There’s a whole industry of solar installers vying for your attention. We all want to be hired by you, but how will you decide who will install your system? What factors should you consider, and what questions should you ask?
At Penrith Solar Centre, we know how to guide customers through the design and installation of solar systems. We cover aftercare for you as well. We might be a bit biased here, but we do these things precisely. Because of this, we have high expectations from our competition.
Here are some questions to ask them:
- The Importance of Choosing the Right Installer
- Is Your Installer Full-Service or a Sales/Subcontractor?
- Does Your Full-Service Installer Have Accredited Tradespeople?
- Is Your Installer Properly Insured?
- Do You Have a Full-Time Service Department to Cover Warranties?
By the end of this article, you’ll know what questions to ask your installer to find the right fit for your solar system installation.
The Importance of Choosing the Right Installer
The most important factor in pricing and outcome of solar installations has always been, and will always be, the installers installing your solar system.
An improperly installed system could break down from time to time at best and set your house on fire at worst.
When a solar system breaks down, it’s not producing energy. You’re losing out on the money you’re saving the second you return to importing energy from the grid. This extends your payback period.
Not all solar installation companies are created equal. Some, like Penrith Solar Centre, do everything in-house. Other companies divide sales from installation by hiring subcontractors. Because of the variety of solar installers out there, we’re sharing questions to ask them.
If you’d like to learn more about that, we suggest you check out the following article titled, How Long Will My Solar Install Take?
Is Your Installer Full-Service or a Sales/Subcontractor?
Most solar installation companies are a sales and subcontractor business model.
Sales and Subcontractor Business Model:
- The sales company customises your system based on your needs. You pay them for your system.
- Subcontractors are hired to handle the installation process.
The other type of company offers all services in-house.
Full-Service Companies:
- We manage everything under one roof, from initial inquiries to installation to warranty fulfilment.
- We also maintain an in-house service department – something many other companies don’t have.
Subcontractor Pricing
There’s a lack of quality control if you go with subcontractors.
- Subcontractors, or “subbies,” vary in skill and professionalism.
- While some are excellent, the bad ones can harm the reputation of the industry.
- Many subbies operate out of garages, often with just one tradesperson and a couple of labourers.
Solar sales companies will pay between $0.20 – $0.25 per watt for a subcontractor. If the subbie is particularly good, they might pay them as much as $0.30 per watt.
For a 10kW system, the installation price for a subcontractor will be somewhere between $2,000 – $3,000 of your total costs. This is included in the price you pay the sales company.
The subcontractor is responsible for the cables and equipment and the installation of the system.
However, they have no responsibility for the design of the system or the after-sales support. Solar components come with lengthy warranties. Enphase microinverters, for instance, have a warranty of 25 years.
Who will fulfil the warranties for your system?
How Subbies Save Money
Subbies need to make money too, so they’re more likely to resort to cheaper parts.
- Cheaper cables and circuit breakers.
- Silicon instead of Sikaflex on the roof.
- Incorrect or subpar tile flashing.
There’s no incentive to do the job properly if they can save a few dollars. You don’t want someone saving $30 per flashing. You’re almost guaranteed the heartache of a roof leak in the next ten years.
Overbooked Schedules:
- Subcontractors often aim to complete two installations in a single day.
- They work 10-hour days but only allocate 4–5 hours per installation, regardless of its size or complexity.
Speed Over Quality:
- The focus is on completing the job as quickly as possible.
- This “get in and get it done” approach leaves no room for careful decision-making about your roof or solar panels.
Incentivised for Speed:
- Subcontractors are paid per panel installed, encouraging them to prioritise speed over quality.
- The main goal is turning the system on and generating power as fast as possible for the customer.
Do you want someone rushing through your installation? Your home is your most valuable investment. Who do you want up there with high-voltage electricity?
If you’re interested in learning a bit more about the importance of a good installer for your solar (the most important component of any system, seriously), you might want to check out the following article titled, In-house Installers vs. Subcontractors: Which is Better?
