Hidden Costs of Cheap Solar Installations

What you need to know about Solar Installers before you make a decision based on price alone.

If you are considering making an investment in a solar, it is important to ensure a quality solar installer is used as the system is designed to last more than 30 years. Here are a few tips to be aware of.

Unfortunately, there are a number of installers out there who just want to make a quick buck and many people lack the expertise to differentiate system quality. Firstly, always get more than one quote for your solar system. This is because some installers may quote as much as double if the process is not competitive. Ask  for quality components and compare quotes based on product quality as well as price. Good quality generally costs more. 
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Before you commit, check the terms and conditions. Some solar installers claim to offer a very low price with top quality components. However, often the fine print states that if the advertised product becomes “unavailable” it can be substituted with an “equivalent” product, which is often an unknown brand.
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Last but not least, check the warranties.  Many people end up going with a cheap solar installer because they have been reassured by their “25 year performance warranty”. In reality, this warranty can be worthless. A solar system usually comes with 4 separate warranties broken up in the following:

1. Solar Panel Performance Warranty: Ensure the panel still produces 80% of power after 25 years (typical industry standard).
2. Solar Panel Product Warranty: Manufacturer’s warranty for defects to either replace, repair or provide a refund for panels which fail within the product warranty period. Product warranty is a key factor in determining the quality of solar panels. The warranty period is generally 10 years.
3. Solar Inverter Product Warranty: The purpose of the inverter is to convert the DC energy output from the solar panels to usable AC power at home. The inverter is the part of the system that is most likely to experience a fault which can result in a complete system shut down. Many of the lesser known 'value' brands will only repair a faulty unit if it is shipped back to them at the owners cost.  This can take several weeks and sometimes months. On the other hand, reputable manufacturers often ship replacement units in 3-5 business days.
4. Installation Warranty: It is important to understand what is covered under the installation warranty as it can vary between installers. Will you have to pay for a service call if one of the components fail? Does the installer take care of the entire system if there is any problem? The length of the installation warranty tells us a lot about the installers confidence in the quality of their installation. Finally, if the solar company uses contractors instead of their own electricians, you may find the response times to a warranty claim may take a lot longer.

​Spending additional time to examine the product specifications, warranties and the terms and conditions you have been offered will give you a good insight into how different companies operate. This may help you decide whom to place your order with. So there is more to consider than just the price tag.​

​​For further reading try Your Solar Panel Warranty : What you need to know and How long will your solar panels last, and how well will they perform?   Strata Energy News has previously covered solar installations for strata buildings with Blackwattle Mews Solar Case Study, Capitalising on Solar Access Rights and Solar Energy Gone Wrong in Strata.

Jacky Zhong
Contributor, Strata Energy News