Zip Solar

Good communication. Understood my situation and found a good solution. Installation was professional and done within timeslot. Show details ·  1

Very happy thank you, Andy Matt and Johnny very helpful with application and sign up process. Installation team were great and product looks awesome. Thanks Mark Show details ·  1

Installation nice and tidy and happy with the end result. Show details ·  1

Service was great,installation was successful,time was a bit out but problem solved Show reply

Zip Solar recently installed 8.55kw JaSolar (475w x 18), FoxEss 28.8kwh battery (Eq4800 L6) and FoxEss H1-5-G2 5kw inverter. First contact was late July 25, installed 28 Jan 26. So 6 months start to finish, some of the delay being my fault but mostly due to the explosion of demand caused by the battery rebates that started in July which I was a… Read more ·  1

part of and marketing companies wanting to sign up as much of that demand as possible and hope the delays don’t cause too many cancellations.

So the shorter version given the ups and downs I give them 30/40 and would still do this again with Zip and would recommend them with some qualifications, and that I provide some honest feedback for 2 reasons, so Zip know where they should improve and perhaps more importantly so people have realistic expectations of what can and will happen along the way and make their decisions accordingly.

Sales: 4/10 Price 8/10 Installers 8/10 System 10/10

So long version:

Overall I am extremely happy with this system which so far has meant almost total energy self sufficiency including charging an ev 10/10, the price* (8/10 despite an unexpected additional cost on installation day) and the installation itself, 9/10. Unfortunately whilst I am overall happy, the sales team need to greatly improve and get a failure grade (4/10) because of all the avoidable issues along the way including not being able to provide a fixed price without the additional later costs that could easily have resulted in not being able to pay for the system.

Despite me sending many pictures of my quite old house and its sub standard meter box albeit with a smart meter inside, and detailed measurements and instructions of my array location and battery location requirements, the quote changed many times as they re-examined my information. Each time the quote changed so too did the install date, pushing out 3 weeks each change.

Initially the salesperson said I would not need a meter box upgrade but eventually it became evident that I would. So I hired my own electrician to replace the meter box and he informed me I had 3 phase even though I was not using it. I informed Zip and they immediately required me to upgrade to a 3 phase system at almost $3000 more and a different brand of battery and panels.

I couldn’t afford the new quote and intended to cancel my order. I learned elsewhere that 3 phase was optional and after some negotiation we reverted to single phase, but did not revert to original battery or panel brands, I didn’t really care, both were budget brands and had similar reviews. The original quote was for 18 x 440w panels but upon further evaluation Zip decided they would not fit on my roof but that 16 x 475w would fit, similar output similar price but a new quote, which pushed me back another 3 weeks on install. The new quote also increased my battery from 20kwh to 28kwh but a slightly cheaper brand, again I don’t much care about brands so long as they were government approved. So slightly smaller array slightly bigger battery but another delay.

Sales and installation teams will not commit to install dates until just prior, understandable because installation is weather dependent. After a couple of further delays due to my unavailability I finally got a firm install date and they honoured it.

I had measured my roof many times and was confident 18 panels would fit so I asked them to bring 2 extra panels and if they fit I would pay extra if they didn’t no harm done. They fit, so I got an even bigger array than originally planned, my criticism here is they should have known this all along. If I can figure it out surely a team of professionals can?

Final problem was upon installation the team confirmed my measurements that my inverter would be 15m from my meter box and only 5m is covered free. Every meter away after that had a $100 charge so I was facing an additional $1000 cost.

This is a common tactic and many poor reviews of most budget installers cite additional unexpected charges. That’s why I sent detailed images and measurements to avoid this and asked for but apparently did not get a fixed firm price including all factors. Apparently people send incorrect measurements but expect the agreed price, but my measurements were correct so I was extremely disappointed and somewhat trapped into the additional cost, exactly as other poor reviews of other companies mentioned.

