How to check an installer will not vanish. Before you pay a deposit.
The long warranty on your solar, battery or EV charger is only as good as the company that has to honour it. Here are the free checks that tell you whether your installer is likely to still be around in ten years — and we would rather you run every one of them on Mission Green too.
Reviewed by Josh, Mission Green Energy Team · Updated July 2026
Why does it matter
who you buy from?
Because "will they still be here in 10 years" is the real question — not just "how cheap is the quote". A huge share of Australian solar systems are already orphaned by companies that have stopped trading.
Solar, battery and EV-charger warranties are written for a decade or more. That promise only means something if the company on your contract is still trading when you need it. When an installer folds, you don't necessarily lose the manufacturer's product warranty — that generally survives and can usually be claimed with the maker or importer if they're still in Australia — but you do lose the installer's workmanship warranty and their after-sales support, which is exactly the part you call when something on your roof stops working.
This is not a rare event. Roughly 600,000 Australian solar systems are "orphaned" — about 1 in 6 to 7 — because the company that sold and installed them has since stopped trading. That figure is an industry estimate by Markus Lambert, compiled from ASIC liquidation and deregistration notices and reported by CHOICE. It's a big enough number that checking who you're buying from is not paranoia; it's basic due diligence, the same as you'd do before any large purchase.
The good news is that the checks are free, quick, and mostly public. This page is the checklist we wish every buyer ran — including on us. If you'd like the flip side, our guide on what to do if your solar installer went bust covers recovery once it's already happened.
What checks actually
matter before you pay?
Seven checks do most of the work. None takes long, most are free and public, and together they separate an established, well-run installer from a here-today operation.
Accreditation — the person and the seller
Confirm the individual installing your system holds current Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) accreditation on the installer register — it's what makes the system eligible for STCs and the federal rebate. Separately, check the company for Clean Energy Council (CEC) Approved Retailer status, the voluntary consumer-protection code. Verify the accreditation number yourself, don't trust a logo.
ABN age vs the "years in business" claim
Look the company up on ABN Lookup and compare how long the ABN has actually been registered against any "X years in business" line in the pitch. A brand-new ABN behind a name that sounds decades old is a flag worth asking about.
Insolvency & director history
Search the ASIC published-notices register for external-administration, insolvency or deregistration notices — against the company and its directors by name. A director who has folded and restarted companies before is the classic phoenixing tell, and it can happen again.
The deposit
Many states cap the maximum deposit a tradesperson can ask for on home-improvement work — often around 10%, but it varies by state, so check your state's fair-trading office. An oversized upfront deposit, or pressure to pay most of the price before equipment arrives, is a genuine red flag.
Every make & model in writing
Insist the quote lists the exact make and model of every component — panels, inverter, battery — with no "or similar" substitution clause. If a company won't put the specific equipment in writing, that tells you something before you've paid a cent.
Reviews — read the complaints
Read independent reviews (such as ProductReview.com.au) for how the company handles problems and warranty claims, not just the star average. A four-star company that answers every complaint well can be a safer bet than a five-star one that goes quiet the moment something breaks.
The right compliance paperwork
Match the paperwork to the job. For an EV charger in NSW, the electrical work needs a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW) from a licensed electrician. For a Victorian heat pump under the VEU program, the installer should be on the VEU register with a licensed-electrician line item on the quote.
How do I verify SAA
and CEC accreditation?
Check the person and the company separately — they're two different things, and both matter for different reasons.
The installer — the person who physically installs and signs off your system — should hold current accreditation with Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA), which you can confirm on the SAA installer register. This is not just a quality badge: an accredited install is what makes your system eligible for the small-scale technology certificates (STCs) that carry the federal rebate. An unaccredited install can cost you the incentive as well as the safety assurance, so ask for the accreditation number and check it against the register yourself.
The company selling you the system is separate. Look for Clean Energy Council (CEC) Approved Retailer status — a voluntary code-of-conduct signatory scheme that signals the seller has agreed to a set of consumer-protection standards. It's not a guarantee of solvency, but a retailer that has opted into a code has more to lose by behaving badly than one that hasn't.
The honest rule of thumb: trust the register, not the brochure. A logo can be copied onto a website; an accreditation number either checks out on the official register or it doesn't. Mission Green works only with SAA-accredited installers, and we're happy for you to verify the accreditation on your specific job.
How big a deposit is
too big?
As small as the contract reasonably allows — and never the full price up front. An oversized deposit shifts the risk onto you if the company stops trading before it finishes.
