Choose the installer before you choose the sales pitch.

Start with evidence that survives the sale.

A solar quote can look polished while leaving important questions unanswered. Before comparing a few hundred dollars of price difference, establish who is responsible for the design, installation, inspection, warranty administration and support.

None of the six checks below proves quality on its own. Together, they make it harder to choose a company based only on price, branding or one impressive product specification.

A business that is likely to be around later.

Why it's important

Solar is a long-lived asset. Product, installation and support questions can arise years after the original sale, so the retailer's operating history and current legal identity matter.

What to check

• Look up the current legal entity and ABN rather than relying only on a trading name.
• Ask how long the same entity has been supplying residential solar in Australia.
• Check who handles warranty claims if the original salesperson or installer is no longer involved.

A clear written workmanship commitment.

Why it's important

Manufacturer warranties usually cover products, not every problem caused by installation work. The retailer or installer should explain in writing what workmanship issues it covers and for how long.

What to check

• Read the current written workmanship warranty before paying a deposit.
• Check exclusions, claim steps and who pays for labour or attendance where relevant.
• Make sure the company named on the warranty matches the entity on the quote.

A design that can be explained, not merely sold.

Why it's important

A credible proposal should connect your electricity use, roof, phase arrangement, inverter limits, export rules, battery goals and backup expectations. More equipment is not automatically a better design.

What to check

• Ask why the proposed solar, inverter and battery capacities suit the household.
• For batteries, ask for both usable kWh and charge or discharge kW.
• For three-phase homes and backup, ask what happens on each phase during normal operation and an outage.

A support path you can actually use.

Why it's important

Local knowledge can help with Victorian network and inspection processes, but the important test is accountability. You should know which business holds the contract, who manages installation and how post-installation problems are escalated.

What to check

• Confirm the contracting entity, service contact details and installation responsibility.
• Ask who coordinates connection approval, inspection, defects and commissioning.
• Check whether support is handled locally, nationally or by a distributor, and what that means in practice.

Reviews read as evidence, not a single score.

Why it's important

A star rating can be useful context, but the recurring themes are more informative. Look for patterns in communication, installation quality, defect handling and support after the invoice is paid.

What to check

• Read recent and older reviews rather than only the first few displayed.
• Look for how the company responds when something goes wrong.
• Use more than one review source and distinguish verified transactions where the platform explains them.

A documented process after installation.

Why it's important

Monitoring, firmware, inverter faults, battery issues and warranty administration happen after commissioning. A strong quote should make the support pathway visible before you buy.

What to check

• Ask who owns the monitoring account and whether you receive administrator or owner access.
• Find the complaints and warranty process before signing.
• Ask what happens if a manufacturer requires diagnosis, replacement parts or an installer visit.

Subcontractors are not automatically a red flag.

Many credible solar retailers use subcontracted installation teams. The useful questions are whether the team is appropriately licensed, whether the retailer has a stable working relationship with them, how quality is checked and who accepts responsibility if a defect is identified.

Exclusivity or long-term subcontracting is not a guarantee of workmanship. The retailer's contractual and consumer-law responsibilities still matter. Solar Victoria publishes retailer terms and conditions for participants in its programs.

Solar Victoria retailer terms and conditions ↗

A pre-sale property visit is not always necessary.

Many credible retailers quote remotely using satellite imagery, photographs, electricity information and details supplied by the homeowner. That can be efficient when the roof and electrical situation are straightforward.

A physical visit becomes more valuable when roof condition, shading, access, switchboard condition, cable routes or equipment locations cannot be established confidently from remote information.

Remote quoting does not remove the need for a site-specific final design. The installation team still needs a design that reflects the actual property and current electrical requirements.

Solar Victoria: what to look for in a solar quote ↗ · Solar Victoria installation guidance ↗

Do not use company size as a shortcut for quality.

A very small business can provide excellent personal service. A larger company can offer deeper technical expertise and service capacity. Either can also perform poorly. Compare the actual people, systems and written commitments behind the quote.

Useful signals include how quickly technical questions reach someone competent, whether service processes are documented, whether the company carries enough operational capacity to support its installed base and whether you can identify who remains responsible after commissioning.

A simple three-quote method.

1. Ask each company for exact panel, inverter and battery model numbers.
2. Write down the six installer checks on this page and gather evidence for each one.
3. Compare system architecture, electrical scope, backup design and assumptions before price.
4. Read the current written warranties rather than accepting a verbal summary.
5. Use the same questions with every provider so the comparison is fair.

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