Solar Installer Red Flags

Before accepting a quote

• No traceable business identity: the trading name, company details, address and responsible contact cannot be independently confirmed.
• Credentials used as a guarantee: accreditation or directory membership can support vetting but does not replace checking the person doing the electrical work, recent references and the written scope.
• No site assessment: the installer specifies a system without checking consumption, distribution board, roof, shading, cable routes or existing equipment.
• Only perfect reviews: reviews are recent, repetitive or confined to one platform, with no evidence of completed residential projects.

Red flags in the quote

Payment red flags

• Pressure to pay immediately because a price or installation slot “expires today”.
• Full payment demanded before equipment delivery, commissioning and document handover.
• Bank account details do not match the contracted business and no written explanation is supplied.
• No written cancellation, delay, substitution, defect-remedy or refund terms.

Payment schedules vary. The safer principle is to link payments to verifiable milestones and retain an agreed final portion until commissioning and required handover documents are complete.

Installation-day red flags

• Delivered model numbers differ from the quote and substitution was not approved in writing.
• Equipment arrives damaged, unlabelled or without serial numbers and warranty records.
• No safe isolation, poor cable support, exposed conductors, unsuitable enclosures or blocked equipment ventilation.
• The system is energised without testing backup operation, protection, shutdown and monitoring with you present.
• The installer will not identify the person responsible for inspection, testing and certification.

Do not close the job without a handover pack

1. Final itemised invoice and installed equipment/serial-number list.
2. Electrical Certificate of Compliance and associated test documentation for the work.
3. Applicable municipal or utility submission records, where required.
4. Inverter, battery and panel warranty documents.
5. System settings, shutdown/start-up procedure and monitoring access.
6. Workmanship warranty and a documented support/escalation route.

How to use public reviews safely

• Treat forum posts and review-platform comments as leads for questions, not verified findings.
• Check the date, system type and whether the reviewer describes first-hand experience.
• Look across multiple independent sources and ask the installer for recent, comparable references.
• Verify equipment, warranties, payment milestones and support commitments in the written quote instead of relying on ratings alone.

How to check the CoC process

Ask who will inspect, test and issue the certificate before work starts. Request the electrician’s full name and registration details, then verify them through the appropriate official Department of Employment and Labour route or provincial electrical contracting channels. Ensure the certificate describes the actual alteration and site, and query incomplete or inconsistent details before accepting it.

Questions to send every shortlisted installer

1. What exact equipment models will you install, and what happens if stock changes?
2. Who is responsible for design, installation, inspection, testing and the CoC?
3. What is excluded from the quoted total?
4. What runtime and generation assumptions are you using?
5. What documents and access credentials will I receive before final payment?
6. Who handles warranty claims, and what response time is promised in writing?

Compare this checklist with our South African solar price guide and panels-versus-battery upgrade guide.