1.5KWh Solar PV System Installed for $89 - Brisbane

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• 

  thelastnoob on 31/05/2012 - 14:14

  This sounds way too good to be true.
  Can someone please assist?
  Valued at $3999 down to $89….
  This is for rental of the solar unit as they own it

  • 

    davedave on 31/05/2012 - 14:55

    And how can you "Enjoy incredible savings of up to $3999" if "Usual cost of the system starts from $1500"?

    Anyway comparing $1500 with $89 is not comparing like with like. For $1500 you own the system, get full benefits from it, and aren't tied into a 10-year electricity supply contract.

    • 

      odysseus on 31/05/2012 - 17:22

      The wording sounds like you're saving electricty costs plus the unit, hence $1500 for the unit, and the rest of the savings are reduced electricity costs.

• 

  hi5 on 31/05/2012 - 14:15

  "Electricity panel system remains the property of Green Initiatives until the end of the 10 year period"

  I think that means, you will not be entitled to feed in tarrifs…

• 

  bargain_finder on 31/05/2012 - 14:17

  +3

  This is a crap deal!

  They want you to buy electricity from their provider for 10 years and get all the FIT's and only give you a 20% discount on your usage!

  so you're paying them to install the system on your roof and making money for them!

  • 

    Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:33

    +1

    Paying them $89 to give you a 20% discount on your electricity for 10 years…

    Honestly if you're not planning on using it anyway, it's a pretty sweet saving plan.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 31/05/2012 - 14:39

      +1

      But that means you can't install another one in he 10yrs.

      and 20% off? geez i was getting 15% off my lecky, I decided to switch & was offered 17% off…
      no $89 fee, no lockout from going solar myself for 10yrs.
      And of course 20% off what?

      • 

        Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:41

        Typically you'll only install one unless you get those fancy double feed in inverters and have some spare cash lying around for a second array.

        They also have a life expectancy of about 20-25 years so it's doubtful you'll replace it within the 10 year period anyway.

      • 

        davedave on 31/05/2012 - 14:58

        Yes 20% off what is the key question. If you can already get 17% off, you are maybe at best saving 3% more, and then only if it's 20% off a starting price before discount no higher than is the case for the 17% offer.

• 

  Ibuyonlineonly on 31/05/2012 - 14:20

  +1

  I am no expert in solar panels thats why I posted to get feedback. I have rung the company and now waiting for their call back. Apologise if its not what it seems at least it is making noobs like me aware of how this works.

  • 

    bargain_finder on 31/05/2012 - 14:21

    +6

    Don't take it personally, the neg vote is for the deal not you.

  • 

    Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:35

    The deal itself is very good if you aren't planning on getting a PV system installed yourself. You will get a better ROI doing it yourself and making the most of the Feed in (I think you typically pay it off in about 3-4 years and the rest is "profit").

    • 

      davedave on 31/05/2012 - 15:00

      How is the deal very good? I am not saying it isn't. I just don't think we have enough information to know that. What makes you sure the deal itself is very good?

      • 

        Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 15:09

        Based on a few assumptions which you'd want clarified.

        1) They give you 20% off your current bill (Staying with your current provider or whoever you move to for the next 10 years)
        2) You have a standard installation scenario (No extra expenses)
        3) You don't have any plans to install a PV system (If you're not using it…)

        Based on this, you'll save 20% off your electricity for the next 10 years in exchange for $89. Since most people pay a fair bit for electricity, the saving is very good. You can do better but you'll need the capital to do it or the preparedness to enter into a loan.

      • 

        davedave on 31/05/2012 - 16:15

        Thanks Noraneko. Yes I think those are good things to check. Also as others have said what happens if you move within 10 years, and just in general the fine print of the contract.

• 

  _Bruce_ on 31/05/2012 - 14:20

  1: The expiring voucher will needs to have a booking made is a warning sign.

  2: I'd read the 10 year contract VERY carefully (is this available up front?)

  • 

    davedave on 31/05/2012 - 16:25

    It would be great if the OP can get the 10 year contract and post it somewhere we can see it. I wouldn't want to commit to a 10-year contract without having the opportunity to read it first. That does seem potentially to be a major flaw in the deal at the moment if you buy the deal at $89 then don't know what you committed to till after. I would hope that can be resolved.

