Solar and battery quote checklist for Warragul homes

A sound written quote for solar or a battery in Warragul names every product by brand and model, states the system size and export limit, says who holds the network approval, and lists the warranties separately. Before you sign, check the installer’s accreditation and the electrical contractor’s registration on the public registers. After installation, make sure you receive the Certificate of Electrical Safety.

Use the lists below in order: first what the quote should say, then the checks you can do yourself, then what to collect once the system is running. Print the page or keep it open while you read each quote.

What must the written quote state?

Go through each quote and tick off every line. A missing line is a question to ask before you sign.

Item	What to look for	Tick
Panel brand and model	Exact model number, quantity and wattage of each panel
Total panel size	In kW, for example 6.6 kW
Inverter brand, model and rating	In kW, and whether it is string, hybrid or microinverters
Battery brand, model and size	Usable kWh, not only the nominal figure
Backup	Yes or no, and if yes, which circuits stay on in a blackout
Export limit	The figure the design assumes, and that it depends on the network approval
Switchboard and meter work	Whether an upgrade is included or excluded
Discounts applied	Whether the federal certificate discount and any Solar Homes rebate are already taken off
Payment terms	Deposit, progress payments and the final amount due
Expiry date	How long the price holds
Product warranties	Panels, inverter and battery, each from its manufacturer
Workmanship warranty	Length and who honours it

If two quotes do not show the same items, ask each provider to add the missing lines before you compare totals. Average installed prices for each system size, and what usually sits outside them, are on the Warragul solar and battery cost guide.

Which checks can I do myself before signing?

You can run each of these yourself online before you sign anything.

1. Solar Accreditation Australia. SAA accredits individual designers and installers, not companies. Get the full name or SAA number of whoever will design and install your system, then search it on the SAA accreditation status check. For a battery, the installer needs the battery endorsement.
2. Energy Safe Victoria. Search the electrician on the Licensed Electrical Worker Search and the business on the Registered Electrical Contractor Register, both linked from the Energy Safe public registers page.
3. New Energy Tech Consumer Code. The code is voluntary. A retailer that has signed up appears in the Find an Approved Seller search.
4. Approved products. The Clean Energy Regulator requires panels and inverters on the Clean Energy Council approved lists, and an eligible battery must be on the CEC approved battery list to earn certificates. Search each model number from the quote.
5. Solar Homes authorised retailer. If you plan to claim the Victorian panel rebate, the retailer must be on Solar Victoria’s authorised list, and the products must be on its product list.

The about page explains how this site passes your enquiry to a local provider and why those checks remain yours to make.

What should happen with AusNet before installation?

Check which distributor is printed on your power bill; around Warragul it is AusNet. AusNet requires pre-approval before a system is installed, and your installer, retailer or registered electrical contractor applies through AusNet’s portal. Tick these off:

• the provider will lodge the AusNet application, and says so in the quote
• you will see the approved generation and export limit before installation day
• the inverter is on AusNet’s approved inverter list and can meet the emergency backstop requirement
• you know whether your home has internet the inverter can use, since the backstop relies on it

The full set of AusNet limits, the backstop rules and the steps after installation are on the AusNet solar connection guide.

What extra checks apply if I am claiming the Solar Homes rebate?

If you want the Solar Victoria panel rebate, the order of steps matters. Tick off:

• the retailer has uploaded your written quote to the Solar Victoria portal
• you have received Solar Victoria’s email confirming the upload
• network pre-approval is in place
• you have uploaded your eligibility documents
• Solar Victoria has confirmed eligibility and sent your QR code
• installation is booked within 120 days of approval (270 days for a home being built)

Solar Victoria will not pay the rebate on a system that goes in before your eligibility has been approved. Eligibility rules and the optional interest-free loan are explained on the solar rebates guide for Warragul.

What should I check on installation day?

A few minutes with the installer on the day saves questions later. Tick off:

• the panels, inverter and battery delivered match the models written in the quote
• the installer named in the quote, or another SAA accredited person, is on site
• you are shown where the DC isolators, AC isolator and main switch are
• the shutdown procedure is fixed in place where you can read it
• the inverter export setting matches the AusNet approval
• the monitoring app is connected to your home internet and you can log in
• you know when the independent inspection is booked and who will send the certificate

If any product has changed from the quote, ask why before the work continues, and get the change in writing with any price difference.

How do I compare the warranties?

Warranty	Who stands behind it	Question to ask
Panel product and performance	Panel manufacturer	Is there an Australian office or agent that handles claims?
Inverter product	Inverter manufacturer	How is a claim lodged if the installer is no longer trading?
Battery product	Battery manufacturer	What usable capacity is promised at the end of the warranty?
Workmanship	The installing business	What happens to this warranty if the business closes?

Why Solar notes that when an installer closes, the manufacturer product warranties still apply, but the installer’s workmanship warranty is lost. A new installer or licensed electrician can lodge product claims for you. That is a good reason to keep every document in one folder.

What should I collect after the installation?

Solar and battery systems are prescribed electrical work in Victoria. Energy Safe says an independent Licensed Electrical Inspector must inspect the work, the system cannot be turned on or left on until it has been inspected, and the inspection should happen within 8 business days of completion. Your contractor must give you a copy of the Certificate of Electrical Safety within 4 days of the certificate being completed after inspection. Energy Safe’s guide to certificates of electrical safety explains the process.

Keep these together:

• the Certificate of Electrical Safety
• the final invoice showing the discounts applied
• product warranty documents and serial numbers
• the AusNet approval and the export limit setting
• the shutdown procedure, which should be displayed at the switchboard or inverter
• monitoring app login details

What sales tactics should make me pause?

• a “today only” price or pressure to sign at the kitchen table
• a quote that leaves the brand or model blank or says “or equivalent”
• a promise of a state battery rebate, which Solar Victoria has closed
• a refusal to give the installer’s name or accreditation number
• no mention of the inspection or certificate

Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law sit alongside any warranty the provider offers. Take the quote home, run the checks above, and decide in your own time. If you want a second quote to compare, you can request another solar quote in the Warragul area.

Next step: send the details a provider needs

When you are ready, gather your suburb, whether the house is one or two storeys, the roof material, any existing system’s inverter model and age, two recent power bills, a photo of the switchboard, and whether you want the Solar Homes rebate. Then send a quote request with those details. An independent local provider will prepare its own written quote, which you can measure against this checklist. More on what a first system involves is on the solar panel installation page.

Send a job enquiry