Field notes from inside the network. How to spot a cowboy, what the salespeople won't tell you, and why the cheapest quote almost always costs the most.
A retailer sells you the system they have. A broker compares the systems your house deserves. We break down where the money goes in each model — and where the structural conflicts hide.
Read the essaySizing, picking a CEC-Approved Retailer, reading a quote, questions to ask, warranties, install day, the common pitfalls. Built on the Clean Energy Council's consumer guidelines.
The grid code rewrite finished in 2024. South Australia approved the first installs in 2025. Which EVs, which chargers, what to spec — and whether to buy a V2G-ready system today.
A Virtual Power Plant pays you to share your home battery with the grid during peak demand. $300–$1,600/year — but the contracts vary. Independent guide to Australia's VPP programs.
The headline price is the smallest part of the lifetime cost. The other 35–45% — sizing, inverter lifecycle, warranty support — is exactly what the cheapest quote tends to get wrong.
A short list — but most installers can't answer four of them without checking. Use it to filter the cowboys before you sign anything.
The "free upgrade", the "today-only price", the suspiciously round system size — eight tells that surface in the first minute of any cowboy pitch.
Two installers can quote the same 6.6 kW system $4,200 apart on the same roof. Anchoring on the first number is the most expensive thing most homeowners do.
It isn't dishonesty — it's structure. When the only kit on the truck is the kit they sell, every house ends up looking like the system they wanted to install anyway.
CEC accreditation is the floor, not the ceiling. Here's the actual checklist we run before an installer earns a spot on the panel — and what gets them dropped.
Same model as a mortgage broker. The retailer pays the referral fee out of the marketing budget they would've spent on Google Ads anyway. We show the maths.