VIC: Reputable Solar Panel Installer - Anyone dealt with Sola IO company?

Hi All,

I would like to install solar on my PPOR.

I have been given a 7K quote to install 16 panels I.e a 4.4KW by this company www.sola.io

1. Has anyone dealt with this company before?
2. What is the average solar panel size for a 4*2 double storey for an average size family?
I asked this question and was told 5KW but have seen others with 6.6KW and numerous panels (up to 30 for a home)
3. Given the covid pandemic, are there any better deals in the market?
4. What are some of the reputable companies out there?

I feel I have made a rushed decision as I have booked this company to do an instal for me next week though I haven't paid yet

Thank you for your help!

 

That is after STC rebate IE total out of pocket is $7000 ? If so seems quite expensive if it’s a stand install.
what brand panels and inverter are they using? Generally as systems get larger it doesn’t cost a lot more to over spec the system and add more panels (you can add I believe 135% of inverter size as panels) and benifit from more STCs. But More panels doesn’t mean more kw as there are different wattage panels available in different sizes

I recently had 6.6kw of panels and 5kw inverter put on in Qld for ~$6k

 

Seems very expensive. The sweet spot is usually 6.6kw Panels on 5kw inverter. Choose an energy company with decent export tariffs and reasonable rates (Agl for me in qld). About to put 13.2kw qcells with Enphase microinverters for 15k on a difficult roof in Qld (we have 3 phase electricity). Put Lg neon2/Fronius 6.6kw/5kw inverter on our previous house for just over 8k but could currently get that system for $500-1000 cheaper. All of these prices are out of pocket after STCs. Can’t help with Victoria companies/pricing tho... sorry. My advice would be to go good mid range panels (q cells, maybe REC, Sunpower p19s) with a Fronius. The top of the range Sunpower maxeobs and lg neon2 or Rs are great but after installing lg at our previous property probably not worth the extra... maybe I will say different in 10y time

PS
perhaps try getting 3quotes from the solarquotes website. They can match you with some local installers that they trust

 

That sounds expensive for what you're getting.

Give these guys a call - https://www.skyenergysystems.com.au/

This is a personal recommendation, I have had 6kw installed by them at my office and 10kw on 3 phase installed at my home plus my best mate then used them for a 10kw single phase on his home on my recommendation.

We've both been extremely happy with their service, Sam (the owner) is a great bloke as is Ross, the main site installer and Arne, their BDM who will likely be your first point of contact for a quote.

All their installers are STAFF, they don't use subbies and they don't use aggregate call centers then sell on the contracts to 3rd parties like a lot of these cheap solar mobs, it's all sold & installed by them and backed up and monitored by them too.

Sam has been in constant communication with me since install, great guy, we've been bouncing off ideas on best way to add a semi off grid battery system to ours in the next year or so.

In a nutshell, we've been very happy with service, cost and quality of install and components.

NOTE - I get nothing for recommending nor am I affiliated in anyway with these guys, I just always like to give a recommendation when I've had particularly good service form someone.

 

Thank you all
@Propagate , Thank you for referring Sky energy...
However, they were a bit expensive.

Will be going with Jinko panels & Sungrow invertor at this stage. I wish my budget could afford Fronius though.....

Question - would you install a panel system on an IP?
The only reason would be to increase the property value & attractiveness

 

Interesting regarding price. They were pretty much the same as all the other quotes we had but with better hardware and no cowboy subbies.

Do you mind sharing the quote out of interest? How did it compare to the original quote you got and is the cheaper quote your looking at a true comparisons? (i.e. same quality of panels & inverter?).

 

I installed panels on a duplex IP in QLD but there was a government grant “solar for rentals” which made it attractive and was able to lock in tenants at a higher rent as a result of the benefits they get from reduced power bills, I had the same thought in regard to some possible value add and an attractive feature

 

Here is a quote from Solargain

 

Interesting @Kushanda what did Sky Energy quote you (fine if you'd rather not post that on a public forum).

Our office install was $6,000 including GST for a $6.5kw system with an SMA Sunny Boy Inverter. That was EXCLUDING the Vic solar rebate though as we weren't eligible and that was January 2018, so almost 18 months ago.

Looking at a few reviews, the SMA inverters appear better than the Fronious? so with the rebate our install would have come down to $3775, still $800 more than your quote but we were also 2 storys high and our quote included all the framing for the panels to angle them as we have a flat roof. It was a 2 day install. I don't know the cost difference in the inverters.

I'm not saying the quotes you got were good or bad, just checking you're comparing like-for-like.

 

Wow, that's terrible! (Just to confirm, that's after STCs, right?)
I know prices are slightly higher in Vic (before the state rebate), but you can actually get 6.6kW installed from under $3k by a number of installers in most of the country. So that's less than a third of the unit price they're offering you. The equipment you're getting is also not premium.

 

133%. At 135%, you'd actually get zero STCs, once you're over, you lose them all.

 

Here is Sky energy quote....not like for like though...

 

Do you mind sharing some of the good ones in Vic?

 

Your attachments aren't legible. However it seems that it's $3600 after the Vic rebate and Vic loan, which means it's still pretty pricey, even if it's an SMA inverter.

I've never been involved in any solar installations outside of NSW, sorry. But commercially, Origin and AGL have been surprisingly good to deal with. No idea about them residentially, but I think it would be worth giving them a call.

 

I used solarpowernation. Cost about $2,450 for a 6.6kw system along with inverter and smart meter. I needed special clips for my roof, so that cost an additional $650. So $3,100 all up.

 

I used them as well for one of my installations. They were crap for me, but given that they use all different teams, it's all luck of the draw, I don't doubt that you can get a very decent job for that amount of money.

 

I used Beyond Solar x 4 and Space Solar in NSW

Space Solar:
32 Trina Honey Panels (310w) (9.92kw)
Fronius Inverter Symo 9
Solar Analytics (Life Time Subscription)
$8700
Single Storey house, 8 panels North / East and 24 panels North West

Key items are the panels,
Brand and performance as each panel has a Cheap Old tech, Middle of the road and top end high tech.
Old Tech 285 - 300kw
Mid tech 305Kw - 315Kw
Top end are 330 - 355kw

So a cheap system probably uses a known brand but old Tech or lower Spec panels.

 

If you're not space constraint, it doesn't really matter though.
In fact, personally, I actually prefer the lower wattage polys, as I like blue better than black.

 

Yes Sky Energy are very expensive but great install and quality equipment. 24k here for 7.9kw system with 10kw battery. It’s not a great financial payback but feels good regardless.. 24 330w panels.

 

Ouch!