Why Do You Need CEC Accredited Solar Installers?
By Andi Croft
The solar panel is one of the smartest investments you can make today’s date. Environmentalists constantly appeal to mankind to take conscious and responsible actions to save non-renewable energy resources. Solar panels build energy from the sun, and you can easily store the unused amount of energy in solar batteries for future use or transfer them to the grid and earn a “tariff in feed.” Moreover, you should
The Australian government has also initiated a unique rebate program on solar panel installations. However, there are certain criteria that need to be fulfilled. You must buy solar panel components authorized by the Clean Energy Council.
But that is not all. The Clean Energy Council does not accredit solar panel companies. The council, however, accredits individual electricians. As per Australian government law, to avail of the STC or Solar rebate scheme, one needs to get the solar panel installed by CEC accredited solar installers.
When you decide to put solar panels on the rooftop of your house or business, you’ll encounter a variety of solar companies looking to install your system through them. A major and crucial factor to consider when choosing the best solar company is to make sure the installers responsible for the actual installation of your solar panels are experienced and certified by our experts.
This is an essential part of the buying process for solar panels because the quality of the installation will determine the efficiency of your system throughout the years, without the appearance of any complications or other issues.
There is minimal to nothing to do with the maintenance of your solar panel.
The majority of panels come with a 12-15 year product warranty, and the warranty for performance is 25 years. Choosing the services of a CEC-certified solar installer with a solid track record is essential to ensure that you receive excellent after-sales service in the unlikely event it is required.
Most inverters come with a 5–10-year guarantee. Inverters that are installed at the present connect to the internet at home to allow you to easily check the performance of your system and solar output. The solar installer or retailer will perform regular battery health checks online to make sure it’s operating at its best.
Make sure you choose a solar installation that is covered by an extended warranty. Make sure you request an official warranty document so that you are certain of having insurance in the event of any problem or malfunction with the solar panels.
What is an Accredited Installer?
Accreditation by CEC is a must-have certification for any company involved in installing solar systems and/or storage. Installers must have completed the required education and requirements for designing and installing any type of green energy system.
Know Accredited Solar Installers
Throughout Australia, solar installation professionals must possess Clean Energy Council accreditation, which stands out as a must-have qualification. Renewable energy systems like solar panels have a definite working process, understanding and installing the components which require essential knowledge and training. CEC recognizes these trained and skilled individuals and accredits them. If you plan to claim the Solar rebate scheme, you must get your panel installed only by a CEC accredited installer.
To Find An Accredited Installer Easily Near You
- Check out the official site of Clean Energy Council and go to the ‘find an installer page.
- To search by location, you need to enter your suburb.
- Your area map is displayed on the screen with red pins, which are the locations of CEC accredited electricians. If you click on any red pin, you get the detailed contact information of the electrician.
Once you have derived the contact information of an accredited installer, you can do some self-research on Google about customer feedback and reviews on any projects they have worked on.
Hiring Solar Installers
When you hire an installer, it is he who should guide you through the solar panel installation with a detailed quote of a proposed installation site within your property, system design proposal, energy generation capacity as per your requirement, an itemized list of components, and fittings required and also warranty terms.
The question may not be sincere, but a truthful answer will allow you to determine the credibility that the contractor has. Before asking this simple question, make sure you conduct your own research. Today, it is easy to read online reviews about an organization or service through the internet. You can determine whether their opinions are true or not.
If they have issues you are most likely to encounter Ask them about solutions they might have. You could also ask them if they’re accessible whenever you have a problem that you aren’t able to resolve. If they’re just talking about sweet things, but have not offered a concrete solution, you should think twice before employing them.
Installers who are CEC Accredited
First of all the accredited installers are real people who are not corporations. For instance, Solaray Energy is not an accredited installer, but the majority of installations we do are completed by accredited installers.
To become an Accredited Installer, an experience that requires training and an electrical license and working at heights certificate, and a public liability insurance policy of five million dollars.
Certified installers from CEC are responsible for overseeing the installation team. and the solar power system. they’ll be in charge of commissioning the system and then signing for the system when it’s completed. They also need to provide paperwork to your energy supplier after the installation has been completed.
Another major CEC accreditation is that you are an approved designer. The process of designing solar power systems is more complicated than it appears. Each of our installations has to be designed in a way to ensure it is built to meet the guidelines set in the CEC.
Warranty Terms
Understanding the warranty terms of the entire product, each component, manufacturer warranty, and retailer warranty is essential.
- Products or components of a solar panel will come with a definite manufacturer’s warranty.
- Approved Solar Retailers also provide an additional warranty on the overall system for its operation, installation, quality of working, etc. Installation attendance
If you experience a problem with any solar item even though it’s still covered by a warranty, it is best to make contact with your solar retailer to get the product repaired or replaced.
If you’re not able to reach your retailer, call manufacturers of products. Contact information is required on the warranty documents.
Clean Energy Council Approved Retailers have pledged to provide a warranty of five years. If you feel that an approved Clean Energy Council Solar Retailer has violated its warranty obligation, please use our complaints form.
Installer Accreditation & Process
There are definite rules for the installation of a solar system. According to the rules, an accredited installer needs to physically supervise a small-scale renewable energy system throughout the process or at least visit the site three times.
After we have received an application to join, we will ask for the documents listed below as part of the accreditation process. We complete a full background and credit review, as well as an online search that includes review websites as well as the management and company’s accounts on social networks. We will also contact other Consumer Codes that are part of the renewable sector and ask them to let us know of any negative history they have in the business of the applicant (if relevant).
Besides that, do not forget to ask for the installer’s ID proof because verification of the accreditation from CEC will ensure you can acquire your due solar rebate. To verify the ID proof, look for:
- Photo on the ID
- CEC Accreditation number
- Accreditation validity date
- Types of accreditations approved for
- A copy of the company’s consumer contract, which should detail a consumer’s cancellation rights
- A copy of the company’s guarantee/workmanship warranty;
- Copies of the company’s employer’s liability and public liability insurance certificates;
- Copies of either: the last 3 months’ bank statements or the latest management accounts.
The benefits of having CEC Accreditation
In addition to the main advantages mentioned above, you will enjoy the following benefits when you’ve earned obtained your CEC Accreditation
- The CEC’s technical helpline
- Access to Toolbox talks as well as how-to’s and technical details
- Be informed of significant modifications to guidelines and standards for the industry
- Informed that they are CEC accepted products and their decommissioning
- Informed of the issues discovered during Clean Energy Regulator inspections
- Include yourself in the CEC’s search tool for installers (This is also true for designers)
- Tell your story to your regulators and the government.
Customers tend to prefer an approved installer or company since they are able to work to the highest standards, and offer competitive pricing because of their STC offsets.
Wrapping It Up
Make sure that among all the installers present while installing your solar system, at least one of them shows you an accreditation ID. If no one can offer such ID, immediately speak with your solar installer retailer to provide CEC-approved and accredited solar installers. This accreditation stands for skilled expertise, thorough training, and understanding of solar systems. When making a huge investment, you don’t want to do that wrong or of poor quality simply by compromising on anything.