There are a lot of solar companies doing door knocking at the moment; much like any door to door sales, I wouldn't recommend buying what they spruik.
When contemplating a new solar system for a home or business you would be wise to consider these five factors and age old advice.
- You get what you pay for. Don't go with the cheapest quote, you will end up paying more in the long run for replacements and service costs. Ever wonder why an item is so much cheaper on the net than in your home town solar shop? That's because the online seller has no staff costs, no warehousing, no product development, no after sales care and no design support. Possibly even no proper warranty support. Often you just get the product and then good luck. A local Company will cost more but it's like comparing apples to oranges. To find a trustworthy company you could go to Clean Energy Council (CEC)
- Buy once, cry once. A well designed and installed system doesn't need a guardian or an angel to look after it and maintain it. Most quality system components last at least 15 years without needing to be replaced, just requiring the occasional fuse change or wiring check. Make sure your solar provider includes after sales support in their T&C's, have an after hours support number, and that they have lots of good reviews and have been around for more than a few years- more than 1 solar company go into liquidation per week, leaving customers with little or no after sales care, often just jumping in and out of the industry quick to make a buck at the expense of the Australian public who are simply trying to do the right thing by going green and going solar.
- Don't throw good money after bad; I wouldn't recommend adding to or trying to fix an under-performing or non-functioning system (excepting existing RPC systems which deserve a good diagnosis and health check before decisions are made around whether to upgrade or start again possibly). With cheap systems you are better off just starting again with a new system you can rely on.
- All that glitters is not gold. The cheap solar systems on offer these days are often a dangerous trap for consumers, with fine print hiding extra expenses, sub-par products, and companies hiring and sending out comparatively inexperienced workers to install what can be fundamentally one of your biggest ever purchases and investments.
- Money doesn't grow on trees. That is true, but a fortune is there in the rays of the sun, theoretically saving hard earned cash every day, why wouldn't you help the environment at the same time as putting money back into the family coffers.
RPC can design a system for you that will power on for years, and you can rely on them to answer your questions, take your call, and fix any unlikely issues. They won't charge extra for that service though, that is just part of being a business and offering a quality product and service to the community- like they have since 1987.