It appears the claims being made by questionable solar providers are becoming more extreme, and border on the fanciful day by day e.g., we now have claims solar companies have created Artificial Intelligence that with the input of an estimated power bill (price), no location details, no roof orientation, pitch angle, system degradation factors, and correct usage patterns are purported to be able to calculate the precise savings going solar and will make system recommendations. These claims need to be called out and only dupe consumers into buying cheap and inferior solar which invariably fails within 3 to 5 years and from the get-go delivers well below forecast savings.
Reliable solar companies provide factual advice, however, with a significant number of (less than average) solar companies offering inferior equipment, cut-price installations and exaggerated performance and savings forecasts, the consumer confidence in solar is waning.
At bidmysolar™, we are seeing an increasing number of almost free solar offerings from companies with little to no substance financially. Pushing what is arguably rubbish solar dressed up as the best deal in the market. These offerings are misleading, blatantly false, and fraudulent.
By way of example, we regularly see (not limited to Victoria and the ACT) overexaggerated performance estimations from solar companies, some as high as 30% above correct performance models and as a result the savings forecast predict ZERO power bills (several companies even suggesting cashflow positive power bills). Any credible solar company would not provide exaggerated claims to win business and the regulator needs to crack down hard on the practice of erroneous claims of savings and system performance.
Often it is the most vulnerable in our community which are lured to cheap solar, only to be disappointed later when the power bill arrives and then a few short years later the system fails.
Quality solar equipment coupled with a professional, compliant installation and independent post-installation review ensures reliable and sustainable savings outcomes.
It is time all reliable solar companies came together and call out the bad practices in the industry. Poor quality solar is not limited to the cheap end of the market and large sales companies need to be called to account as well for the price gouging that’s widespread in the market.
Informed consumers make better financial decisions. The Australian solar industry has several very professional businesses, but it is increasingly difficult to find these because of all the marketing hype.
If this level of non-disclosure was taking place for example in banking or financial planning, it would be regarded as criminal. Australians are investing significant amounts for solar and when it fails, they are burdened with paying out a loan for which little recourse is open to them.
Only through consumer education and quality solar companies coming together will resolve the problem. An open transparent market will undoubtedly deliver better consumer outcomes and thus consumer confidence in solar deliverables.