Ready to go solar? Click here.
Does Your Full-Service Installer Have Accredited Tradespeople?
We’ve said some blunt and direct things about subcontractors working with a sales company, but what about unethical in-house installers? They exist. Here are some things to look out for.
Using One Tradesperson for Multiple Sites:
Some installation companies are still using one tradesperson between two different sites. It’s unethical to do this, and some companies still try to get away with it.
For example, you might have two installation jobs that are relatively close to each other. Let’s say within 5 kilometres of each other. There’s one licensed SAA-accredited electrician running both sites.
Because accredited electricians can sign off on two installations in a day, companies will have the accredited electrician bouncing between the two sites. They check off details and take the compliance photos that are needed for rebates.
Unsupervised Teams:
- While the electrician moves between sites, teams of apprentices and labourers are left unsupervised.
- This lack of oversight can compromise the quality and safety of the installation.
This is not the way Penrith Solar Centre operates, but unfortunately, this type of behaviour is still lingering in the industry.
At PSC, our licensed tradespeople and team leaders work closely with our apprentices to ensure every installation meets the highest standards.
We even have an in-house training facility that equips our team with the skills they need to excel.
Full-Time Licensed Electricians:
- Every crew should always have a licensed SAA-accredited electrician on-site.
- In today’s installations, this tradesman must also be battery-accredited.
This professional takes full responsibility for the quality of the installation and trains their team members, including apprentices and other tradesmen, to uphold high standards.
At PSC, this is exactly how we operate.
Proven Results:
- Penrith Solar Centre apprentices frequently receive compliments from institutions like Mount Druitt, Miller, and Ultimo TAFE.
- It’s rare for an apprentice not to top their TAFE class, thanks to their dedication and the support from the team.
- This success stems from their dedication and the support they receive. Our skilled tradespeople, full-time technical trainer Rob, installation managers, and the entire leadership team set them up for success.
At Penrith Solar Centre, we are committed to developing young, skilled, and respectable tradesmen who understand the ins and outs of every job site. This ensures our installations are completed with precision and professionalism every time.
Is your in-house installer providing this service for you? It’s best to find out by asking how many accredited electricians they plan to have on-site for your installation.
If you’re interested in reading more about our stellar apprentices and training centre, you might want to check out the following article titled, Electrical Apprentices Succeed at Penrith Solar’s Training Centre.
Is Your Installer Properly Insured?
Compliance on solar installation sites is strict.
The Importance of Insurance:
- Your home is your greatest asset, and proper insurance provides critical protection.
- Installing solar carries a small risk of roof damage, such as leaks or broken tiles, if the installer is inexperienced.
- Basic insurance is the minimum safeguard to address accidents or potential issues during installation.
Home Warranty Insurance:
At Penrith Solar Centre, we go beyond the basics with Home Warranty Insurance.
- This insurance is rarely obtained by other installers because it’s not always compulsory and is extremely hard to qualify for.
- Home Warranty Insurance provides an extra layer of security for homeowners, ensuring peace of mind.
At Penrith Solar Centre, we have it and are very vocal about it.
We’ll describe Home Warranty Insurance next, but if you’d like to spend some time reading about it rather than have it summarised, you might want to check out the following article titled, Home Warranty Insurance for Solar Installations in NSW.
Home Warranty Insurance: A Crucial Step in Solar Installation
Home Warranty Insurance is compulsory for any job that involves the structure of your home and is priced over $20,000. This includes government rebates and GST.
Here at PSC, that’s 70% of our solar jobs and 100% of our battery installations.
- Having the ability to access home warranty insurance is only the first step.
- The critical second step is taking out a home warranty insurance policy for every job worth more than $20,000. Not every solar installer does this.
Who Needs It?
For most homeowners, especially families in Western Sydney, a home warranty insurance policy is likely required.