• 

  Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:20

  Seems too good to be true. Not sure where you could source panels and an inverter for the cost of a rebate.

  However in the fine print…

  "20% off electricity usage costs during the life of the contract (5yrs + 5yrs)"

  So from this they are going to take a large cut of your feed-in tariff and only offer you a 20% saving on your bill.

  On a regular purchase and install you get money from selling electricity back to the grid. This one seems to have the installer as the owner and they will get the money from selling electricity. They then only offer you a 20% saving off your bill.

  Honestly tho, if you don't have a PV system, $89 isn't much to have it installed and you know they will want to keep it maintained since it's their income. You then get a 20% saving off your bill.

  My bill is about 200 a quarter so they will give me $40 off per quarter meaning in just over 1/2 a year, I'll be ahead.

  It's not a bad deal really.

  • 

    oz-dxer on 31/05/2012 - 14:50

    only $200 per quarter…. I wish.
    thats like only 8kwh a day.

    how much is you bill for candles?
    or do you have gas lighting and hot water?

    • 

      Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:56

      +1

      We have a 140 litre hot water system on the low end tarrif. Gives about 5-10 minutes of hot water using our crap shower head when you have to have it on really slow to get hotwater. Have a shower every morning and 3/4 times a week a bath in the evening.

      We have the high efficient bulbs and keep everything off when not in use (basically 1-3 lights on at night, study, bedroom, baby room as needed).

      Got kill switches on 4 power points for the entertainment unit down stairs and the 2 computers/entertainment unit upstairs. Kill them with the remote when not in use. Even with the 2 PCs on the draw is about 0.230 kW/H (seasonic power supply = win). Idle power use with everything off except the fridge/hotwater/alarmclock is about 0.05 or so.

      Basically for us the key was to kill it at the wall.

      • 

        onlyletters on 01/06/2012 - 12:49

        Seasonic Power Supplies are great for minimal pc power consumption!!

  • 

    VBO on 31/05/2012 - 15:09

    +2

    20% is off the usage so you won't have $40 off per quater.

• 

  Cluster on 31/05/2012 - 14:27

  This deal might be good for those that want to do something positive for the environment (generate renewable electricity) and not care about a financial return too much.

  Locking in a 10 year contract does make me wonder however, what happens if you move house after 5 years? Do the new home owners become locked into the contract too or do you have to pay up to cover residual costs?

  • 

    Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:30

    +1

    You still get a decent financial return even at 20%

    $1600 off a 200/quarter bill
    $2400 off a 300/quarter bill
    $3200 off a 400/quarter bill
    (edit: Over the life of the 10 year contract)

    Not sure on what happens if/when you move. Interesting question.

    • 

      Cluster on 31/05/2012 - 14:36

      Looking at it over 10 years, getting 20% off your bill every year by spending just $89 up front is a good deal, assuming you never want a larger system to be installed over the next decade. RECs are only issued once.

      People looking at this deal should also factor in the cost of an import/export digital meter. I have to have one installed soon and it costs a little over $300.

    • 

      _Bruce_ on 31/05/2012 - 14:37

      +1

      Note that these numbers assumes 20% off your CURRENT bill and rate, which is likely to be where the deal falls down.

  • 

    TolMolKeBol on 31/05/2012 - 14:45

    They want you to put a clause in your contract stating the owner sign up for power from their retailer only until the end of the 10yr lease period, not sure if i want to buy a house with that clause attached!

    • 

      davedave on 31/05/2012 - 16:47

      +1

      Really?! Is that confirmed? Do we know who their retailer is and what their prices are from which to deduct "up to 20%"?

• 

  mskeggs on 31/05/2012 - 14:28

  It's not a bad deal except it ties up the space on your roof, should you want to install a solar system for your own benefit. I don't think I would be comfortable effectively selling my right to use my roof space for 10 years. That said, you will get a solar system in a decade that will probably keep working for a further 15 years.
  I would also check who is responsible for the system if it get damaged or stolen, and what happens if you want to move house.

  • 

    bargain_finder on 31/05/2012 - 14:31

    It not only ties up your roof space - you also lose out on all solar credits since you've already installed a 1.5kw system at your address.

