Solar Quote from Clean Power Australia

LBrianDeHanda on 25/10/2021 - 22:14
Last edited 26/10/2021 - 09:14

So I got a quote for a solar system from a door-to-door salesman (which is already a bit suspicious) from Clean Power Australia, but I don't know enough about solar to know if it's any good. I know the prices vary wildly, as does the quality, but I don't know what is good hardware and what isn't.

From scanning around a bit, it seems this is just about the most expensive system I can find, so I feel as though this isn't a good deal.

Notes about the quote:

  • it is an 8.6kW system with a 10kW inverter because, due to our roof configuration, apparently it was either going to cost $300 in optimisers, or we could pay $500 for a higher kW inverter, which might see some extra kW in summer, and allows for future expansion without requiring upgrading the inverter. [EDIT: to clarify, we went with the $500 inverter upgrade which is what is in the quote below. The system normally comes with a 7kW inverter and is $9999, but I've listed the upgraded version and price below.]
  • estimated annual electricity bill savings came in at $1700
  • payback estimate time is 5y 9mo
  • apparently the 25 year Hyundai warranty is transferrable, meaning we can use it as a selling point if we decide to sell in future (as the warranty will transfer to the new owner)

So the quote is $10,499 and the hardware is:

Solar Panels
Hyundai Energy Solutions Co., Ltd
8.58 kW Total Solar Power
22 x 390 Watt Panels (HiE-S390UF)
10,182 kWh per year

SunGrow SG5.0-12RT Multi-MPPT String Inverter
10kW Multi-MPPT String Inverter
Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. 1 x SG10RT
10 Years Product Warranty
24/7 Live Monitoring
Fast and Easy Commissioning via App

Home & Garden

Related Stores

cleanpoweraustralia.com.au
cleanpoweraustralia.com.au

Comments

  • nedski on 25/10/2021 - 23:02
    +5

    Door to door sales = no way.

    • BrianDeHanda on 26/10/2021 - 08:51

      Yeah that definitely was a red flag for me, though there wasn't the usual "you have to sign today or you miss out on this deal" sort of push that normally comes with the shady folk.

  • rektrading on 25/10/2021 - 23:15
    • estimated annual electricity bill savings came in at $1700
    • payback estimate time is 5y 9mo
      So the quote is $10,499 and the hardware is:

    It would take 2254 days at optimal performance. It's not a bad return but people can do better in other markets.

    The only reason people chooses to invest in solar over other markets is to get that "going green" feeling.

    • BrianDeHanda on 26/10/2021 - 09:12

      What sort of other markets?

      I've rented my whole life up till recently, so the possibility of things like solar and other home modifications have only just entered my scope.

      • rektrading on 26/10/2021 - 09:54
        -2

        I wouldn't invest $10,499 in the hope of saving $5 p/d.

        I would use that capital to invest in assets that make passive income. Assets that have limited downside but an unlimited asymmetrical upside.

        • BrianDeHanda on 26/10/2021 - 10:10

          There were a lot of long words in there. We're naught but humble pirates.

          I'm a slow learner. Do you have some examples of what you mean?

        • Oz-Bogan on 26/10/2021 - 23:36

          Why not? That's a tax free ROI of over 16%. Not too shabby…

  • Car-la-la on 25/10/2021 - 23:20
    +2

    how much power do you use during the day to be saving $1700per year (remembering you still pay daily supply charge)
    we're a family of 4 and don't use $1700 of electricity a year in Melbourne (with electric heating and cooling).

    Sounds like a fairly large system, doesn't seem ridiculously expensive — depends what grants/rebates you get in NSW i guess.

    Always worth getting a couple of quotes.

    • BrianDeHanda on 26/10/2021 - 09:11

      It's a bit hard to judge at the moment, because we only moved in just as winter kicked off, where our heating bill was a bit higher. Also, since we've never lived somewhere with central heating before, we kept doing stupid things like accidentally leaving the heating on all night, which we've now gotten out of the habit of.

