Checklist for comparing solar quotes in Bairnsdale

Before you accept a solar or battery quote, check four things: the people named on it are licensed and accredited, the products are on the approved lists, the network has approved the connection, and the paperwork after installation is promised in writing. Use the list below with two or three written quotes in front of you. Anything a quote cannot answer is a question to put to the seller before you pay a deposit.

Why use a checklist at all?

Two solar quotes for the same roof can look alike on the total and differ a great deal underneath. One may name every model number and the inspection step, while another lists “tier one panels” and nothing else. Working down the same list for each quote makes the gaps obvious. It also gives you the right questions to ask on the phone, rather than relying on the sales visit.

Are the people on the quote licensed and accredited?

Ask for the business name, its electrical contractor number and the name of the person who will design and install the system. Then check:

• Registered Electrical Contractor. In Victoria an electrician doing work for a customer must work for a business registered with Energy Safe. Look the business up on the Energy Safe public registers.
• Electrician’s licence. The same Energy Safe page has a Licensed Electrical Worker Search for the individual.
• Solar accreditation. The Clean Energy Regulator requires both the designer and the installer to be accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia, and the installer to also hold an unrestricted electrical licence. Check names or numbers with the SAA accreditation status check.
• Battery endorsement. For a battery to attract the federal discount, the installer needs SAA accreditation with a battery endorsement.
• Consumer code. The New Energy Tech Consumer Code is voluntary, but a signed-up seller has agreed to its sales and contract standards. The updated code takes effect on 1 December 2026.
• Authorised retailer. If a Solar Homes rebate is part of the price, the retailer must be on Solar Victoria’s authorised list.

Accreditation belongs to a person, not a company, so a quote that only gives a business name has not answered this question.

Are the products on the approved lists?

Item	What to look for on the quote
Panels	Brand, exact model and wattage, on the Clean Energy Council approved module list
Inverter	Brand, model and kW rating, on the approved inverter list, and suitable for the network’s backstop rules
Battery	Brand, model, usable and nominal capacity, on the approved battery list
Mounting	Racking type and whether it suits your roof material
Coastal sites	Whether the panels are rated for salt mist if you live near the lakes or the sea

The Clean Energy Regulator only creates certificates for panels and inverters on the approved lists, so a product missing from them can cost you the STC discount the quote relies on.

Has the network approved the connection?

AusNet Services must pre-approve a grid-connected system before it is installed, and that approval sets how much you can export. Solar Victoria requires the retailer to tell you about any export constraint before the quote is uploaded to the Solar Homes portal. Check that the quote states:

• the approved inverter size and export limit in kilowatts,
• whether the house is single or three phase,
• who is lodging the application and paying any assessment fee.

The AusNet export limits guide explains what the numbers mean for a Bairnsdale home.

Does the timing protect your rebate?

If you are claiming a Solar Homes rebate, the order of events matters. Solar Victoria’s rebate page sets these rules:

1. The retailer uploads your written quote and you upload proof of eligibility.
2. Solar Victoria approves you and sends a QR code.
3. The installer scans the QR code on site before any work starts.
4. The system goes in within 120 days of the QR code, or 270 days for a home being built.

Installing before your eligibility is approved means no rebate. A seller who wants to start before the QR code arrives is asking you to carry that risk. For who qualifies and how the loan works, see the rebates guide.

Is backup power specified, or ruled out?

Many buyers assume a battery will run the house in a blackout. A quote should say in plain words either that the system has no backup function, or which circuits will run during an outage and what equipment makes that work. If backup is not written down, assume it is not included.

What should the quote promise for installation day?

The Clean Energy Regulator requires the accredited installer to be on site at set-up, during the installation and at commissioning, with dated and geolocated photos taken at each stage. Ask who that person will be and whether any part of the job is subcontracted. The quote should also say where the inverter and any battery will be mounted, how cables will run, and whether the roof will be checked for damaged tiles or sheets first.

What paperwork comes after the work?

Solar systems and batteries are prescribed electrical work in Victoria. Energy Safe’s consumer guidance says:

• the system must be inspected by an independent Licensed Electrical Inspector, arranged by the contractor,
• it cannot be turned on, or left on, until that inspection is done,
• the inspection should happen within 8 business days of the work finishing,
• you should receive a copy of the Certificate of Electrical Safety within 4 days of the certificate being completed after inspection.

A quote should commit to these steps. Keep the certificate with the warranty papers and the shutdown procedure.

What should the warranty section say?

Warranty terms vary by brand and by seller, so the checklist here is about what is written down, not how many years it runs:

• the panel, inverter and battery warranties, each named with the manufacturer who stands behind it,
• the seller’s own workmanship warranty and how long it lasts,
• who you contact first if the inverter shows a fault, and whether a call-out is charged during the warranty period,
• whether the battery warranty depends on keeping it online or limits how much energy it can cycle.

A warranty that only exists in a sales conversation is hard to rely on. Ask for every term in the written quote or the contract.

How do you score three quotes side by side?

Copy this grid onto paper and fill one column per quote.

Check	Quote A	Quote B	Quote C
Contractor number checked on the Energy Safe register
Installer named, SAA number checked
Battery endorsement (if a battery is quoted)
Panel, inverter and battery models on approved lists
Export limit and phase stated
Rebate shown as a separate line
Backup included or excluded in writing
Inspection and safety certificate included
Workmanship warranty term in writing
Quote expiry date

Fill in the price last. A cheaper quote with three blanks is not cheaper once you add the missing items.

What will a careful seller refuse to do?

A business that follows the rules will not start before network and rebate approvals are in, will not skip the inspection to save time, and will not leave model numbers off to keep its options open. It also will not pressure you to sign on the day of the visit. If a seller does any of these, move to the next quote.

Through this site, enquiries go to independent providers in the area, who make their own site assessment, prepare the written quote and complete the installation themselves. The about page explains that arrangement, and the solar panel installation guide covers what the install day itself involves.

Next step: get a quote you can check against this list

If you want another written quote to test against this checklist, send a solar quote request and mention that you are comparing quotes. Include your suburb, the system size and battery size you have been offered so far, the roof material and pitch, whether the house is single or three phase, and whether you are applying for a Solar Homes rebate.

Send a job enquiry