Australian government orders solar install quality investigation

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Australia’s environment minister Greg Hunt has ordered an inquiry into the quality of solar system installations.

The move follows an investigation by Fairfax Media, the publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald, which claimed that systems were failing after as little as one year.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The minister has reportedly written to the Clean Energy Council (CEC) demanding that it open an investigation within a week. The CEC runs an accreditation scheme that gives installers' systems eligibility to the government support.

Hunt has clashed publicly with the solar industry in recent months, launching a personal attack on John Grimes, CEO of the Australian Solar Council, over its campaign targeting marginal seats. Hunt called Grimes “a total failure of an industry leader” during a radio interview.

While the report and the response by Hunt can be construed as political, a survey by the consumer watchdog, Choice, found high incidences of consumer dissatisfaction with the quality for the solar installs.

It found in January that 32% PV owners had an issue with their installer and 25% had experienced problems with their system itself. One in 10 people said they had had to replace their inverter.

These figures are far higher than those found by the government’s own Clean Energy Regulator. In a survey carried out through 2013, it found that 3.3% of almost 4,000 tested systems were unsafe and 9.7% were substandard.

The country has been embroiled in a bitter debate on renewable energy since prime minister Tony Abbott came to power. Funding through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency was curtailed and the country’s Renewable Energy Target still faces an uncertain future.

Read Next

July 2, 2025
Indigenous-led renewable energy company Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation (YEC) has submitted plans for a hybrid wind and solar PV renewable energy project to the Australian government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
July 2, 2025
Robotics company Luminous has received AU$4.9 million (US$3.2 million) via Australia’s Solar ScaleUp Challenge to support deploying its ‘LUMI’ technology at utility-scale solar PV power plants.
July 1, 2025
Spanish independent power producer (IPP) Zelestra has secured financing and reached financial close for its 220MW solar-plus-storage plant in Chile.
July 1, 2025
Independent power producer (IPP) Arevon Energy has closed a US$600 million credit facility to support its solar PV and energy storage portfolio in the US.
July 1, 2025
The UK government has released this week (30 June) its Solar Roadmap, which sets out practical measures to meet the country’s solar PV targets.
July 1, 2025
Solar developer ib vogt has sold a 110MW solar PV plant in Spain to international fund NextPower V ESG, which is operated by investment firm NextEnergy Capital (NEC).

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA