FAQ
Important questions to ask your solar company … and why you need to ask them!
You’ve done enough research to know that ‘going solar’ makes good business sense. Yet finding the time to properly research solar companies can be a struggle, especially if you’re not sure where to start.
That’s why we’ve come up with this comprehensive series of questions to your prospective solar partner, and more importantly, we’ve explained why each question is relevant. We’ve also included Solargain’s responses, because we believe we’re a benchmark for what you should be looking for in a reputable solar company.
Questions to ask about the solar company.
Question:
How long have you been in the solar industry?
Relevance:
The solar industry is still maturing, so their response to this question indicates their experience, business strength and knowledge.
Answer:
Solargain has been in the solar PV industry since 2008 and in solar hot water since 2002.
Question:
How many staff and offices do you have?
Relevance:
This will give you an idea of the scale of the business and how much of their work is done in-house versus how much is outsourced to external contractors.
Answer:
Solargain has over 100 employees with branches and/or distributors in most states.
Question:
What is your market position? Are you in the Top 10?
Relevance:
Market position can indicate the size of the business, although size does not always equal quality. Ask for evidence supporting their claims.
Answer:
Solargain has consistently ranked in the Top 5 solar retailers in the country over the past five years. Solargain Commercial also ranks in the Top 3 solar providers in the 10-100kW range. Source: Sunwiz Consulting
Question:
Have you ever been the subject of a prosecution for any misconduct by the ACCC?
Relevance:
Several notable solar companies have been fined for unscrupulous marketing and fraudulent activities. It is worth asking this question to ensure the solar retailer engages in good, honest corporate practices.
Answer:
Solargain has never been the subject of any ACCC prosecutions.
Question:
Are you ISO certified? If so, can you provide a copy of your certificates and/or safety documentation?
Relevance:
Certifications in quality and safety are a sign of a professional organisation. Working with electricity and at heights can be dangerous and your solar company should have good safety practices in place.
Answer:
Solargain was among the first solar energy companies to obtain an ISO AS/NZS 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems accreditation. In 2012, Solargain also obtained its AS/ANZ 4801:2001 Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems accreditation.
These ISO accreditations are recognised across a number of industries (not just the solar industry).
Our ISO certifications cover all facets of our business, from installation through to sales and service. We believe external certification backs up everything we say about the quality of our company and provides added confidence for customers seeking a committed, compliant and secure solar energy installer.
Solargain has Installed systems for a number of councils and companies (including mining companies) that require high attention to safety practices.
Question:
Are you a preferred supplier for any third parties? If so, please name the organisations?
Relevance:
Relevance: This indicates what other organisations think of this company. If the solar company has very few relationships, ask why? Are their partners small and less significant players in the market or larger, well respected organisations that demand quality and excellence?
Answer:
Solargain is a preferred supplier for:
- ABN Group brands such as Webb & Brown-Neaves and Celebration Homes
- Momentum Energy
- AUSVEG
- The Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA)
- The Western Australian Department of Housing
- Australian Hotels Association (VIC)
Questions to ask about their experience.
Question:
How many solar power systems has your company sold/installed in the past?
Relevance:
This points to their size and experience, however again, size is not always a measure of quality so both must be considered.
Answer:
Solargain is proud to have grown our commercial division to a market-leading position nationally. We have installed and commissioned approximately 9MW of commercial solar (10kW to 100kW) since January 2013, one of the highest volumes for any solar company in the country.
Question:
How long have you personally been in the solar industry?
Relevance:
Again, is the person you are dealing with a transient, short-term industry participant or a long term, knowledgeable, qualified product expert?
Answer:
Solargain has been in the solar PV industry since 2008. Our Commercial division has over 10 staff dedicated solely to delivering large scale commercial solar projects who have been in the industry for a number of years.
Our Commercial sales consultants are backed up by professional technical support, with a number of Solargain Commercial staff with not only industry experience but formal qualifications in renewable energy and/or electrical certifications.
We also engage a number of consulting engineers with long-term solar experience for large scale projects at Solargain.
Question:
Can you explain the various network, engineering and electrical certifications/approvals you provide with my system?
Relevance:
Compliance requirements vary from state to state. Make sure your quote includes everything necessary for your system to be fully connected and functioning. This will help you compare prices and help gauge the customer service experience with the solar retailer.