So my final additional bill included the 2 extra panels fitted and the extra cable became $1000, I expected to pay about $400 more for the 2 panels so let’s say they “discounted” my extra cabling to $600. I believe I should only have had to pay for the extra 2 panels but it is what it is and it makes arguing with them half way through installation difficult.

Fortunately I was able to get the extra money that day. I’m not sure if they would have started removing everything if I could not or refused to budge on price but it wasn't worth it to me starting over with another company as rebates are set to decrease.

So my advice to Zip, figure out how to cost in everything when assessing jobs so that these nasty additions don’t happen or as consumers insist on a pre inspection or a rock solid fixed price.

Other than that, long after I’ve forgotten about the problems along the way and a process that should have been weeks instead of months I’m extremely happy to be almost completely energy independent, at a cost the average home owner can afford. Hopefully I get 10 good years at least.

Budget solar marketing companies often earn their reputations and Zip has a slightly better reputation than many others but they could have been a lot better. Having said that, overall 30/40 is still pretty good.

Price: 8/10 (only let down by the additional cable charges) $8999 including the extra $1000 which included the 2 extra panels. Not bargain basement (such as those companies that offer 42kwh batteries at this price but their reviews are scary bad) but pretty good value overall.

Installation: 8/10, very good installation only let down by slightly crooked, not square to roof panel layout, purely cosmetic and a minor complaint, polite workers, zero damage, thorough site clean after, all done in 1 day and all working correctly. Only other let down was very little advice on app use but they did set it all up for me, nothing about system shutdown or reboot etc. Fortunately the app is easy to use, there are ample tutorials on YouTube and system is simple and automatic, so I’m not overly concerned.

System: 10/10 worked perfectly from hand over, exceeded expectations of generation and grid usage (nearly zero since install except deliberate but much reduced off peak ev charging).

Sales team: 4/10 Despite me providing ample photos, measurements, descriptions and requirements the sales team chopped and changed systems and delayed delivery and misinformed me on systems that I could install. Eventually I got what I wanted but it was harder than it needed to be and this is the only part of the process letting them down. Even the $600 extra cable charges would have been acceptable had I known up front, not once the system was almost completely installed. Just be up front with us, we’re sophisticated consumers that just want trustworthy interactions. We also have to have faith you will be around a while for after sales service and your sales team is making it harder to believe your company has longevity.

Having said all that, the most important part of buying solar is getting a competent installation of reliable products, Zip allows you to stipulate some brand choices including budget brands and quotes accordingly and their installation team got it right first time for me.

So on that basis I’d have no issue recommending them. I can’t speculate on after sales problem solving, this is always a risk with budget marketing companies, hopefully the brands I got work for a long time and they warranty their products themselves if the installers disappear. The battery is the biggest proportion of the investment and Fox seems to be growing in popularity so hopefully this means their products are good.

There are top tier companies that only install top tier brands and their prices reflect that, it wouldn’t be uncommon for people to pay over double what I did for the same size systems albeit top rated brands which some of us simply can’t afford.

For those of us on a tighter budget, assuming a reasonable working life of a budget system, it’s better to have a cheaper system than nothing at all. If I were to spend a little more the only thing I might change is perhaps a bigger inverter but for the most part 5kw should suffice.

Total installation cost $8999 for 8.55kw Solar, 28kwh Battery 5 kw Inverter, installed and working better than expected, at the rate it’s going it will have paid for itself in saved bills in about 4-5 years. Zip Solar recently installed 8.55kw JaSolar (475w x 18), FoxEss 28.8kwh battery (Eq4800 L6) and FoxEss H1-5-G2 5kw inverter.

I have installed 42kWh FoxESS solar battery (3 Phase) by Zip Solar two days ago. The installation job is excellent, clean and tidy. The installaion team Peter and Mathew are very professional and polite. The FoxESS software is wonderful to monitor all details of solar energy movement such as battery charging, discharging, home using, grid… Read more ·  1

exporting/importing, etc. You can fully control the battery from the apps on your mobile phone or website login.