Many Australian states set a legal cap on the maximum deposit a tradesperson can request for home-improvement work — often around 10%, but it varies by state, so check your state's fair-trading or consumer-affairs office for the exact figure that applies to you. The point of the cap is simple: it stops you handing over most of the money before any equipment or labour has been delivered.
So a deposit that's much larger than that cap, or a push to "pay in full today for this price", is a red flag worth taking seriously. Where you can:
- Keep payments tied to milestones — a modest deposit, then delivery, then commissioning — rather than one big upfront lump.
- Pay by a method with some recourse where possible, rather than a straight bank transfer or cash.
- Be wary of deadline pressure. A genuine deal is still a deal next week; "sign today or lose it" is a sales tactic, not a price reality.
Our own position is straightforward: we'd rather earn the balance by finishing the job well than hold your money before we've done the work. If you want to see how the finance can remove the upfront-deposit pressure altogether, our finance options page lays out the interest-free and low-deposit paths.
Red flags vs green flags
on the quote.
The contract tells you as much as the salesperson. Here's what to be wary of — and what a straight, well-run installer looks like on paper.
"Or similar" substitution
Wording that lets the installer swap your panels, inverter or battery for a different make "of similar quality" without your sign-off. "Similar" can mean a cheaper tier or weaker warranty you only discover once it's on the roof. Strike it out or require written approval for any change.
Oversized upfront deposit
A deposit well above your state's cap (often around 10%), or a push to pay most of the price before equipment lands on site. It moves the risk onto you if the company stops trading mid-job.
A price that's too good to be true
A quote well below every other you've received is usually buying you something you can't see — a cheaper component later, a rushed install, or a company running too thin to be there for the warranty.
Exact makes & models, in writing
Every major component named by make and model, no substitution clause, and a clear staged-payment schedule tied to delivery and commissioning. Specifics are a sign a company intends to deliver exactly what it sold.
Verifiable accreditation & ABN
An SAA accreditation number that checks out on the register, an ABN whose age matches the "years in business" claim, and a clean ASIC published-notices search on the company and its directors.
Reviews that survive problems
Independent reviews showing the company actually answers complaints and honours warranty claims — not just a high star average, but a visible track record of putting things right.
What about an EV charger
or a heat pump?
The trust checks are the same, but the compliance paperwork differs by product and state. Match the document to the job so you're not left with non-compliant work.
EV chargers (NSW). A hardwired home EV charger is electrical wiring work, so it legally requires a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW), issued by a licensed electrician who did or supervised the work. Ask for it — a compliant, professionally installed charger is also the safer choice, since the fire risk from EV charging is low relative to cheap e-bike and e-scooter batteries but does depend on the install being done properly. If you're still deciding, our guide on whether you need an EV charger covers the honest case for and against.
Heat pumps (VIC). For a heat-pump hot water system claimed under the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program, the installer should be on the VEU register, and the quote should include a licensed-electrician line item — the wiring and isolation work legally requires an A-class electrician, so a genuine quote has that cost in it rather than hiding it. Be wary of any "free" or headline-cheap heat pump: VEU rules impose a minimum customer contribution, so a truly zero-cost offer is a compliance flag, not a bargain. Our heat pump hot water guide walks through the honest numbers.
For the underlying "is it worth it at all" questions on the two biggest purchases, see is solar worth it in 2026 and is a home battery worth it — this page is about verifying who you buy from once you've decided what to buy.
Does a failed check mean
"never buy"?
No. These checks stack the odds in your favour — they don't come with a guarantee, in either direction. The point is informed confidence, not fear.
Let's be honest about what a checklist can and can't do. A company can pass every check and still fail — good, well-run installers do go under when a market turns. And a young ABN isn't automatically a bad sign; every established installer was new once. The checks aren't a pass/fail gate so much as a way to ask better questions and know when an answer doesn't add up.
What they reliably do is filter out the clearest risks: the here-today operator with an oversized deposit, the vague quote with an "or similar" clause, the director with a trail of folded companies behind them. Clear those, and you've removed most of the avoidable danger. The rest is judgement — which is exactly where a free assessment and a couple of comparison quotes earn their keep.
And the honest flip side: if you'd rather not run all seven checks yourself, that's fine — but then lean harder on independent reviews and a company's willingness to be verified. A business that welcomes the checks is telling you something a business that dodges them is also telling you.
So — how should you buy?
Here's the recommendation we'd give a friend: run the checks on every quote, ours included, and treat the company's willingness to be verified as part of the product.