    • 

      Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:32

      The solar credits are going towards being able to offer the deal for $89 rather than 1500 or 3000 (or 3999 if you believe their RRP).

• 

  mducpham on 31/05/2012 - 14:28

  You have 09 days to book "Must book by 10/6/12. If you fail to make a booking by this time, your voucher will immediately expire" and with the amount of calls they will get during that period of time, if you cannot get through -> TOUGH LUCK! no thanks from me

• 

  alexme on 31/05/2012 - 14:29

  Very interesting deal… it might be good for some people.

  What I found personally is that if you take out a loan over 4+ years (personal loan or put it on the home loan) and get solar panels that the amount you save on electricity will cover your loan repayments so at the end of the loan period you get free electricity! I installed with Solar Consultants a few weeks ago and keep looking at my electricity meters, it seems to be working well for me even though it's on the east facing roof.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 31/05/2012 - 14:30

  +1

  T a great deal. I just called them but they don't do Sydney :( I would have been on that for sure.

  • 

    davedave on 31/05/2012 - 16:21

    Thye don't do Sydney ?! Nothing in the deal tells us that. If you bought the deal and then found they didn't do Sydney would you lose your $89? Where do they do?

• 

  Ibuyonlineonly on 31/05/2012 - 14:34

  Thanks everyone for your input so far. I will take everything on board when considering this. My bills are around $400 per quarter so I assume I'd break even fairly quickly.

  As far as booking within 9 days, they have an email address dedicated for that so I assume as soon as I email them within the time frame it counts as a booking and if they don't respond and void my voucher then thats grounds for higher escalation.

  I will update again once I receive a phone call from them to clarify all the above.

  Cheers.

  • 

    Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:37

    Yeah, at 400/quarter you'll cover your $89 in 4-5 months with the 20% saving.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 31/05/2012 - 14:44

    but is it 20% off your current bill, or is it 20% off the full retail rate? big difference.

    • 

      Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:49

      That's a question for the company =).

• 

  Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:39

  One thing worth considering for anyone looking at this is "standard installation" as well.

  This often means single storey, 10-30% roof incline and a specific roof type. Anything else and you're up for specialized frames and crane hire which could completely nuke your potential returns.

  You may also have to pay a hundred or two to upgrade your meter box to allow … whatever it is they do in there.

  • 

    Cluster on 31/05/2012 - 14:52

    True. There are lots of extra hidden costs. All solar installers assume steel roofing. Tiled rooves usually attract a small surcharge.

    The other 'gotcha' is the mains switch. Older houses don't have them and Unleash Solar stated to a family member that it's now a requirement. Cost? $150 to install the switch. About 5 minutes of work (the electrician is there anyway to install the inverter), $10 for the switch. Paid in cash of course, no receipts. Dodgy++

    I also wonder what happens if the parent company goes bankrupt. It's not unheard of for solar installers to hit financial trouble at the whims of government legislation or market forces. 10 years is a very long time. Could receivers come in and take the panels? Could the finance company repossess them? Could the new owners of the company change contract conditions? Read the fine print.

    • 

      davedave on 31/05/2012 - 16:29

      Good questions. And what if the energy retailer goes out of business like Jackgreen did?

• 

  davedave on 31/05/2012 - 14:40

  +4

  Don't get too enthusiastic about the 20% off. 20% off what? Anyone can put prices up 20% and then give you 20% off.

  Also note the third line of highlights says "save up to 20%". I would explore what "up to" means.

  Definitely would want to see the 10 year contract before buying and committing.

  • 

    Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:48

    Unless the one company is in cahoots with every major electricity company you're not going to see your bill magically spike by 20% to cover the given "saving".

    The 20% is probably what they figured out would give them a certain profit over the 10 years lifespan.

    Just some numbers.

    A 1.5kW system produces something like (average/day/year) 6kW of power a day (on a good day). With a Brisbane feed in rate of ~50c you're making $3 a day or $1095/year. This means they are making about $10950 from the feed in. Based on a $400/quarter bill, you'll save $3200 over the 10 years (20% off your bill). This leaves them with a profit of $7750. After expenses of supply and install (lets use their figure of ~4000) they are probably looking a proft of $3,750 after 10 years or about $1 a day.