After two days of used the FoxESS solar battery, I have recommended the Zip Solar installer and FoxESS solar battery to my friends.

I found few issues with the Zip Solar and I'm waiting for their reply and now I have changed the rating from 5 stars to 2 stars. .....

Issue 1) The new inverter does not have seperated safety swtich to cut off the power. Issue 2) The application fee to the grid (energy) had charged me twice of application fee due to Zip Solar been submitted two application for my installation. I have been chasing Zip Solar this issue for over 3 weeks but I still have not got the solution yet. Issue 3) I found a lot of people have installed the front cover on the Fox ESS inverter but my system does not have it. Is this cover coming with the inverter box?

Update of my issue:

The issue 1) I has been discussed and accepted the explanation of the cut off power switch does not required for my system.

The issue 2) I have received the refund of the double charged application fee.

The issue 3) I have received the inverter cover and installed it now.

Overall, the customer service is good and resposible of the job.

Great service from the get go. Ross was a gun alongside all his colleagues Constant comms and very competitive prices. Team of installers came on time and surveyed the place prior to starting. Came all equipped and prepared. They worked from 9am to 9pm and they left the site once everything was in order, paperwork signed and APP installed and set up on my phone. Couldn't recommend more! Show details ·  1

From the sale's lady Stefanie was very helpful on helping me work out what size system I needed to how many panels I needed & what size battery would suit the system. The installation workers are very polite & very good at there job. So I've no problem giving 5 star's on the service I received. The installation is very neat & tidy. IAM very happy… Read more ·  1

with the whole experience with Zip solar. And most important the system is working as it's supposed to. A big thankyou to the whole Zip solar team that made it possible to have my Solar installation

The solar battery installation went smoothly and was completed in a very professional manner. The installers, Martin and his associate, were highly knowledgeable and took the time to patiently address all my questions. Jerry, who assisted remotely with setting up and explaining the Solarman app for monitoring the battery operation, was very… Read more ·  1

pleasant to deal with. He explained everything clearly and answered all my queries thoroughly. Overall, it was a great experience from installation through to system monitoring.

Amazing service and installation experience. From pre-sales to after sales! Highly recommend Zip solar! Show details ·  1

The team at Zip Solar was very helpfull, especially Justin and Mason. We are very happy with our panels and batteries. Show reply

Zip solar team done a great Job on my solar battery installation from sales Man Brett to Andy and Duke and installer team done great Job for my house.. Show details ·  1

Great job Zip Solar professional, on time and everything works as specified Copper and his team were fantastic,neat and professional.Harvey project coordinator was very helpful and everything run to schedule.Sandy the sales person done a excellent job explaining the product and options .Big thanks. Show details ·  1

I have installed 41.93kw Foxess battery with H3 10.0 smart hybrid inverter inside my garage 4 days ago, the system is working good so far, the guy who connect the inverter is very professional. I am happy with that. My solar 11.44kw solar panel also installed with Zip solar 8 months ago. Show details ·  1

I always said I would add solar batteries to my solar installation when they became affordable. Well, with the very generous government rebate offering, battery storage is now affordable. At first it was difficult to know which company to deal with. I'm not going to lie, there are a lot of angry people online who have spent hard earned money on a… Read more ·  1

solar storage system only to be very disappointed with the outcome. After receiving too many quotes and reviewing scores of reviews I settled on Zip Solar. Their price was good and service was great. My new Sofar Solar Battery Storage System was installed yesterday. I couldn't be happier. This morning when I woke up I checked my Battery levels, 30%. By midday, my 25kw battery stack was 100% full and exporting to the grid. If you want good advice then I would say, "don't swim with sharks, be kind to your mother, and if you want to deal with a guy that will give you a good price and return your phone calls (even after the sale has been finalized and full payment has been made) then ask for Mason from Zip Solar".