Solar Repairs Archives - Solahart Brisbane South East

How To Choose The Best Solar Panel Installer

When you decide to install solar panels on your home, the first thing you must do is choose a solar installer. This guide will help you choose the best solar panel installer in Brisbane and includes information that will help make your decision a simple one!

CEC Membership
The first thing you should look for in a solar panel installer is CEC membership. CEC, which stands for the Clean Energy Council, offers membership to specific solar installers.

They only approve solar retailers that commit to responsible marketing and sales practices. These companies must follow industry best practices and work to consistently support the clean energy sector.

CEC membership also allows these solar installers to receive the latest industry updates and access the leading technology in the sector.

In other words, when you choose a company to install your solar panels, you should make sure that they are members of the Clean Energy Council.

Cost Considerations
Cost is an additional consideration when it comes to choosing the right installer for your solar panel system. Although this should not be the most significant factor, it is definitely something you should take into account.

If you have received a quote that is significantly lower than others you have seen, you may want to reconsider. Your solar panels will need to run every day, for up to 30 years, so quality is of the utmost importance.

Cheap solar installation can result in a high cost in the long run, especially if you need to replace parts and panels early on. Instead, research a solar panel price guide so that you can have some estimates on what a quality solar system should cost.

What Types Of Solar Power Batteries Do You Offer?

One of the most common questions we get is “what type of solar power batteries do you offer”, so we’ve put together this simple guide to help!

What is Battery Storage?
Before we get into what the best solar products on the market are, let’s review what battery storage actually is.

When you use solar panels to power your home, you likely generate more than you can use during the day. This means that a lot of the energy that is produced ends up being sent back to the grid where you end up buying it back when you need it (usually at night!).

The perfect solution to this problem is to have a solar power battery installed at your home. By doing so, you can store any excess energy that is not used during the day for use later at night. Solar power batteries also allow you to use solar power on days with low sunlight or during blackouts.

Not only will this help you make the most of your solar power system, but it will also reduce your total carbon footprint and help you save money.

Signs You Need a Solar Power Battery
So, how do you know if a solar power battery is the right investment for your home?

The first thing you need to consider is how much energy you use on an average day. Do you use more power while the sun is up, or does your energy consumption increase at night? You can determine this information by referring to your power bill which will detail peak usage throughout the day.

If your family is still growing, you likely need a system that can accommodate changing needs. In this case, a solar power battery may be the perfect solution!

Other considerations include outlining your budget and finding a provider that offers a lengthy warranty and the best solar products.

Are Your Solar Panels Damaged by Hail?

If you live in Brisbane, you know that the weather can often be harsh and unpredictable. The Solar Panels on your home are especially susceptible to hail damage, so how do you know if the recent hail storm has damaged your system?
This guide will help you understand how to check for damage on your solar panels, who to call, and what your insurance or rebate options might be.

How to Check for Hail Damage
After a hailstorm has occurred, it is necessary to assess whether your solar panels have been damaged. If the hail was minor you probably have nothing to worry about but it’s always good to check.
The first thing you should do is check your inverter screen. If the system indicates a ground fault, that could mean that the hail has cracked or damaged your solar system. Another common error code that may show up after hail damage is a fault to earth.

Even if you do not see one of these errors on your system right away, your solar panels may still be damaged. It may take some time for the fault to appear, so keep an eye on your inverter for several weeks to ensure that it is working properly.
Another option is to watch the performance of your system on your energy providers app, most solar power systems these days are connected by WIFI so you can watch the consumption and the production from your system and this is reported back to you via your app. If you notice that you have a noticeable decrease in production this is another tell tale sign your system may need repairing.

It might be tempting to climb on your roof to see if the hail damaged your solar panels yourself, but refrain from doing so. This is dangerous and the resulting fall could leave you severely injured, please leave this to professionals.
When hail smashes a solar panel, it will break like a windscreen, so you should be able to see it from a distance, this way you will be safe from any leakage voltage or shattered glass.

The best course of action is to call the experts at Solahart to perform an inspection for you and determine the extent of the hail damage. They will also help you understand any error codes you may be seeing on your inverter.

Will My Panels Be Replaced?
The extent of the hail damage will determine how much of your solar panel system needs to be replaced. If any panels are cracked or shattered, they will need to be removed. In many cases, it can be difficult to find the correct fixtures to add a mismatched solar panel to your existing system, so it may be more cost-effective to replace the entire system, especially if it’s an older system.

Solar Panels and Insurance Coverage and Rebates
The solar rebate, or STC, does not apply if you simply swap out one or two solar panels. However, you may be eligible to claim the rebate once again if you replace the entire system due to hail damage.

As a result of this rebate, most insurance providers will be willing to replace the complete solar panel system so that you can obtain a new warranty and an upgraded product. To confirm this, contact us, Solahart are industry professionals and we have been doing this for a very long time. We will help you assess the damage and determine the extent of your eligibility for future rebates.

Solahart Can Help with Hail-Damaged Solar Panels
At Solahart, we can perform a thorough home assessment and determine if your solar panels sustained damage in a hailstorm. Our expert technicians will help you understand your options and identify what the best course of action is.

We have over a decade of experience in supplying, installing, and maintaining the best solar products in Brisbane, and our goal is to help families save on their energy bills. Customer service is our top priority, and we will make sure that you have an efficient and seamless experience working with us.