Before you pay a deposit, confirm the installer's SAA accreditation and the seller's CEC status, check the ABN age against the "years in business" claim, run an ASIC published-notices search on the company and its directors, keep the deposit within your state's cap, insist on the exact make and model of every component with no "or similar" clause, and read the independent reviews for how problems get handled. For an EV charger or heat pump, make sure the compliance paperwork — a NSW CCEW, a VIC VEU licensed-electrician line item — is there. None of it guarantees the future, but together it removes most of the avoidable risk and tells you whether the company is likely to still be around to honour the work.
Checking an installer?
Your questions, answered.
There is no crystal ball, but a few free checks tell you a lot about whether a company is likely to still be trading in ten years. Look up the business on ABN Lookup and compare how long the ABN has actually been registered against any 'X years in business' claim — a brand-new ABN behind a decades-old-sounding name is a flag. Search the ASIC published-notices register for insolvency, external-administration or deregistration notices against the company AND its directors by name, because a director who has folded and restarted companies before (phoenixing) can do it again. Read independent reviews for how the company handled problems and warranty claims, not just the star rating. None of these is a guarantee — good companies can still fail — but stacked together they separate an established, well-run installer from a here-today operation. It is exactly the kind of check we would rather you run on Mission Green than take our word for it.
As little as the contract reasonably allows, and never the full price up front. Many Australian states cap the maximum deposit a tradesperson can ask for on home-improvement work — often around 10%, but it varies by state, so check your state's fair-trading or consumer-affairs office for the exact limit that applies to you. A deposit that is much larger than that cap, or a push to pay most of the cost before any equipment arrives on site, is a genuine red flag: it shifts the risk onto you if the company stops trading before it finishes. Pay by a method that gives you some recourse rather than a bank transfer or cash where possible, keep the staged payments tied to milestones (deposit, delivery, commissioning), and be wary of any 'pay in full today for this price' pressure. The honest position is that we would rather earn the balance by finishing the job well than hold your money before we have.
Check the person and the company separately, because they are two different things. The individual who physically installs and signs off your system should hold current accreditation with Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA), which you can confirm on the SAA installer register — accreditation is what makes the system eligible for STCs and the federal rebate, so an unaccredited install can cost you the incentive as well as the safety assurance. The company selling you the system is separate: look for Clean Energy Council (CEC) Approved Retailer status, a voluntary code-of-conduct signatory scheme that signals the seller has agreed to consumer-protection standards. Ask for the installer's accreditation number and the make and model of every component, then verify the number against the register yourself rather than trusting a logo on a brochure. Mission Green works only with SAA-accredited installers, and we are happy for you to check the accreditation on your job.
An 'or similar' clause is wording in a quote or contract that lets the installer swap the panels, inverter or battery you were quoted for a different make or model 'of similar quality' without your sign-off. It matters because 'similar' is doing a lot of quiet work: the substitute can be a cheaper tier, a different warranty, or a brand with weaker local support, and you may not find out until the system is on your roof. The fix is simple — insist the quote lists the exact make and model of every major component, and either strike out any substitution clause or require your written approval for any change. If a company will not put the specific equipment in writing, that tells you something. On a Mission Green quote you get the actual make and model of each component, and we do not substitute without asking you first.
A price that sits well below every other quote you have is usually buying you something you cannot see — a cheaper component swapped in later, a rushed install, an unaccredited sub-contractor, or a company running so thin it may not be there for the warranty. Watch for a headline price that only works with a large up-front deposit, an 'or similar' clause on the equipment, a hard deadline pushing you to sign today, vague or missing component makes and models, and reviews that go quiet the moment something goes wrong. Cross-check the rebate maths too: any 'after rebate' figure is an estimate that drifts with the STC market, so a suspiciously round or unusually large discount deserves a question. The honest test is not just 'is it cheap' but 'what would this company do if something failed in year six' — and whether it is likely to still be trading to do it. Get a couple of quotes, run the checks on each, and treat a bargain that dodges the paperwork as the warning it is.
Yes — please do, and we mean that. The whole point of this page is that the checks should apply to everyone, including us, so look up our ABN, confirm the SAA accreditation on your install, read our independent reviews for how we handle problems, and hold us to a fair deposit and a fully specified quote. We would rather you verify us than take our word for it, because a claim you can check yourself is worth more than a claim we simply make. If anything does not stack up, tell us and we will explain it. You can also see our public honesty record, where we track how often our own advice is 'wait' or 'buy smaller', as a further check on whether we practise what this page preaches.