Answer:
Solargain has an in-depth understanding of the unique regulatory environments in every state we operate in. If your chosen installer does not have significant experience and presence in your own state, they may fail to secure the relevant approvals in time and delay your installation. This means it will take longer than they promised for your system to start delivering energy savings. We deliver complete and accurate applications to distributors and network operators as quickly and efficiently as possible, ensuring timely processing and approval.
Question:
Can you provide examples of systems sold to other clients in a similar industry, and contact details of references that would be happy to speak with me?
Relevance:
As the commercial market is maturing, an experienced solar retailer should be able to provide several examples of like systems they have sold and installed for organisations similar to yours. A confident solar retailer should offer you a wide choice of customers for to you contact as references.
Answer:
We'd be happy to provide you with several names as part of our proposal, and we always aim to use examples from an industry or business similar to your own.
Or, for more information, you can simply visit our Business Case Studies page for details of the various industries and customers we're proud to have installed PV systems for.
Question:
Can you provide the contact details of references that are happy to speak with me?
Relevance:
A confident solar retailer should offer you a wide choice of customers for to you contact as references.
Answer:
Solargain will provide you with several names as part of our proposal, generally from an industry or business similar to your own, or as many names as you would like to contact! Our past customers are our greatest advocates
Question:
What kind of support is available via your local office nearest to me?
Relevance:
Understanding what resources the company has in your locality is important because many solar companies claim to be able to provide national support. Often, this is merely over the phone, not the 'boots on the ground' local support you had hoped for.
Answer:
Solargain has branches and distributorships across the country and we have a team dedicated solely to providing solar PV solutions for businesses.
Questions to ask about customer service.
Question:
Do you have a formal system to manage and track pre-installation and after-sale requirements?
Relevance:
It is important that your retailer can properly track and manage your installation process from start to finish. A good system will ensure every stage of the process is managed in a professional and timely manner.
Answer:
Solargain has developed our own in-house Customer Relationship Management system, which we use to track all aspects of customer engagement, from initial enquiry to installation and after-sale service.
Question:
Do you have dedicated service teams?
Relevance:
Product warranties on solar products are a long-term commitment for retailers (usually a minimum of 5 years). How does the retailer deal with any after-sales issues? It’s not a good sign if referees or online forums suggest they ‘don’t want to know you’ after the system has been installed.
Answer:
Solargain is one of the few solar energy companies with in-house electricians on hand to provide after-sales service, advice and care. With many former solar energy companies now out of business, we are also well equipped to repair and maintain panels and inverters not originally sold by Solargain.
Question:
Are you a service agent for any of the brands you sell? If so, who are you a service agent for?
Relevance:
One way of determining commitment to after-sales service is to see if the solar company is a service agent for any third party’s panel and inverter products. This means they have invested in setting up the right structure to support after-sales service and maintenance.
Answer:
Solargain has established direct warranty relationships with a number of inverter and panel manufacturers. We are also a preferred service agent for a number of these suppliers due to our experience and expertise.
Our service technicians and team are comprehensively trained in fault-finding, internal inverter repairs and solar power design. In addition to our onsite capability, our branches are also equipped to conduct a number of internal inverter repairs in-house and we also maintain a stock of repaired and/or replacement items.
Question:
Do you contract out all your installations or do you have a mix of internal and external teams?
Relevance:
This is an indication of the commitment to after-sales service. Do they take on these matters as an internal responsibility or merely contract the work out?
Answer:
Solargain has a mix of both internal (employed) and external (contractor) installation teams, the vast majority of which have been with Solargain for a number of years. Irrespective of whether Solargain contracts out the installation, all system design, approvals, engineering and project management are the responsibility of the Solargain project team. We also supply our installation teams with key components like switches, connectors, and isolators to ensure the right quality for these smaller value but important components.
All our installation team members (whether internal or external) will be:
- Clean Energy Council accredited;
- Licensed electricians & electrical contractors (with working at heights competencies);
- Inducted into both our accredited Quality Management & Health & Safety management systems;
- Overseen by a senior, experienced Installation Manager;
- Subject to spot checks by our National Manager of Health, Safety & Quality;
- Given a work pack which includes all of the customer details, site notes, system design drawings, panel layouts, safe work method statement (SWMS), and project timeline.
Question:
Who do I contact for after-sales service once the system is installed? Are you based in the same state as me or are you only available over the phone?
