Fast read
In the realm of buying cheap, there's an old adage that rings true: "Buy cheap, buy twice." A 19th-century English poet, John Ruskin, coined the idea in "The Common Law of Business Balance." It suggests that while paying too much may just mean a small monetary loss, paying too little can result in total failure. This concept applies significantly when considering a solar system investment.
Although the upfront cost can be steep, it's essential to view it as a long-term endeavour that will save on electricity expenses for over two decades. Cheaper options often lead to poor quality, increased maintenance risks, and underperformance.
Quality and reliability are paramount when it comes to solar panels, inverters, batteries, system design, installation, and after-sales support. Cutting corners on quality can cost you in the end.
Quality and reliability are paramount when it comes to solar panels, inverters, batteries, system design, installation, and after-sales support. Cutting corners on quality can cost you in the end.
Why should we pay more for Solar?
There are many quotes regarding the risk of buying cheap, including, “buy cheap, buy twice” and “the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten”.
This is perfectly explained by “The Common Law of Business Balance” which is attributed to John Ruskin, a 19th-century English poet. which states;
“It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
Investing in quality solar
When investing in a solar power system for your home or business, it’s crucial to recognise that it’s more than just a cost; it’s a long-term investment. A quality system incorporates a crafted, intricate combination of electrical equipment that ensures seamless, efficient, and powerful operation lasting over 20 years.
While the upfront cost can be significant, ranging from several thousand dollars for a 6.6kW solar system to over $10,000 with a quality solar battery, it’s essential to view it as a means to save on electricity expenses for two decades or more. While the temptation for a cheaper solar quote exists, the reality is that such choices often lead to lower value and increased risks of maintenance, repairs, or underperformance. The key lies in the understanding that quality and reliability are paramount.
There are many points at which buying cheap solar can come back to bite, with further costs down the track; the reality is a chain is only as good as its weakest link so all the below points should be seriously considered when making a decision on which solar system to go for.
Quality products vs cheap solar products
Solar panels
In the market today, you can find a wide variety of panel brands, models, and quality products. However, numerous brands have disappeared over the years due to the installation of poor-quality products, which resulted in costly warranty support.
Although visual differences between solar panels might be subtle, their performance can vary significantly. While many panels offer 400-415W and a 25-year product warranty, their actual performance over time differs.
Certification tests for Australian use are limited to controlled laboratory conditions and do not fully represent real-world performance variations. Quality solar panels excel in all tests in all conditions.
Degradation
All solar panels degrade in performance over time, but the rate of degradation depends on the quality of the solar cells and panels. Research shows that poorly processed or unstable solar cells degrade much faster than well-made, high-quality cells and panels. Some panels lose a significant percentage of their power output, particularly in warmer environments, during the first ten years.
Solar panel warranty and support
While many solar panel manufacturers offer a 25-year product warranty, there’s a substantial difference in the levels of warranty support, panel replacement, and labour costs between manufacturers.
Product warranties are only as good as the solar company that stands behind them. Unfortunately, there has been a continual churn of panel companies leaving the market which leaves customers unsure of who can support them in the event that there is a product failure.
Some panel manufacturers offering extended warranties lack a presence in Australia, shifting the responsibility for warranty support to the importing company. It’s wise to choose a quality brand with an established Australian office known for supporting its products.
Build quality
Despite their simple appearance, solar panels have critical points vulnerable to stress, failure, and even fire. Poor-quality silicon cells with density differences within the structure can generate excess heat, creating hotspots and potential burnout. Average half-cell panels contain over 1,000 soldered connections, which, if not done correctly, can result in resistance and overheating. Furthermore, poor-quality junction boxes and plugs have a known tendency to fail.
Inverters
Solar inverters are the control system or brains for your solar system. It is worth thinking of it as an advanced computer. From sunup to sundown, day in and day out, it constantly monitors both the power from the panels and the power from the grid, making calculations to efficiently convert DC power from the panels to AC power for home use and charging batteries, among other functions.
It also constantly monitors the power from the network to ensure that the inverter can safely stay connected to the network and match the power from the network. It also converts and inverts electricity, and generates heat and stressing components within it when you’re expecting your inverter to work seamlessly and efficiently for at least ten years.
Inverter performance
Opting for a lower-quality inverter to cut costs can result in suboptimal solar system performance and energy loss. Lower-quality inverters work more slowly and utilise less efficient algorithms, making them less effective at tracking and adapting to changes in electricity generation from the panels.
Build quality/failure
Cheaper, lower-quality inverters are more likely to break down earlier, leaving countless households facing replacement costs and system downtime. Ensuring a reliable inverter involves choosing reputable brands, quality equipment, and strong Australian-based support and reviews.
Warranty and support
As for the panels, the backup on warranty and support is very important with inverters. Many inverter brands have come and gone over the last ten years due to poor-quality products, leaving households to replace at their own cost. It is important to ensure that the inverter provided is a reputable brand, quality equipment with an Australian office, a service team, strong reviews, and support.
Batteries
As mentioned above, batteries are expected to run every day for ten or more years, and if poor-quality batteries are used, there are performance and safety risks due to certain lithium chemistries being prone to thermal runaways and fires. As such, it is important to go with quality brands from large companies with history and the capacity to support the product.
System design
Cheap solar ‘cookie cutter’ packages can often underperform because they don’t consider the design and orientation of your roof when designed. A standard design may be good for one home but not for the other. A custom-designed system based on your personal usage patterns, available roof space, orientation future plans etc is most likely to give you the best result long term.
Installation
To save installation costs to save time and money for a cheap solar quote, installers will need to cut corners. Rushing the installation of an inverter, rooftop isolators, and conduits leads to water leaking into the lines, inverter failure, and poor performance.
After-sales support and warranty support
Companies that are selling cheaply are not making the margin to allow them to provide after-sales service and support. If something goes wrong with the solar system, these companies will find it very difficult to get to the site to inspect and repair any issues. They will not have the time flexibility to stop installing.
Quality sales companies will have the time to support you in the future, both for warranty, service issues and even general questions. Quality companies understand that customer service leads to positive customer reviews and referrals.
