As early as 2007, 8,000 US dollars brought 1 kW of solar collectors to their roof. Today Aldi 6 KW Panels and a 4.6 kWh (usable) battery promises to be installed for the same money. We observe something that I call the “Aldification of Solar” – the race of the huge retailers in order to hit a discount day on a specialist service.
While Aldi immerse yourself in inexpensive electrical installations, Bunnings now offer EV chargers from $ 699.
Welcome to 2025, where you can get a licensed electrical installation with your sausage.
Everyone loves a bargain
Look, I’m not here to mock low prices. Who doesn’t love to grab a reduced, cordless drill at Bunnings? For a specific model, you will receive the same guarantee and performance, regardless of whether you have paid top dollars or received half the price.
The same applies to basic foods. Years ago I worked in a British factory in which flour for high-end supermarkets and flour for discount shops run through the same bag machine.
One morning someone invited the machine with boutique packaging that was sold for an arm and a leg. The next was a discount supermarket bag that was sold to a fraction of the costs (6p per bag of flour if I remember right). As far as I was able to assess, the content did not change.
But while simple white flour flour is-gegal like the pocket, compliant electrical installations can look the same on one offer and, however, hide large differences in the long-term quality.
Solar is not the same as a bag of flour
Australian standards often contain “target” and should clauses. Should ‘should’ is strict: do it or it is not legally compliant. “Should” be a best practice tip.
Take the Australian standard for solar installations: AS/NZ 5033. Section 2.2.2 says that the installation program should enable the thermal expansion between the panels, but I have lost the number of solar modules I have seen, which I really reduce against each other have.
This could still be technically installed on code, but it is not great for the longevity of the system, and it is a perfect example of where “good enough” may not be good enough over time.
With a solar or EV charging, a team rises on their roof, modifies their measuring box and decides how to guide cables through their home forever. Skills, attention to detail and an eye for aesthetics are not always cheap.
So take your flour from Aldi, get a drill of rabbits and save a dollar where you can. But when it comes to having your millions of dollar house1 on the sun or its $ 60,000-EV, take a moment to ask: Is the price your only criteria?
If you choose the budget option, please do your homework in the contract company that check the online unresolved 1 star reviews. If the Big Box retailer does not reveal the details of the installer on the quote – I think that’s a big red flag.
Phase Shift is a new weekly opinion column of the solar quotes founder Finn Peacock, which was published every Saturday morning in the Solarquotes blog.
Footnot
- In September 2024, the average price reached a new high of $ 985,900 ↩
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