An Australian solar installer must pay $10,000 in fines after submitting false claims that he was on-site for follow-up inspections of his Melbourne jobs. He was in another state at the time.

Here's what to know

Australia's Clean Energy Regulator determined that a Victorian solar installer was in another state during Melbourne installations he claimed to have attended. In court, the installer admitted to deliberately submitting false statutory declarations, according to SolarQuotes.

Solar Accreditation Australia also suspended the installer's accreditation alongside his conviction.

In the regulator's view, signing off on work without attending undermines supervision safeguards intended to ensure installations meet required standards. Accredited installers must be present for job setup, an installation-progress check, and testing and commissioning.

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More background

An investigation into 24 installations found missing electrical safety certificates, false or misleading installer statements, and attendance failures. The regulator's quarterly compliance update detailed a three-year exclusion for the accredited installer involved.

The findings do not show that the installations were inherently unsafe. Attendance and paperwork violations are not evidence of defective electrical work. The violations detailed above were more about installer integrity than defective workmanship.

Clean Energy Regulator Chair Tony Chappel said the agency still did not consider fraud systemic, despite continued rule-breaking by some participants, according to SolarQuotes.

What can be done?

Solar Accreditation Australia's register allows homeowners to verify an installer's accreditation. Homeowners can ask their retailer which accredited installer will do the work before it begins.

Accreditation is held by individual installers, not by the installation companies, so checking the business name alone is not enough.

For an installer supervising rather than performing the work, required on-site attendance covers setup, a midpoint installation check, and testing and commissioning. Homeowners can confirm the responsible installer's presence on installation day.

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Homeowners shouldn't have to police the industry they fund and invest their hard-earned money in. Australia's Clean Energy Regulator is making the verification process easier, improving integrity, and allowing homeowners to check installers one by one.

Where can I learn more?

These stories describe more solar installation problems, from disappointing savings to installer bankruptcies, missing paperwork, and trouble getting support.

• In Texas, a homeowner says solar saved just $32 while payments reached $417.

• Florida seniors call rooftop solar their biggest financial mistake after their installers went bankrupt.

• A Virginia homeowner paid $129,000 for solar but says power bills reached $400.

• A Missouri homeowner learned the installer never submitted final paperwork after calling the utility.

• A UK buyer chose a pricier solar installation for support, but says the installer stopped responding.

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