Relevance:
Many customers are left high and dry after installation. Admin and after- sales service staff are often located interstate. This means if an issue arises, you may be stuck dealing with it over the phone and not via the local office that originally sold you the system.
Answer:
With branches across most states and a dedicated service and warranty team, you can rest assured Solargain will be available when you need us.
Questions to ask about the products.
Question:
Are your panels on the current Bloomberg Energy Tier 1 module list?
Relevance:
This list is a guide for quality, manufacturing diversity and production size/capacity. There are 20 brands on this list. If you are being offered a brand not considered Tier 1, ask why.
Answer:
Solargain only offers Tier 1 panels to our commercial (and residential) customers.
Question:
Where does the panel rate in terms of other peer reviewed industry publications/sites e.g. Photon Magazine & Desert Knowledge?
Relevance:
These are peer reviewed third party organisations. A panel that is on the Bloomberg list, is well reviewed in Photon Magazine, and is performing well in Australian conditions at Desert Knowledge, is bound to be a good panel.
Answer:
Solargain considers industry rankings such as these when deciding which panel brands to offer our commercial customers. Not just Year 1 performance, it is how the panel system performs over the life of the PV system, which should be in the order of 20 years.
Question:
What are the warranty periods on the products you supply?
Relevance:
These days, warranty periods are similar across most products, what is more important is how usable the warranty is in the case of a claim.
Answer:
Your inverter should come with a minimum of a five-year warranty, with quality suppliers offering extensions to 10 years free of charge or with minimal additional cost.
Solar panels or modules come with two types of warranties. The first is a performance warranty, which is a minimum guaranteed output from the panels, generally over a 25 year period. The second is a warranty on the manufacture of the module itself, which is for 10-12 years, covering items such as the glazing, framing and wiring.
Also very important is the workmanship or installation warranty – Solargain offers a five-year installation warranty.
Question:
Do the panel and inverter manufacturers have their own offices here in Australia (not imported via a distributor)?
Relevance:
This ensures you and your retailer have local backup and support. A direct relationship with the manufacturer is much better than the limited support available on products distributed through an importer.
Answer:
Solargain chooses supply chain partners that are large, international, well established manufacturers who support their products locally in Australia with their own staff and offices.
The products that we recommend are not only used for many other commercial systems, but also for large international solar projects, including both rooftop and utility scale projects.
This is important from a quality point of view and also from a financial stability point of view. The warranties provided for the core products extend over many years, which means we need renowned manufacturers who are able to stand behind their warranty obligations for the long term.
Question:
What is the size of the manufacturer in relation to the international market for your product?
Relevance:
The market for solar panel manufacturing is consolidating. We have seen many brands come and go in the last 10 years. Your product manufacturer’s size and background will indicate if you are purchasing from a manufacturer which will stand behind their warranty obligations for the duration.
Answer:
Solargain does not supply panels that are not independently assessed by peer reviewed organisations such as Bloomberg Energy Finance US and therefore appearing on their Tier 1 solar panel manufacturer list. Such accolades recognise the manufacturer’s commitment to quality manufacturing processes, independent testing and certification, longevity and stability in the market, and after-sales service.
We also assess the manufacturer’s global reputation – proved track record in markets that they have been operating in for longer than in Australia.
Question:
Are they a diversified manufacturer or is solar their entire business?
Relevance:
This is all about risk minimisation. A larger diversified company is more likely to be able to withstand the ups and down of the solar market if they also do a range of other things.
Answer:
As part of assessment process when taking on a new products, Solargain reviews the overall business of the manufacturer, considering such factors as global reputation, financial strength, product quality, and the like, to ensure we are only offering products from strong, stable manufacturers who will be around to support their products for years to come.
Question:
Are you a large or small customer for the brands you represent?
Relevance:
This will give you an insight into their relationship with the manufacturers and brands the company are offering.
Answer:
Due to Solargain’s position in the national market place, we generally represent a more significant portion of our brand’s Australian business. This is important for pricing, as greater volume translates to lower prices. We can also be confident we have the manufacturer’s after-sale support and attention in the unlikely event of any issues.
Question:
How long have you been selling these brands?
Relevance:
Does the retailer have long term relationships with the brands they stock or do they regularly chop and change, buying anything they can get their hands on at the latest cheap rate?
Answer:
Solargain prefers to maintain longer term relationships with the brands we represent. This ensures not only the most competitive pricing, but also the manufacturer’s ongoing support of any after-sale issues.