    • 

      _Bruce_ on 31/05/2012 - 14:50

      You are assuming they aren't locking you into a supply contract.

      • 

        Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 14:58

        Yup, again, another question for the company before buying.

        Never enough info on this stuff but the premise still seems solid if you had no other plans.

      • 

        davedave on 31/05/2012 - 16:16

        I can't imagine what the 10 year contract is other than locking you into a supply contract for 10 years - I'd love to know for certain.

    • 

      Evil-Elmo on 31/05/2012 - 15:54

      You're also assuming you export that full 6kW per day. In reality, most households will be using at least some power (e.g. fridge) which will reduce the export amount.

    • 

      davedave on 31/05/2012 - 16:20

      Noraneko - I am not expecting the bill to spike by 20% then to get 20% off. But as others have pointed out, you can get 10%-17% off standard prices with ease, so giving you 20% off may be only really an extra 3% to 10% over what you would be paying.

      And as others have pointed out, you won't export your full gen, because some would be used onsite.

• 

  pilchard on 31/05/2012 - 14:44

  any ideas what electricity prices will be in 10 years time? Can these people put up rates at will?

  • 

    davedave on 31/05/2012 - 14:50

    That's the key question - what are the rates going to be from which you will then get "up to 20%" off?

    And is it "up to 20%" off net or gross. So if I say use 1000 kWh and generate 300 kWh, so I net import only 700 kWh, will I pay for 700 kWh minus up to 20%, or the full 1000 kWh minus up to 20%?

• 

  oz-dxer on 31/05/2012 - 14:47

  It would be interesting to see what the current kWh and supply rate is from this vendor.

• 

  bonazoo on 31/05/2012 - 14:54

  YOU kidding 10 years lock in! Just like the banker said "the interest rate is follow by the cost and profit". Hey that is scary, up to them to over chanrge you and give you happy 20% OFF which still over price.

• 

  batrarobin on 31/05/2012 - 15:07

  I got a 2kw solar system installed for 3400/- just before WA govt's 47cents feed-in tariff scheme was taken away. I must say it's been one of my best investments so far…. NO electricity bills to pay…and rather I get about $170 every two months from the govt…

  I think I will be recovering all the cost in about 3 years !

  • 

    Noraneko on 31/05/2012 - 15:12

    Who did you go through and what sort of panels/inverter did you get?

    I got a quote the other week for some aledgedly german designed panels and inverter, but I got the feeling they were still made in china. Quote was… ~7000 for a 2.66kW.

    • 

      Cluster on 31/05/2012 - 15:26

      I had a 4.94kw system with Aurora inverter (Italian) and Trina mono panels (one of the largest manufacturers in China) installed for $9300 in SA a month ago. Prices are a bit higher now as the REC multiplier is being reduced July 1, and REC prices have dropped.

      But $7k for 2.66kw sounds very excessive.

  • 

    naira on 31/05/2012 - 15:59

    if the 47cents tariff was taken away then surely you won't be getting $170 every month. Are you saying that they took the 47cents and replace it with a smaller value?

    I got the 2kw solar system here in QLD. Gov't still pays 50cents. For now we don't pay any electric bills but if government reduces the feedin tariff to 25cents then we might be paying about $80/qtr.

• 

  BenMHarvey on 31/05/2012 - 17:16

  -2

  I'm confused why people are negging this isn't a bad offer

  Your getting a $2000 System (Roughly the street price) for $89

  Your getting 20% off your bill Plus whatever you feed back into the system so a great chance of $0 bills so yes your helping them supply electricity (who really cares?)

  Your getting a 10 year warranty now how many people have we heard had to fork out big cash to replace inverters? LOL you won't have a cent to pay for 10 years not bad.

  Only griped i'd see is if you move house within 10 years what the termination fee would be or if they reclaim the system

  • 

    davedave on 31/05/2012 - 17:20

    BenMHarvey

    I think there is only one neg so far.

    Many of the rest of us feel we don't understand enough about the deal to be positive or negative.

    You say: "Your getting 20% off your bill Plus whatever you feed back into the system". How do you know that?

    First, it's up to 20%, and I don't think we know for sure what that means.