      But yes, I think you're right to point out that this is a number taken from a particularly high period of energy use.

  • KaTst3R on 25/10/2021 - 23:26
    +4

    Your inverter is already larger than your system and the guy is still trying to sell you a $500 inverter upgrade? It is a total scam as you will never ever see that extra KW in summer. What you need is a system bigger than your inverter. Unless you meant $500 upgrade for more panels.

    As a guide, I paid Origin (my electricity provider) almost $5,000 to do a 6.6kw system with 5kw inverter. No way a 8.6kw + 10kw inverter will cost double. Mind you that Origin is already more expensive than some of the other trusted accredited suppliers. But I do get a 22c FIT for 2 years which offsets the increased system cost.

    • BrianDeHanda on 26/10/2021 - 08:49

      No sorry I think I must have worded that poorly: normally, the 8kW system comes with a 7kW inverter. The 10kW one I have there (as well as the price) is the upgraded inverter.

      • KaTst3R on 26/10/2021 - 10:28

        Hi Brian, best suggestion is to get a system bigger than your inverter. Because you will be using some energy during the day and you want to maximise the feed in. And also if you decide to expand your number of panels down the track, it will cost you heaps. So for the same labour, put in as much as you can.

        Of course, do get more quotes. There is a solar company, Green IOT, that apparently is the go-to solar company for the chinese community and the feedback has been very positive about them. Give them a ring to inquire.

  • avoidfullprice on 26/10/2021 - 07:14
    +1

    Workmanship and after sales service. Those two are important as well and not evident from any quote

    • BrianDeHanda on 26/10/2021 - 08:50

      Yeah this is one of the areas that these guys seem to do well in, though I'm always wary of online reviews, as I have been asked by countless friends and the like to throw bogus 5 star reviews on Google and Facebook to boost their business.

  • Quantumcat on 26/10/2021 - 08:47
    +1

    Never get a solar system from a door to door salesman. It'll probably have problems in a year or two and by then the company will be wound up and you'll have no recourse. The quality of the installer is more important than the equipment itself.

    Hop onto solarquotes.com.au and do a lot of reading so you understand how it works and know what you need. Then ask for quotes through that site. There is information about which panels and inverters are better than others so when you get several quotes you can compare apples with apples.

    • BrianDeHanda on 26/10/2021 - 09:09
      +1

      Yeah I've done that. Looking to get a few quotes from a few other folk.

      They've been around since about 2018 it seems, so it looks like they're not going to be that quick to fold.

      And reverse-image searching a bunch of their installs doesn't reveal anything like the use of stolen or stock images, so they've got that going for them at least.

      • Quantumcat on 26/10/2021 - 09:12

        Maybe they're ok. Glad you're getting other quotes too

  • Nugs on 26/10/2021 - 08:58

    were you already considering solar?
    seems strange to have random salesman pitch spending $10k and now you are thinking of it
    .

    • BrianDeHanda on 26/10/2021 - 09:05

      We were considering it, but we've got a lot on our plate at the moment (just moved to a new city and with our first newborn), so it has been on the backlog for awhile.

  • teacherer on 26/10/2021 - 13:31

    See a local, trusted, CEC approved electrician.

    • BrianDeHanda on 26/10/2021 - 14:05

      These folk seem to tick all those boxes (I mean it's hard to qualify "trusted").

      • teacherer on 26/10/2021 - 15:53

        Get a few quotes and you'll see?

      • skully78 on 06/01/2022 - 16:17

        Hi Brian

        Did you end up going though with the quote and solar provider? Just had these guy knock on our door.

        • BrianDeHanda on 07/01/2022 - 12:46

          Went with SolarBlu instead, and they seem pretty good so far. Quite a bit cheaper than these guys, as well.

          As I understand it, Clean Power Australia have very high commissions, so their prices are going to be a bit higher.

          Having said that, I've also heard that they have really good customer service/after care and whatnot, so you're not exactly being ripped off.

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