Choosing the right solar installer, and not a cowboy installer

The beauty of solar is that it can reduce future electricity bills without you having to compromise on comfort. However, with so many low-quality and under performing products on the market, along with ‘Cowboy’ installers who aren’t qualified to install solar, making the wrong decision could become a costly one.

What is a Cowboy Solar Installer

You might have heard of this ‘Cowboy Solar Installer’ term in your research before today but if not, in summary they are installers than operate on the fringes of the solar industry.

With solar electricity is becoming increasingly popular it has attracted an influx of dodgy operators. They sell unreliable systems using high-pressure sale methods, provide a terrible service, use unreliable products and leave most customers upset and bewildered. In fact, since 2012, upwards of 700 solar companies have gone bust or are no longer trading, leaving well over 700,000 customers without support or warranties.

Here at SolarEze, we’ve been operating for over 15 years in the solar industry, priding ourselves on our reliability and post-install customer support. That’s why we’ve created a quick guide below to help homeowners and families who are new to solar choose the right solar installer for their home.

Find the solar installer’s online profiles

When finding solar installers online, you might not be aware this but a lot of times these ‘Solar Cowboys’ list fake reviews and accreditations on their websites.

What we suggest is doing a deeper investigation on the companies you’re looking to hire. Googling their company name will often bring up their Google Profile which will list public feedback and reviews. You can even see if they have a Facebook page that lists reviews.

That said, the most credible place to find real customer reviews for any solar installer would be to find their profile on SolarQuotes.com.au. For an example, you can read over 300+ real customers of SolarEze on SolarQuotes.com.au, here. SolarQuotes.com.au is the leading resource site for Australian solar installation information and follow up with customers to confirm that their job was completed correctly and that the installer went above and beyond.

Be wary of CEC solar installer claims

Much like solar installers faking their website reviews, many will claim they are either CEC Accredited Solar Installers or Retailers.

However, you can do a quick search to confirm their accreditation by visiting the CEC website and searching for the company name under the Retailer search, or search for the installer’s name under the Installer search. To give you an idea on how this will look, if you search for Robert Scott, you will find our company owner and lead installer’s CEC details, here.

If you’re not sure who will be installing your solar power system, ask the solar consultant that sat down with you. If they can’t give you a name, or the name isn’t associated with the company, that should be seen as a red flag.

Phoenixing solar companies

Something else to look out for are solar companies that ‘Phoenix’. This is a common term to describe a solar company that will simply close their doors and reopen under a different name and ABN. By doing so, they’re able to avoid warranty claims, reviews about low-quality work, and debts for upcoming jobs. This effectively means that they steal from hard-working Aussies.

To protect yourself from a Phoenix solar installer, simply conduct an ABN lookup on the company and that should help give you an idea of how long they have been in business for. The longer they have been operating, the more trust you can have.

Another way to check is to Google, the ‘Company Name + Phoenix’ and see what results appear.

Ask for a professional solar assessment

Here at SolarEze, we make it a point to understand your vision for solar and learn how you use electricity in your home so that the system we install works for you on every level.

What you will come to learn about a ‘Solar Cowboy’ is that their business model is to get the most profit with the quickest sale. You will find that they will tempt you with things like incentive programs and financing options while sending you a generic, cheap quotes without looking at your roof or your power bills – both are a must. They will also use high pressure selling to get as many customers then extend the install date beyond what is normally reasonable. It’s not a stretch to say that solar companies that do this, often are looking to Phoenix and leave their new customers high and dry.

Before accepting any solar quote you’re given, we highly recommend asking for a professional solar assessment. This assessment is necessary to provide you with the best long-term solution for your solar needs. It involves a solar meeting you at your home, running through your power needs, your energy bill and reviewing your roof to make sure it’s viable for solar power.

Why choose SolarEze?

If you’re interested in solar panels for your home, SolarEze is a long standing and highly recommended solar installation company in South East Queensland. We pride ourselves on our customer service and only use best performing products on the market.

Be sure to contact us on 0410 658 790, or if you prefer email, you can submit an online enquiry on our contact page.