    Second, we don't know 20% off what.

    Third, how do you know that the consumer will get any value for whatever they feed back into the grid? Where does it say that?

    See what I mean?

    • 

      BenMHarvey on 31/05/2012 - 17:48

      Clear as day in regards to 20% off your bill:

      "Not only will they install a Solar PV System free of charge but will give you a 20% discount of your electricity consumption for the entire life of the contract"

      That is a fairly straight forward statement 20% discount on your consumption. So whatever I consume is 20% off

      Now yes it's vague on the fact you can't be sure your going to get value in what you feed back ie does this offset your bill and pay you coin? SO I can understand this but it I'd also say the ACCC would be suss if your not seeing any value in having a solar system I think it's more or less implied

      • 

        davedave on 31/05/2012 - 19:32

        BenMHarvey

        You say that getting value for generation is "more or less implied". I would tend more to the "less" end of that scale.

        I am not sure you see value for what you generate and use in-house, let alone what you export.

        Seems to me that you are promised some kind of "up to 20%" discount on what you use, and nothing on what you generate.

  • 

    BenMHarvey on 31/05/2012 - 17:49

    In regards to the second statement they clearly say its a $3999 system so you compare it to a system you'd outlay $3999 for you without a doubt would be credited for feeding back into the system if they don't do this you could take serious legal action against them

    • 

      bargain_finder on 31/05/2012 - 18:58

      That is the reason for the neg my friend!

    • 

      mskeggs on 31/05/2012 - 20:52

      I disagree with this interpretation. I think it is pretty clear they will take the RECS and any feed-in tariff earnings for 10 years.
      Otherwise they are selling a $3000 system for $89. The feedin credits are where they will make their money. Also, it doesn't say 20% off your current bill. I expect it will be 20% off the tariff they specify with their supplier.

      • 

        bonazoo on 01/06/2012 - 11:22

        yes.

        they got 10 year credits of what the panels make +
        you will lock in for their supplier for 10 years (what 20% off with?)+
        $89 fee

  • 

    hanofee on 31/05/2012 - 17:53

    It's not $2000 vs $89. $2000 you get the unit as yours and you're entitled to the feed back, while this one is just like renting the pannel. So, it's like apple to orange.
    Now, the 20% said to be from usage (not including that fixed service fee they're charging?) and some retailers might be able to give you that discount (or close to it) if you negotiate. That's without long 10 years contract, giving your roof space for leasing, etc.
    I'm not saying it's a bad offer, but I'd rather negotiate with my energy company to get comparable savings without leasing my roof space.

  • 

    bargain_finder on 31/05/2012 - 18:56

    You are only getting 20% off your usage, this does not include any feed in tarrifs, as any power you generate is taken up by this company

• 

  IVI on 31/05/2012 - 17:47

  Hey, folks, if it gets PV panels generating RENEWABLE electricity on more roofs (eg, those of landlords, who wouldn't get them up there, if it weren't "dirt cheap"), I say GREAT DEAL!

  • 

    bargain_finder on 31/05/2012 - 18:59

    I'm not sure who would rent your property if you ask them to be tired down to this electricity retailer…i wouldn't

  • 

    davedave on 31/05/2012 - 19:36

    IVI

    What makes you think landlords will go for this?

• 

  djb on 31/05/2012 - 19:20

  Testimonials on their website seem to be N.S.W. and Queensland customers. The few that mention power company mention Energex with no good feedback about them. As we all know, testimonials on a company website never include bad testimonials. Too many unknowns and inconsistencies. If it were a fair and good deal, why not be more transparent, and provide ALL details? They don't even seem to mention this arrangement on the website, only sales of systems outright. But they do mention how to fund a solar system!
  You can all make up your own minds. I have. Forget it!

  • 

    fishandchips on 31/05/2012 - 19:28

    Better report this to ACCC, all people that get sign up will get stings hard for the electricity bill in the next 10 years, better don't sign up

    • 

      davedave on 31/05/2012 - 19:39

      What is there to report to ACCC? The detail will be in the 10 year contract which we haven't seen.

• 

  onlyletters on 31/05/2012 - 19:34

  Not worth the trouble, sounds like there is a big catch behind all of this.. Wait until BLUEGEN comes out.. Solar doesn't provide much savings at all..