Policy costs can range from a couple of hundred dollars to over $1,000, depending on the job’s value.
Managing home warranty insurance is a significant responsibility. It requires nearly a full-time team member to handle applications, submit them, and ensure they are properly closed.
That dedicated team member for us is Josh. If you’ve called Penrith Solar Centre, you’ve probably spoken with Josh. His cheerful and charismatic demeanour on the phone makes him memorable.
On any given day, Josh spends at least five hours managing these policies to ensure everything is done correctly.
Home warranty insurance is there to protect you, the homeowner. It’s 100% compulsory for qualifying jobs, and it’s not something to skip or overlook. Taking shortcuts here is risky and can lead to long-term issues.
At Penrith Solar Centre, we are meticulous in making sure our customers are covered, giving you peace of mind during and after your solar installation. It’s something most installers cut corners on. We don’t.
If you want to read more about Home Warranty Insurance and how it applies to battery installations, you might want to check out the following article titled, Solar Batteries, the NSW Rebate, and Home Warranty Insurance: Buyer Beware.
Power up your savings. Click here.
Do You Have a Full-Time Service Department to Cover Warranties?
The next big question you need to ask your solar installer is about their service department. This is the department that will be fulfilling your warranties should anything happen to your solar system.
It’s easy to answer this question with, “Yeah, of course, if anything goes wrong, we’ll be out there straight away.” Sadly, this doesn’t happen as often as promised.
We would challenge you to contact a potential installer and pretend like you’ve already had a system installed by them. Ask to speak to their service department. Here are a few sample questions:
- “I’ve changed my internet, and I need to reset my Wi-Fi password.”
- “I’m not quite sure that my solar system is producing as much as you said it would.”
- “My bills are still really high. How can I get them lower? I don’t know if my solar system is meeting the needs that you said it would.”
Any of these questions should trigger a transfer to the service department.
At Penrith Solar Centre, we have a full-time service department. A manager, Trevor, his assistant, Jack, and two service techs who are on the road all day going, from site to site for repairs. Either Trevor or Jack will greet you if you call, bright-eyed and eager to help resolve your issue.
Service Challenges and the Importance of a Reliable Department
Common Service Issues:
Events like software rollouts or the frequent instability of the New South Wales electrical grid can cause service challenges and problems.
You need a service department that reacts quickly and effectively. At Penrith Solar Centre, we do.
The Importance of Reviews:
We have a competitor about the same size as us, operating in a similar service area.
If you read their reviews on Google (something you should do for every solar company you’re considering), you’ll quickly notice something fishy about the way they handle warranties.
Lack of Structure:
The root issue is simple: they don’t have a real service department. While they claim to, there’s no backbone or structure for fulfilling warranties.
As a result, frustrated customers end up calling the manufacturers’ help lines instead.
Our Industry Reputation:
Tesla and Enphase regularly send these angry customers our way because of the reputation of our service department.
While we’re proud of our standing in the solar industry, it does create a new challenge for us by increasing our call volume and workload.
Such customers reaching out to us for service all say the same thing: I wish I went with you for our solar installation.
We get the job done.
If you’re interested in learning a bit more about our service department at PSC, you might want to check out the following article titled, Penrith Solar Centre’s Service Department Safeguards the Future of Your System.
Avoiding Mistakes and Wrapping Things Up
Choosing the right solar installer will affect your system for a long time. A dependable installer will make sure you have a smooth installation process but also offer after-sales support. The solar system you install today plays a critical role in your family’s energy future.
Working with an installer who has a proven track record, like Penrith Solar Centre, prevents heartache down the line. We’re partnering with you when you invest in one of our systems. We take pride in going above and beyond for our customers. It’s what we do.
If you’re interested in hearing what our customers are saying about our installers, you might want to check out the following article titled, “I’ve never had a more positive experience with tradespeople.” – How Tabitha Saved with Penrith Solar Centre