Solar Panel Servicing: The Best Way to Increase Energy Production

Solar power servicing is a vital part of maintaining your solar panels. You installed them to improve the energy efficiency and production of your home, so you want to be sure that they are still working at top capacity!

The Clean Energy Council, or CEC, recommends that you have a solar servicing company check your system each year. This will confirm that your solar powers are fault free and operating at optimum performance.

Increase Your Energy Output
The primary reasons you need to hire a Brisbane solar power servicing company is to increase the energy production of your solar panels.

As time passes, dust and debris will begin to build on the solar panels installed on your roof. Not only could this compromise the energy production and performance of the solar panel system, but it could also cause damage that prevents them from working.

Other factors like moisture, water seepage, wind, hail, and rodents can also cause your solar panels to deteriorate.

When you invest in the best solar products like those offered by Solahart, you want to take care of them! Solar maintenance involves cleaning off this debris and ensuring that no significant damage has occurred that could compromise the panels.

As a result, solar servicing will increase the energy production of your panels by making sure they can absorb the most sunlight!

Ensure Your Solahart System is Working Effectively
Another reason you need routine solar maintenance is to ensure that the solar panel system is working effectively. Since these panels involve a complex electrical system, solar servicing also verifies that it is safe for everyone living inside the home.

A system that is not working effectively due to loose, frayed or cracked wiring could lead to inefficiencies and reduced energy production. Maintaining the panels maximises the cost savings you receive on your electric bill – so it is well worth the cost to service the system.

Think about your solar panels like any other appliance or vehicle – you would never go more than a year without servicing your car and cleaning it! In the same way, solar servicing is the best way to ensure that the panels continue to operate effectively and safely.

We Can Service Any System – or Help you Upgrade!
Solar power servicing is more than just cleaning off the panels, though. This is why at Solahart Brisbane, all of our expert electricians are CEC accredited and work to comply with all Australian standards.

Each technician will confirm that your solar panels are free of defects and securely fastened in place. They will inspect all parts and pieces to verify that none of them have corroded or deteriorated.

The same goes for the wiring – they will run electrical checks to be sure that everything is operating as intended, and that no defects are found in the switches.

Here are some other aspects of our solar power servicing:

– Check that all vents are clear of debris
– Secure all cables and fittings
– Validate that access to isolator switches are not impeded
– Make sure that emergency shutdown and isolation procedures are clearly labelled

Solahart Brisbane is dedicated to servicing any solar system – or helping you upgrade to a new one if the conditions are warranted! We only provide the best solar products, and we have over a decade of experience in the Brisbane South East area.

Whatever your solar power servicing needs are, we are here to help! Our experts will help you increase energy production and give you peace of mind that your solar panels are working as intended: safely and efficiently!

What To Do During A Crisis With Your Solar System

There are a lot of great Brisbane solar companies out there that provide Australians with solar products that help them save money. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of dodgy Brisbane solar companies out there looking to take your hard earned money and provide you with a cheap, nasty system as well.

What is even worse is the fact that there have been hundreds of Australians scammed by these dodgy solar companies, which don’t honour their products or warranties. This leaves the customer frustrated and left with a broken system that they either have to spend money on to repair or throw away.

How to follow up the company

If you have been the victim of a dodgy solar company there are a few things you can do to try and follow them up. First, try to call them on any number that they have. If they are answering none of them then go online and try to email them.

If you receive no response after trying to repeatedly contact them then check their credentials on ASIC. Here you will find whether the company is still in operation. Make sure to get all their details including their ABN and ACN for your records. If they are still in business, yet are avoiding your calls and emails lodge a complaint with the ACCC. They will help you try to resolve the issue at hand.

What can you do if they go underground?

A lot of dodgy solar companies will perform an illegal act called ‘phoenixing’. This is when they close one business under the owner’s name and start a fresh one under a new name, which could be their wife’s, child’s, or even their cousin’s name.

If the business you are chasing has done this, is no longer in operation or the ACCC can’t help then there may be no way for you to receive a free repair under warranty or a refund for your solar power or Brisbane solar hot water system. Therefore it is important to make sure that you never end up in this position where you lose thousands of dollars.

How to prevent yourself from being scammed

Preventing yourself from being scammed by dodgy Brisbane solar companies is easy. All you have to do is your research! The more you know the more you will be equipped to avoid those companies that are looking to scam you out of your hard earned money.

The first warning sign that there is a dodgy solar company is if it sounds to good to be true. It usually is and you will get what you pay for so make sure you avoid dirt cheap solar prices altogether.

Another thing to look out for is if the company doesn’t clearly answer your questions, can’t give you a detailed account of what you are spending or what you are using in electricity and if they can’t show you previous work that they have performed.

Reputable Brisbane solar companies, such as ourselves, will make sure you receive all this information and more. They will have been in business for more than 2 years, be a Brisbane CEC accredited solar company and provide trustworthy warranties you can rely on.

If you are wondering which Brisbane solar companies would be good for you ask your neighbours or a friend that has had solar for more than a few years. They will be able to tell you if their Brisbane solar company and the products they sell have been worthwhile.

Contact a reputable Brisbane CEC accredited solar company today on (07) 3390 1590.

How To Choose The Best Solar Panel Installer

What Types Of Solar Power Batteries Do You Offer?

Are Your Solar Panels Damaged by Hail?

Solar Panel Servicing: The Best Way to Increase Energy Production

What To Do During A Crisis With Your Solar System

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