Australian consumer group Choice has issued a warning to people rushing into buying a solar power system to be wary of fly-by-night operators.
With solar rebates and incentives being slashed or wiped out altogether, the race is on to have systems installed before changes to programs come into effect. According to Choice, this is resulting in corners being cut by inexperienced operators new to the market.
Choice quotes data from the Clean Energy Council that found 58% of audited systems were rated as high quality in 2009, with 12% being classified as needing attention or were substandard. However, last year, just 7% of systems were high quality installations, and 29% required attention or were substandard.
The most common issues were incorrect wiring and circuit breakers, missing labels and water ingress. Meter installation problems were also common, although these are not performed by solar installers. The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) say they have even had reports of solar panels falling off rooftops.
Australian Solar Energy Society (AuSES) CEO John Grimes warned about cheap systems, saying installers are often paid a very small amount in those cases, meaning more installations need to be performed in a shorter space of time to make up for the financial shortfall.
Cheap systems may also consist of lower quality components and “In most cases an investment of an extra $1000 will secure top quality components that will last 20 years or more,” said Mr. Grimes.
The NSW Government announced on the weekend it will conduct safety audits of solar power systems installed under the state’s Solar Bonus Scheme. National solar power solutions provider Energy Matters‘ CEO Jeremy Rich welcomed the announcement, stating that there were still cowboys in the industry focused on quick profits rather than quality and safety.
Energy Matters offers a consumer guide to solar power to help solar buyers navigate some of the potential pitfalls in their purchase decision.
