Solar quote checklist for Traralgon homeowners

Run this list over any solar or battery quote you receive in Traralgon or the Latrobe Valley. It follows the order the job runs: before you sign, before the install date, on the day, and after the system is finished. Each tick can be checked yourself on a public register or against paperwork the installer should hand over.

The checks apply whoever you hire. Quotes arranged through this site come from independent businesses that are responsible for their own design, pricing and installation, as described on the about page.

Before you sign: is the quote complete and the installer qualified?

Tick	What to check	Where to check it
☐	The quote is in writing and names the brand and model of every panel, inverter and battery	The quote itself
☐	The panels and inverter appear on the Clean Energy Council approved lists, and any battery is on the approved battery list	CEC approved products
☐	The person who will design and install the system holds Solar Accreditation Australia accreditation, with battery endorsement if a battery is included	SAA accreditation status check, searchable by accreditation number or by first and last name
☐	The business is a Registered Electrical Contractor in Victoria	Energy Safe public registers
☐	The electrician holds a current Victorian licence	Energy Safe’s Licensed Electrical Worker Search, linked from the registers page
☐	The retailer is an approved seller under the New Energy Tech Consumer Code	Find an Approved Seller
☐	If you are claiming the Solar Homes rebate, the retailer is a Solar Victoria authorised retailer	Solar Victoria
☐	The price states whether STCs and any rebate have already been deducted	The quote itself
☐	Product warranties and a workmanship warranty are written down, with who you contact to claim	The quote and contract

SAA accreditation belongs to a person rather than a company, so ask for the installer’s name or accreditation number and look it up. A company logo on the quote tells you nothing about the individual who turns up. The Energy Safe searches sit behind a CAPTCHA, so allow a minute for each one.

The New Energy Tech Consumer Code is voluntary. An approved seller has signed up to its standards on sales, installation and after sales support, and an updated version of the code takes effect on 1 December 2026.

Compare quotes line by line, not just on the total. The Traralgon solar and battery rebates guide explains which discounts should already appear in the price. If something is missing, a second opinion is worth having: you can request a second solar quote and paste the line items into the form.

Before the install date: are the approvals in place?

Tick	What to check	Why it matters
☐	AusNet has issued pre-approval for the system, showing the generation and export limit	Pre-approval is needed before installation starts
☐	The export limit on the approval matches what the quote assumed	The limit is set by AusNet, not the salesperson
☐	For a Solar Homes rebate: Solar Victoria has confirmed your eligibility	Installing before approval means no rebate
☐	For a Solar Homes rebate: you have received your QR code by email	The installer needs it on the day
☐	The install date falls within 120 days of the QR code being sent (270 days for a home under construction)	Outside the window the approval lapses
☐	You know where the inverter and any battery will be mounted	Solar Victoria advises keeping batteries out of direct sun and out of uninsulated, unshaded metal sheds

How AusNet works out the export figure, and why it can be lower than a neighbour’s, is in the AusNet export limits guide.

On installation day: what should you see?

1. The QR code is scanned before any work starts. For a Solar Homes job, the installer scans it on site to confirm an authorised installer is doing the work.
2. The accredited installer is there at set up. The Clean Energy Regulator requires the installer to complete or supervise the job and attend the site at three points: job set up, a mid installation check, and testing and commissioning.
3. Photos are taken at each of those three stages. The Clean Energy Regulator says the photos must show the installer’s face and carry date, time and location data, and cannot be taken later.
4. The products fitted match the quote. Read the labels on the panels, inverter and battery against the model numbers you were quoted.
5. The shutdown procedure is shown to you. Ask the installer to walk you through turning the system off safely, and check that the procedure is displayed near the switchboard or inverter.

After the install: is the paperwork finished?

Tick	What to check	Timing
☐	An independent Licensed Electrical Inspector has inspected the work	Within 8 business days of the work finishing, arranged by the electrician
☐	The system has not been switched on before the inspection	It cannot be turned on, or left on, until it is inspected
☐	You have your copy of the Certificate of Electrical Safety	Within 4 days of the certificate being completed
☐	AusNet’s post installation step and meter reconfiguration are done	After installation, as the last steps in AusNet’s process
☐	You have the product manuals, warranty documents and monitoring login	At handover
☐	Your first bill after reconfiguration shows exports	First billing cycle

Energy Safe Victoria sets out the inspection and certificate rules on its Certificates of Electrical Safety page. Under the Electricity Safety Act 1998 and the general safety regulations made under it, solar and battery systems are prescribed work, which is why the independent inspection is required. Keep the certificate with your house papers. You may need it to sell the home, claim a warranty or prove compliance for a later upgrade.

What paperwork should you keep together?

Put these in one folder, paper or digital, as soon as the job is finished:

• the signed quote and contract, with any variations agreed in writing;
• the AusNet approval showing your approved generation and export figures;
• for a rebate job, the Solar Victoria eligibility email and the final invoice showing the rebate line;
• the Certificate of Electrical Safety;
• serial numbers for the inverter, battery and a sample of panels;
• product warranty documents and the workmanship warranty;
• the single line diagram or system design, if the installer provides one.

A future buyer, insurer or repair electrician will ask for most of these. Having them on hand also makes an upgrade quote quicker, because the next installer can see exactly what is on the roof.

Who honours the warranty if the retailer closes?

Ask this before signing. Energy Matters reports that around 600,000 Australian solar systems, about 31% of those installed, are now orphaned because the business that installed them has stopped trading. When that happens the workmanship warranty is generally lost, and a manufacturer claim can be harder to make without the original installer’s records.

Questions that reduce the risk:

• Does the panel or inverter maker have its own Australian office and claims process?
• Will the retailer give you copies of the design, compliance records and serial numbers at handover?
• Is the workmanship warranty backed by anyone other than the retailer?

If your existing system is already orphaned, the solar inverter replacement page covers what to do when it starts to fail.

Which checks matter most for a first system?

If you are short on time, these five catch most problems:

1. Brands and models named in writing.
2. The installer’s SAA accreditation looked up by name.
3. AusNet pre-approval issued before the install date.
4. For a rebate, the QR code received before anyone climbs on the roof.
5. The Certificate of Electrical Safety in your hands after the inspection.

For a first system on a home with no panels yet, the solar panel installation page explains how to size it.

Next step: get a second quote to check against

If you already hold a quote and want another to compare, send your quote details for a second opinion. In the enquiry, paste or type:

• each line item from the existing quote, including panel, inverter and battery models;
• the system size in kW and any battery size in kWh;
• whether the price shown is before or after rebates;
• whether AusNet pre-approval has been applied for yet;
• your suburb, so the enquiry reaches a provider who covers it.

Leave out the other company’s name and pricing if you prefer; the models and sizes are enough to quote against.

Send a job enquiry