Why Choose Smart Solar Energy
Most solar quotes look the same on paper — tier-one panels, CEC-accredited installers, a 25-year warranty. Those are table stakes, not reasons to choose anyone. Here is what actually separates us, and how to check whether a competing quote does the same.
One team for the whole electric home
Solar, battery storage, EV charging, heat pump hot water and climate control, all from the same team. Most installers do solar and hand you a list of other trades.
The quote is the price
Switchboard condition and grid limits are checked before we quote, not discovered on install day. No variations added afterwards.
Sized for what you use
Feed-in tariffs collapsed in Victoria. We size systems around the power you consume, not the power you export.
Why sizing for export no longer works
Until mid-2025 Victoria had a mandated minimum feed-in tariff, and the standard solar pitch was built around it: install a big array, export the surplus, earn it back. That pitch is now out of date.
The Essential Services Commission deregulated feed-in tariffs from 1 July 2025. There is no minimum any more. Market rates sit somewhere around three cents per kilowatt hour, while the same power costs roughly thirty-two cents to buy back in the evening.
That ten-to-one gap is the single most important number in solar right now, and most quotes still ignore it. It changes how a system should be sized, whether a battery makes sense, and what payback actually looks like.
In practice that means we look at when you use power, not just how much. A household that runs heavily after 4pm gets a different recommendation to one that works from home. Our battery calculator works through the same logic if you want to see it for yourself.
What a fixed quote actually means
The most common complaint in Australian solar is a quote that grows. A price is agreed, then the switchboard turns out to need an upgrade, or the roof needs extra safety setup, and several hundred dollars appear on the final invoice.
We check those things during the site assessment, before quoting. If your switchboard needs work, that cost is in the number you sign.
The equipment we install
Every panel, inverter and battery we fit is on the Clean Energy Council approved product list, from manufacturers with an established Australian service presence. That matters less on day one and more in year eight, when a warranty claim needs someone local to answer it.
Panels come from Jinko, Longi, Suntech and Trina. Inverters and storage from GoodWe, FoxESS, Sofar, AlphaESS and Pylontech. We recommend based on your roof and usage rather than pushing one supplier. See solar panels, inverters and battery storage for the full range.
Local to Melbourne's south-east
We install across the City of Casey, Greater Dandenong, Cardinia and Frankston. That is a narrow enough area that we know the housing stock — which estates have modern switchboards, which older streets need upgrades, where tree shading is a real problem, and how each distributor handles connection approvals.
It also means someone can come back. A national installer subcontracting through Melbourne has no reason to return in year six. We do, because we are still working the same streets.
What you get, regardless of system size
- A site assessment before any price is quoted
- Your STC rebate calculated and deducted upfront
- Grid connection paperwork lodged for you
- Installation by CEC-accredited electricians to Australian Standards
- Monitoring set up and explained before we leave
- Warranty claims handled by us, not left with the manufacturer
How to compare any quote
Whether or not you go with us, these are the questions worth asking every installer. A good quote answers all of them in writing.
Five questions to ask
- Has anyone physically inspected the roof and switchboard, or is this quote from a satellite image?
- What STC value is the rebate based on, and is it deducted or claimed later?
- What happens to the price if the switchboard needs upgrading?
- Is the system sized on my usage pattern or on how many panels fit?
- Who handles a warranty claim in year eight — you, or me?
Our installation process sets out what happens at each stage, and the rebate calculator lets you check any rebate figure you have been quoted.
Frequently asked questions
Pricing, warranties, service and what happens after installation.
Are you the cheapest?
Usually not, and deliberately so. The cheapest quotes in Australian solar are typically cheap because something has been left out — switchboard work, tier-one equipment, or the labour to do a tile roof properly. We would rather quote the real number once than discount it and add variations later.
Why does your savings estimate look lower than others?
Because we use current Victorian feed-in rates rather than the old mandated minimum. Feed-in tariffs were deregulated in July 2025 and market rates fell sharply. Calculators still using pre-2025 figures produce savings numbers that no longer hold.
Do you subcontract the installation?
Installation is carried out by CEC-accredited electricians working to Australian Standards. The same team handles the assessment, the install and any service work afterwards, which is why we can come back rather than pointing you at a manufacturer.
What happens if something goes wrong in year eight?
You call us. We diagnose it, and if it is a warranty matter we lodge the claim with the manufacturer on your behalf. That is why we install brands with an Australian service presence — a claim that has to be handled overseas usually is not handled at all.
Do you install more than solar?
Yes. Solar, battery storage, EV charging, heat pump hot water and air conditioning, all from the same team. Sizing them together matters — an EV charger or a heat pump changes what system your home actually needs.
Which areas do you cover?
Melbourne's south-east and regional Victoria, including Cranbourne, Dandenong, Frankston, Berwick and the surrounding suburbs. See service areas for the full list, or send us your address and we will confirm.
Send us your address and a recent bill. You will get a fixed installed price with your rebate already deducted.
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