Solar and battery quote checklist for Byron Bay homes

Before you sign a solar or battery quote, confirm four things: the business holds a NSW electrical contractor licence, the person installing is accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia, every panel, inverter and battery is on the Clean Energy Council approved lists, and the quote names the models, the discount and the warranties in writing. The checklist below takes about half an hour per quote and uses free public look-ups. Work through it for each quote you get, because the Australian Government recommends seeking quotes from more than one retailer or installer.

How do you use this checklist?

Print it or keep it open beside each quote. Tick each item off, and where an item is missing, ask the business to add it in writing. A quote that cannot be completed against this list is not ready to sign. Two or three quotes worked through the same way are far easier to compare than three glossy brochures.

Who are you dealing with?

1. Check the electrical contractor licence. Electrical wiring work in NSW needs a licence regardless of the cost of the job. Search the business name, licence number or ABN on the Service NSW licence check and confirm the licence is current and covers electrical work. If the tool does not find them, Service NSW says to contact NSW Fair Trading.
2. Get the name of the accredited person. Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) accredits individuals, not companies, and it advises getting the installer’s details before installation begins so you can check them (SAA consumers page). Ask for the full name and accreditation number of the person who will design and the person who will install.
3. Check that accreditation is current. Enter the number in the SAA accreditation status check. For a battery, the person needs a battery endorsement for the system to qualify for the federal discount.
4. Ask whether the retailer is a New Energy Tech Consumer Code signatory. SAA describes the NETCC as a voluntary consumer protection program covering marketing, sales, installation and after-sales support. It is not compulsory, but signing up is a commitment the business has chosen to make.
5. Confirm the installer will be on site. The Australian Government’s steps for battery buyers include making sure the installer is present for set-up, installation and commissioning (DCCEEW).

Is the equipment approved and fully named?

6. Panel brand, model and quantity. The Clean Energy Regulator requires that the PV modules and inverters installed are on the Clean Energy Council approved lists for certificates to be created.
7. Inverter brand, model and rating in kW, and whether it is hybrid or battery-ready.
8. Battery brand, model and usable capacity in kWh. Nominal capacity alone is not enough, because the discount is calculated on usable capacity. Check the model on the CEC approved batteries list, which the Clean Energy Council says holds more than 1,000 lithium batteries and is required by networks and the federal scheme.
9. Mounting system and fixings suited to your roof material and to a coastal site. On a house close to the surf, ask what grade of fixing is being used and why.
10. Monitoring. Ask how you will see output and faults, and whether the app works without the installer’s account.

What does the quote cost, and what does it include?

11. Gross price, discount and net price, each shown separately and including GST.
12. The value of the battery discount and when you receive it. DCCEEW lists this as information the installer should give you. Some businesses take it off upfront and some pay it back after installation.
13. Who claims the certificates. If you plan to create and trade STCs yourself through the REC Registry, do not sign over that right in the contract. The battery rebate guide explains the factor, taper and eligibility rules behind the discount.
14. Anticipated payback period, also on the DCCEEW list. Ask what usage figures it is based on.
15. Every extra listed as included or excluded: switchboard work, isolators, meter change, scaffolding, removal of an old system, roof repairs.
16. Payment schedule. How much is due as a deposit, at installation and at commissioning.

If the price itself looks high or low, the solar and battery cost guide shows the published averages and what pushes a job above them.

What warranties should be in writing?

17. Panel product and performance warranty, with years stated.
18. Inverter warranty, with years stated and who you contact under it.
19. Battery warranty, including the years and the warranted throughput or end-of-warranty capacity.
20. Installer workmanship warranty, with years stated.
21. What happens if the business stops trading. Ask whether product warranties can be claimed directly with the manufacturer.

Who handles the grid connection and paperwork?

22. Who lodges the Essential Energy connection application, and when. Essential Energy says a connection application must be submitted through its Essential Connections portal and approved before solar or battery storage is installed.
23. A copy of the Connection Contract. It sets your approved export limit. Essential Energy says the person who applies receives it, and you can ask your retailer or installer for a copy.
24. The meter change. Ask whether the installer or your electricity retailer arranges it, and whether there is a separate charge.
25. Your Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW). In NSW the person who carries out the electrical test must lodge it with Building Commission NSW no later than seven days after the test (NSW electrical compliance requirements). Ask for your copy and file it with the warranties.

The full network side, including what changes from November 2026, is set out in the Essential Energy connection guide.

What should make you pause?

Warning sign	Why it matters	What to ask
No site visit or photo request	Switchboard and roof condition are the usual hidden extras	Can you inspect the board and roof before confirming the price?
Model numbers missing	You cannot check approved lists or compare quotes	Which exact models are you installing?
Battery size given only as nominal	The discount and real storage depend on usable kWh	What is the usable capacity?
Installer name withheld	Accreditation is held by individuals	Who will be on my roof, and what is their SAA number?
Deposit due before network approval	You may be paying for a design the network rejects	Will you refund the deposit if the connection is declined?
Same-day pressure to sign	Discount steps are published dates you can check	When does the battery factor next change?

What is different about getting quotes around Byron Bay?

A few local conditions are worth raising with every business you talk to.

• Wet season timing. According to Byron Shire Council, the heaviest rain arrives in the first five months of the year and peaks in March (Byron Shire Council). Ask how the installer handles rain days, and allow for a later start if you book roof work in those months.
• Salt exposure. Homes in the first few streets back from the beach at Byron Bay, Suffolk Park and Brunswick Heads see more salt spray than hinterland houses at Bangalow or Mullumbimby. Ask whether the mounts, fixings and isolators are chosen for that exposure.
• Older houses. Raised timber cottages and fibro homes may have older switchboards or roofing that needs checking before anything is fixed to it.
• Two councils. Byron Bay, Suffolk Park, Bangalow, Mullumbimby, Ocean Shores and Brunswick Heads are in Byron Shire, while Lennox Head and Ballina are in Ballina Shire. If your house is heritage listed or in a conservation area, check with the right council before work starts.

This site sends your enquiry to an independent business; that business carries out the checks, the design and the installation, and you can read how the referral works on the about page. If you want a quote to put through this checklist, you can request a quote you can check against this list.

Next step: send what an installer needs to quote accurately

When you send your solar quote enquiry, include your suburb, the roof material and number of storeys, photos of the roof and the switchboard with its door open, a year of power bills, and whether the job is panels only, a battery only or the two together. If you already hold a quote, say which checklist items it was missing so the next business knows what to cover. For a first system, the solar panel installation guide explains how sizing works before you ask.

Send a job enquiry