• 

  Ibuyonlineonly on 31/05/2012 - 20:07

  +1

  They finally gave me a call at 6pm. Its pretty much as what has been described above by some.

  10 yr contract, have to change electricity provider to the one they are using. They cannot name the provider but said the rates were similar to Origin Energy.
  20% off total consumption excluding gst and service fees. If you sell or move within the 10 yr period you can sign it over to the next owner of the house or choose to pay off the panels based on a depreciating value etc…
  After 10 yrs you are free to choose whichever provider you want.

  They did a google streetview search of my address and based on that they assured me it was a standard install and that I met minimum requirements, so $89 no more to pay.

  The tariff rates they quoted me were pretty much identical to what I am currently paying through AGL:

  Peak - $0.20690
  Tarrif 31 - 0.0844
  Tarrif 33 - 0.1249

  I currently get a 5% discount through my current provider so effectively I am getting an additional 15% off my total consumption. So the way I look at it is basically I'm paying $89 upfront and receiving an additional discount to my total electrity bill over the next 10 yrs with solar panels installed and full warranty and maintainence for the whole 10 yrs. They are obviously making money out of this but I'm still saving $$?

  I have till midnight to decide and if anyone else can see if this is a really bad idea feel free to voice your opinion but pls don't neg. I'm not in a position to pay a few thousand for these panels and wait 3-4 yrs to break even so this is a cheaper alternative for me is it not?

  • 

    davedave on 31/05/2012 - 20:35

    Your references to Tariff 31 and Tariff 33 mean you are in Qld. Anyone know what discounts you can generally get in Qld?

    Price increases on these tariffs from 1 July were announced today - those tariffs are going up by about 30% from 1 July.

  • 

    davedave on 31/05/2012 - 21:06

    Are the terms and conditions of supply of the (unnamed) provider the same as for the one you are currently with? eg number of days allowed to pay bills, late payment fees, charges for credit card payments, etc.

    Is there any guarantee that the unnamed provider's rates will not increase over the 10 year period more than other providers' rates?

• 

  Ibuyonlineonly on 31/05/2012 - 20:41

  Yes I am in QLD..this particular deal is only available in Brisbane

  • 

    mskeggs on 31/05/2012 - 20:55

    Do you have enough roof space so if you wanted to add a second solar system in future (for your own benefit) you could?
    It would suck if power prices keep rising and panel prices keep falling and you couldn't get the benefit because your roof was all taken up with these guys system.

• 

  perkinma on 31/05/2012 - 22:45

  +1

  A big red neg from me for the following reasons:

  1. They have refused to name the power provider that you will be contracting to for the 10yr period (refer post from Ibuyonlineonly). So can't do any due dilligence about the provider - who will be a major part of the overall deal.
  2. Ibuyonlineonly has asked about the tarrifs (hope he asked whether they included or excluded GST…), but what about the supply charges? What is the value of any and all charges that may be levied during the life of the contract. No point having cheap tariffs if the fixed supply charges are huge.
  3. The whole contract thing is a big question mark. Lots of people above have made many assumptions above which may or may not be correct, but for me it is a must that a copy of all contracts be provided for review prior to commitment. Not going to speculate about any pros or cons of what may or may not be in the contract - but its dodgy that it is not linked (I have scoured dozens of pages for hours looking for it).
  4. Only 10 days to make a booking and the booking must be within the next 30 days "- Voucher valid 1/6/12 - 30/6/12. - Must book by 10/6/12" or you lose your money. This looks like an artificially small and constrained window which will reduce the likelihood of being able to get an agreed installation date. No date, lose voucher, lose money.
  5. Installation costs are subject to change without notice and exit fees are then applicable. Dodgy. I would be worried about getting slugged with a bill after the install was finished.
  6. Exit fees must be clarified. What are the exit fees worth? How are they calculated? Do they apply from the moment you buy the voucher? This is particularly important because the supply fees and tariffs are not fixed. If they jump 50% next year what will it cost to exit the deal?
  7. Green Initiatives Australia is not registered for GST which seems quite unusual to me. http://www.abr.business.gov.au/SearchByAbn.aspx?abn=19743760…. May be of more significance for business / commercial buyers however.
  8. I think this statement "Features quality Panel Brand Australian standard solar panels from reputable manufacturer Sungen" is implying that SunGen is an Australian company. It is not, it is based in Hong Kong. http://www.sungen.com/en/aboutus01.php. Nothing against Hong Kong, just shouldn't be implying that it is Australian.
  9. The Green Initiatives Australia website lists that their preferred solar panel providers are Light Way Australia and Sun-Earth. So why are they using SunGen for this deal? http://greeninitiatives.com.au/solar-power/sub-page-11/
  10. Clean Energy Council membership is tied to individuals not companies so can't confirm much here. But might be worth confirming that your installation will be done by the accredited person, whoever that might be. http://www.solaraccreditation.com.au/acccec/consumers/findan….
  11. No statement about what state the installation must be left in at the end of the 10 years. If two of the panels fail after 9 years and they don't want to replace them for the last year of the contract, what recourse do you have? This is important to know because after 10yrs your system may be essentially worthless.
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  Daedalus on 31/05/2012 - 22:53

