The solar industry has earned its trust problem. Phoenix companies that vanish before the warranty claim, rebates “expiring tonight”, quotes built on inflated numbers — the complaints on Australian solar forums are consistent, and fair. So here’s the checklist we’d give a family member shopping for solar in Melbourne. Ask these seven questions of any company — including us.
1. “What’s your ABN, and how long has this entity been trading?”
Look the company up on ABN Lookup — it’s free and takes a minute. Check the registration date and that the entity is active and registered for GST. A young company isn’t automatically a problem — every company starts somewhere, and ours registered in 2025 — but a company that’s cagey about its ABN, or whose directors have a trail of deregistered solar companies behind them, is a red flag. You can search director names on ASIC’s registers too.
2. “Who is physically installing my system, and are they SAA-accredited?”
Most solar retailers — including us — use licensed electrical subcontractors for installation. That’s normal and fine. What matters is transparency: they should name the installer, and the installer must be accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA). Rebates legally depend on it. Be wary of anyone who won’t say who’s turning up on the day.
3. “Show me the STC calculation on this quote.”
The federal rebate is calculated by a fixed formula: system size × zone rating × deeming years. Any honest quote can show its working. Most of metro Melbourne is Zone 4 (rating 1.185), and 2026 has 5 deeming years — so a 6.6kW system should show 39 STCs, not 45. If the quote shows more, someone’s used the wrong zone, and the “extra” rebate will evaporate after you’ve signed. We’ve explained how to check the STC count yourself — it’s a two-minute calculation.
4. “What am I paying, and when?”
A reasonable structure is a modest deposit with the balance due around installation or commissioning. Be careful with large upfront payments to newer companies — if a company fails between your deposit and your install, you’re an unsecured creditor. Paying by credit card rather than bank transfer gives you chargeback rights. A confident retailer won’t need most of your money weeks before any work happens.
5. “If the inverter fails in year six, who exactly do I call?”
Panels typically carry 25-year warranties, inverters around 10, batteries 10. But a warranty is only as good as the path to claim it. Ask: is the manufacturer established in Australia with a local support office? If the retailer disappeared tomorrow, could you still claim directly with the manufacturer? This is exactly why we install CEC-approved equipment from established brands — the warranty must survive without us, even though we plan to be here.
6. “Why this system size?”
A good recommendation starts with your actual usage — your bills, your daytime consumption, whether you have or plan an EV or a battery. If the answer is “6.6kW is what everyone gets”, the sizing is coming from the sales script, not your house. Oversizing pads the sale; undersizing costs you later when you add a battery or EV charger.
7. “What happens if I say no today?”
The correct answer: nothing. The quote should still be valid next week. Rebate step-downs are real but they’re scheduled and public — the next one is 1 January 2027, and it’s worth hundreds, not thousands. Any discount that only exists “if you sign tonight” was never a discount; it was margin they were happy to give up, priced into your quote from the start. Pressure is the single most reliable red flag in this industry.
Our answers, for the record
Northwest Energy Solutions Pty Ltd, ABN 54 691 441 577, Mount Waverley. We’re a Victorian-licensed retailer; installations are performed by SAA-accredited licensed electricians; every quote shows its full STC working; and no quote we issue expires the day it’s given. If you’re comparing quotes — even if none of them are ours — we’re happy to sanity-check the numbers. Get in touch, or start with our solar panels and battery pages.