Australians love a bargain. In a recent study of grocery buying habits in 36 countries, researchers from Nielsen found that we were the most price-sensitive grocery shoppers in the world. But it’s one thing to get a dollar off milk and bread here and there, and another to cut corners on major investments.
Consumer advocacy firm CHOICE found that over 13 waves of surveys between 2014 and 2017, electricity was consistently the most concerning cost for Australian households. It’s no wonder that Australians have installed rooftop solar faster than nearly every other country, on a per capita basis.
Price-conscious households looking to cut down on electricity costs might be driven to look for the cheapest solar installation possible, but the phrase “you get what you pay for” has stuck around for a reason. Choosing high quality components for your system is important if you want it to last you long enough to see a financial return, as is the quality of the installation.
But where do you even start? How can you know if switching energy retailers or installing solar will save you more? Household energy can be confusing at the best of times, but the one thing to remember is that quality remains king!
Too good to be true?
Many solar companies in Australia are focused on capitalising on consumer price-sensitivity by offering cheap, low-quality systems – bundled with discounts and other incentives to capture buyers’ attention. But this has resulted in a national solar crisis of sorts. A Clean Energy Regulator audit of home solar systems around Australia found that one in five solar systems are below standard – and about 2% are considered unsafe.
This bargain-first approach has seen 31% of solar systems installed in Australia (600,000 out of 2,100,000) were orphaned, where the solar company no longer exists to honour their warranty, in the last few years. When investing in a solar system, consider the cost of the system failing (and how you will know?), or losing your installer warranty if you fall victim to a ‘phoenix’ company, as well as the cost of the components, and see which is ultimately more expensive in the long run.
Getting the right fit
It doesn’t matter if you have the best shoes in the world if they’re three sizes too small. The quality of a product is important, and the quality of the service may be more so. To unlock the power of high-quality components, a great solar system needs expert design and installation to get the best results. Even if you choose quality solar products they won’t be a sustainable investment if installed badly.
What is important
- A solar system designed to offset your actual energy profile.
Clipsal Solar “right size” a solar solution based on your actual energy bills. - Careful selection of components to suit application (shading, temperature, proximity to ocean etc..)
- Positioning of panels of roof, we consider aesthetics, clearance to gutters and ridges, clearance to antennas and stink pipes etc.
Top solar installers use specialist software to design the best system for your household. This software uses satellite imaging to visualise and map the top of your roof, including pitch and angle to determine which configuration will give you the best yield over the long run. - Your budget.
- We design a system for a financial return.
Clipsal Solar are committed to helping you select the right solar system for your home, budget and lifestyle, and proving your investment will yield a payback. Clipsal Solar’s Clipsal Cortex app tracks your solar savings compared to your initial investment. Accurate to within 5% of your estimated bill, it’s the only app that will enable you to see when your solar system has paid for itself and spend your hard-earned cash on something nicer than bills. - Local service and maintenance.
Clipsal Solar is part of an Australian brand that’s already been trusted for over a century. - Warranty.
- Bankability.
Clipsal Solar only use brands that are well represented, have an extensive product range and are recognised leaders in their field.
Independent and personalised
It can be challenging to get an unbiased opinion around solar. Clipsal Solar is hardware agnostic – that means we aren’t limited to selling any one brand. We look to determine which system fits your household’s energy needs and then select the right component to save you the most money in the long run. We only partner with manufacturers who have demonstrated reliability and offer high performance products, who have Australian based technical, service and warranty facilities, and financial stability we can rely on.
Our deep expertise in data analytics ensures we can determine what your household really needs, and we work with the best engineers around to provide a personalised solution geared towards your home. Clipsal Solar offers a full service solar solution – from consult, to install, and beyond. We remain with you long after install to continue to support you to maximise your return on investment.
We can help you avoid wasting time on low-quality, one-size-fits-all quotes and installations, and find the right solar system for your household’s specific energy needs, lifestyle and budget.
Made to measure
Clipsal Solar customers can save an additional $430* per annum by using our Clipsal Cortex Analytics Kit, including sensor technology connected to your mobile phone, achieved with a Retail Plan Check and Load Shifting. Having visibility via our app also allows our customers to see if their solar system is operating within specification in real-time, and take proactive action to address an under-performing system, rapidly rectify any system failures, and produce increased energy generation from your solar panels.
How would you know if your solar system was performing without it?
*Savings based on average home in Adelaide with 6.6kW solar system following data analysis completed in 2020 across 92 Clipsal Solar customer homes.