  Horrible deal. Why not just install the unit yourself? The payback period is way less than 10 years. After the payback period its free electricity + profit

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  davedave on 01/06/2012 - 00:42

  The Spreets deal is over now. Question is: was the OP one of the 25 who bought the deal?

  Note to OP: This offer was apparently only for Brisbane. That was not obvious from the post

  T&C say: Metering cost applies for NSW and SA customers only
  Very misleading

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  Geewhizz on 01/06/2012 - 06:11

  I have till midnight to decide and if anyone else can see if this is a really bad idea feel free to voice your opinion

  It IS a really bad idea, based entirely on the fact that they're pressuring you into making a rushed decision, without any facts to base it on - simple things such as the energy provider, for instance.

  If you did sign up, please be aware that you legally are entitled to a cooling off period. If you end up $89 out of pocket for having purchased the deal and don't use it, I suspect you'll be better off than if you actually did commit to the 'deal'.

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    davedave on 01/06/2012 - 07:35

    That's a good point re cooling off period. That would presumably be in the fine print of the 10 year contract that we haven't yet seen.

    I'd love to see a copy of that contract - which the OP will presumably get if they DID take up the offer before midnight.

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  Ibuyonlineonly on 01/06/2012 - 09:26

  +1

  Hi guys,

  I have taken the advice from above and held off purchasing this deal. Main reason being too many unanswered questions and also unknowns and having to pay $89 to find out later. If the business was more forthcoming with information they would probably have less skeptics.

  Pretty sure this deal will come back again so will wait till next time to ask more qs.

  Thanks all.

  • 

    davedave on 01/06/2012 - 10:21

    Wise to hold off if you are unsure and feel pressured and feel the supplier isn't being totally open

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    hanofee on 01/06/2012 - 12:05

    I agreed with davedave. Unless your goal is simply about environmental aspect, this is not a great deal economically (not to say, looks too many restriction and fine print).
    Not sure in QLD, but 20% discount of usage is certainly not unheard of (with or without solar panel). Depending your usage, this 20% discount might be comparable to only 15-17% of total bills (as some provider offer discount on total bills, not only usage). In VIC, one of the retailer offer you exactly that if you're RACV member (2 years contract I think?), and as others pointed above someone can get 17% if you do take an effort to negotiate with your provider or switch if necessary (I also know many friends, myself included, getting 12-14% discount of the total bills, including service fee with no contract or 1 year only). This discount stuff is anyway separate on whether you have solar panel or not. You can always negotiate the discount first, then getting solar panel yourself to get the feed-in tariff on top (if you want to).
    My point is, you're giving part of your property to someone to generate income for them, essentially for free (oops, you actually do have to pay $89 plus all the hassles), only to have them negotiated the electricity discount for you as exchange (no, I'm not saying it's easy to negotiate yourself, but it's doable), which economically doesn't make any sense for me

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    ozguy on 03/06/2012 - 12:16

    It's ba-ack! http://tinyurl.com/7o4k6c5

    After seeing the renewed deal, I found my way to this expired thread and read the discussion with interest. I don't think I'll pursue the deal, but it's probably going to suit some.