knock-off solar equipment and fly-by-night installers
The solar energy boom has given rise to a proliferation of fly-by-night contractors that have sprung up trying to cash in. Not a day goes by that we don’t hear of an unsuspecting consumer getting taken for a ride and ripped off with either a bad deal, lousy outdated technology, wholly unqualified installers and non-compliant installations, and even being sold counterfeit and stolen goods. In some of the worst cases, these fly-by-nights have disappeared with large deposits never to be seen again.
Many consumers are also finding out that the inverter they have had installed is not compliant with the NRS 097-2-1 standards, and may not be legally connected to grid – leaving them unable to complete the required SSEG registration of the system, and essentially, with an illegal grid connection. Many installations are also well above the 75% threshold of their main breaker supply, and if there is no available capacity from council to increase the supply, ditto on the illegal supply and a very high likelihood that your council will totally disconnect your illegal connection – your entire property – from the grid.
The bottom line is this – the installation and management of solar PV systems is a complex and highly technical undertaking sitting on top of your most expensive asset – your home or business, so you don’t want to get it wrong. Absolutely no one becomes a solar specialist in a few months or a year! Work with qualified professionals who specialise in solar PV with long standing track records, qualifications and experience in the market, who comply with the compliance and regulatory requirements of solar installations. Absolutely do your due diligence on your solar installer thoroughly!
Considering that the lifespan of your solar PV system is a good 20+ years, this isn’t a short-term relationship with your installer – you need to be sure that they will be around for the ongoing back-up, support, warranty management and servicing of your system and that there is a succession plan that comes with working with either a national group or franchise network.
With so many new solar products and changing technology, it’s difficult to know what the right system and tech is for your needs now, and in future. Every component in your system needs to be compatible – not every inverter is compatible with every battery, and even different makes of municipal electricity meters can prove problematic. And even the best equipment will fail and perform badly if they are not installed and programmed correctly. The consequence of a non-compliant installation is poor system performance, premature battery failures and in the worst cases, an outright safety/fire hazard. And if the worst should happen, an insurance claim will be rejected if there is any inkling of non-compliance.
The journey to grid independence is a big and important step and you need to be sure that the steps you take today are right for your needs down the line, and fully compliant. The reality is that private electricity generation via solar is going mainstream – so expect the regulatory and compliance requirements to ramp up substantially. Get it right from the outset.
One Energy has compiled an essential checklist of all the important factors that you should be assessing in your solar investment and installer. For a downloadable format of this checklist click here – complete the form and get instant access to the checklist.
