Safez Posted October 31, 2012 Hey guys, Just wanted to share the bullshit we went through with our solar hookup. Company - Energy Matters Location - Queensland 1. Have the inspection neglect to tell you to relocate your switchboard. 2. Fork out 9k for a solar/grid feedback system. 3. Have solar panel installers re damage a repaired portion of your roof and not find out till your living room is leaking. 4. Wait at least a month until you call to find out why your inverter hasnt been delivered and installed to find out you need to relocate your switchboard 5. Fix switchboard at own cost (1.2k), wait another two weeks for inverter to show up 6. Wait another week for ergon to hook up their end 7. Be accused that payment hasnt been made and threatened with referral to "finance collectors" 8. Forward them the payment receipts and then be accused that we didnt follow their instructions to confirm the payment was made. 9. Get told that waiting near 6 months is an acceptable wait time for installation 10. Try and convince company that as a gesture of good faith they should make payment for the quarterly electricity bill that we incurred while waiting for this shit when were informed by email that everything should have been ready to go by no later than the end of July and get laughed at. gg Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alice Posted October 31, 2012 Fucking arseholes. I hear stories like this all the time. Well, I have friends in QLD that were telling me recently that they were keen to go solar in a few months. I'll be sure to pass on your story to them so they know to avoid Energy Matters. Word of mouth FTW. I feel a new slogan coming: "Energy Matters - but our customers don't" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkSpark Posted October 31, 2012 My parents just got solar in, paid and was fully installed 10 days later... Must have just been lucky, ill have to find out who it was through. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bℓσωηG Posted October 31, 2012 be cheaper to do electricians coarse and do it yourself ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heretic Posted October 31, 2012 This is slightly off topic , and I can't vouch for the accuracy , and things might have changed by now - I was told in the early '90s by some one apparently knowledgeable that a solar panel is unable to reproduce the electricity that goes into it's manufacture [ before wearing out ] ; as such they are not " green " at all .... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halcyon Daze Posted October 31, 2012 Lol, those early 90's models weren't all that efficient. No , actually, solar panels have been carbon negative and cost effective for more than 2 decades, and that's without government help. Imagine what we could have done if our governments were helping to develop renewable way back then. Sorry to hear your misfortune Safez. Thanks for alerting us to it and good luck with it all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted November 1, 2012 WTF 6 months is an acceptable timeframe..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ghosty Posted November 1, 2012 stop bloody whinging you lot! geesus.... this is Queensland Australia, this is how we do things here! OK? i mean really... and ya call yaselves australians.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
benno1973 Posted November 1, 2012 That does suck, and the company obviously hasn't treated you well. Personally, I wouldn't have waited 4 weeks before calling about the inverter - did they give you the impression that they would be back to install it or something? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Safez Posted November 12, 2012 Yeah, We expected it to be installed after the panels went up. when they did the initial inspection and sent them through all the photos they were supposed to inform us that we would need to relocate our switchboard. The reply was we "slipped through the cracks" and should have been told. The panel installers (third party contractors) failed to point it out as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted November 12, 2012 This is slightly off topic , and I can't vouch for the accuracy , and things might have changed by now - I was told in the early '90s by some one apparently knowledgeable that a solar panel is unable to reproduce the electricity that goes into it's manufacture [ before wearing out ] ; as such they are not " green " at all .... I installed my first system in 1991 and this statement was already very wrong then even when you take only the warranty period which was 10 years then [but the expected life was over 25 years]. Who uses 20 year old 'wisdom' for a fast moving technology? That's like complaining today about the graininess of early black and white TVs, LOL. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psylo Posted November 12, 2012 Speaking to a solar business on Saturday, and he brought this up, also as incorrect information. He also had an old panel on display, from the '80's. Discussing the specifications and performance between that and a modern one of the same size (overall, not cells), and the technology has come a LONG way. None are being made in Australia anymore, it's no longer cost effective. Most are out of China. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slybacon Posted December 10, 2012 None are being made in Australia anymore, it's no longer cost effective. Most are out of China. Wrong... Tindo is making very very good and cost effective panels out of Adelaide. Using a korean factory shipped over. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IndianDreaming Posted December 10, 2012 Mine took 11 months - over 30 calls to electicians, power companies, powercor and probably 10 years off my life. Absolutely not worth it. Mine is one of 5 stories in my workplace alone - all the same. All had their installs delayed, crucial paperwork not submitted, wrong meters installed needing replacement at owners cost. Lying scum bag power companies charging powercor's $480 out of hours truck call out fees instead of $130 (and I was there in the middle of the day when the truck arrived... Bet they've made millions with this little scam) F**k solar - every single person I've spoken to has had the same hassles - mnoths of calls, nothing works - I've yet to hear of a smooth installation. Good luck OP - I hope the force is strong with you. It'll probably take 3-5 years for my installation to cover the f'up costs before it even starts to chip into it's initial cost. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Safez Posted December 10, 2012 Wow, glad I'm not the only "anomaly". With the power company charging out huge rates I bet they have too. We had an electrician install the new metres and do the relocation. When the power company came to do their thing he was surprised the correct metres were installed. At that point it took him about 5 minutes... As for the installation of the new metres... that probably took the electrician about an hour if I remember correctly so how these companies are justifying those kinda install bills is troubling. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slybacon Posted December 11, 2012 F**k solar - every single person I've spoken to has had the same hassles - mnoths of calls, nothing works - I've yet to hear of a smooth installation. Seriously....... I bet you signed up in the middle of the 60c scheme. I can tell you 100's of successful installs. The system I installed for my mother is the gift that keeps on giving..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IndianDreaming Posted December 11, 2012 ^ How much do you bet? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
