Who Are You Guys Again?

Solar has been booming in the Australian residential sector for the last 20 years, and in recent times, it has gone into overdrive… There are now so many companies, more than ever, to choose from. The local installer, the national company, the door knockers, the phone calls Oh God the phone calls! It makes it hard to know who to go with, especially hearing all the horror stories on the news and reading about them in the papers.

The issue comes down to two different types of incompetence Firstly, and most commonly, solar companies go bust or choose to shut up shop constantly… Either they've made their cash and bounced, or had so many warranty claims, and not enough new business, they end up bankrupt Either way, it leaves their customers hoping nothing goes wrong with their system, because no one is there to support them. We call people like this “solar orphans”, and unfortunately about 1 in 3 Aussies with solar are in this situation right now. The other, and more sinister, operating method is when a company gets too many warranty claims, or too much negative attention and they phoenix themselves (shutting down one company, taking all the cash and opening up another to do the same thing) The end result is the same, but in a much more sleazy way.

Due to all the issues that have come about from fly-by-nighters and cash grabbers, we have two industry bodies: the CEC (Clean Energy Council) and the CER (Clean Energy Regulator). The main organisation we need to worry about is the CEC, as they set the standards installers must adhere to, as well as a set of standards sales organisations must stick to when selling to consumers They issue licenses to installers and larger sales organisations, plus set the list of products that are entitled to receive the government incentives upon installation

The best way to avoid getting into a situation like this is to do some research and go with someone that’s upfront and honest with you BS might get someone in the door, but you’ll inevitably catch a whiff as you start applying and referencing the knowledge you learn in this guide

I am open to helping you get started with solar - if you think it’s something that will work for your family and your home I only ever take on a small number of clients as my prioritise are focused on quality and helping my current customers adapt for the future, so I limit my numbers to ensure you get the best service. If I can’t help you right away, I would be more than happy to recommend some stellar alternative options for you

It's On My Roof... Now What?

There is often confusion about what exactly to expect after the installation is complete, and you ' re left alone for the first time with your new solar system Remember the feeling of taking your first child home... Well this is nothing like that - but you ' re welcome to think of it as your new electricity bill-destroying baby!

So, let’s chat about how it all goes after the installers leave The day the solar is installed and turned on, you'll start saving immediately. One caveat to this is that sometimes we need to wait for AusGrid or the network provider to change your meters before the solar can be switched on - once this occurs, saving commences!

I outline usage habits in detail in the next pages, but essentially whatever appliances you run during the day are powered by your new system and the cost will come off your bill If you have a $500 quarterly bill right now, after you get solar it’s reasonable to expect it to come down to $200 with okay usage habits The better you use the system, the more it’ll save you. I’ve designed systems that have brought $500 quarterly bills into the doubledigit range It's possible - and you might be surprised at how easy it is

In a perfect world, once your solar is on the roof, you won’t need to think or worry about it again But just in case something happens, your solar company will be there to get you back on track The more the years go on, the more reliable and consistent solar products get, so these days you should expect a headachefree solar experience for 30 plus years

From here, the next thing that will happen is electric vehicles that can be charged from your solar, and be used as a battery for your home overnight. Alternatively, a lot of people are already looking into dedicated batteries to cover the night-time period completely It is important to factor this future planning into the system you have installed today

I have put together a document dedicated to helping you optimise your energy usage with solar, and another to help you problemsolve on your own before calling someone for help If you would like either sent to you please email me so I can get them to you

Did You Know...

Any new systems installed today will come with a monitoring system that connects your inverter to your phone. Pretty cool right? You'll have live production data, as well as a historic log, so you can keep up with exactly how well your system is performing.