Australia's 'number one' solar retailer facing multiple investigations

Adrian Goodfellow thought a solar panel, battery and inverter system worth almost $30,000 would cut his electricity bills and transform the way he powered his home.But almost five months after it was installed, the system remains switched off — he alleges the installation was botched, making it unsafe and leaving him with a hefty repair bill."There's no doubt a bit of anger, disappointment, distress and anxiety," Mr Goodfellow told 7.30."Really, my solar journey should have ended the day after the install, but here we are."Mr Goodfellow purchased the 41.94kWh battery system through Solar Power Nation, a high-profile retailer operating in five states and endorsed by celebrities including former cricket captain Michael Clarke, Olympians Kyle Chalmers and Sally Pearson, as well as current NRL and AFL players.Solar Power Nation touts itself as Australia's number one solar retailer on its website. His out-of-pocket costs were $10,600 — in part due to the federal government's popular Cheaper Home Batteries Program — which covers about 30 per cent of the battery's costs.Over 500,000 batteries have been installed under the federal scheme since it began midway through last year.But in December, the government announced changes to the rebates, reducing the discounts for larger battery systems.This created a surge in demand and put pressure on retailers and installers to complete jobs quickly.Adrian says some of the solar panels were installed on the wrong part of his roof. (ABC News: Craig Hansen)Mr Goodfellow chose Solar Power Nation because the company promised to complete the installation before the federal subsidy was reduced on May 1. However, he was shocked by what he claims is the poor quality of the work.He claims the concrete slab supporting the battery system had two cracks which were covered by silicone, some solar panels were installed on the wrong section of the roof, and that the battery wasn't level.Cracks were visible in the concrete slab, which held the battery system. (Supplied: Adrian Goodfellow)Mr Goodfellow commissioned another installer to conduct a review, which found that it was "substandard" because "the battery, inverter, and PV system do not meet the best practice standards established by the Clean Energy Council (CEC).""The installation requires significant improvement, with specific safety concerns … that must be addressed immediately."Mr Goodfellow made a complaint to the Building Commission NSW, but that failed to resolve his concerns.Mr Goodfellow was disappointed by the quality of the workmanship involved in his solar battery system installation. (Supplied)He's considering whether to pursue a case with the NSW civil tribunal for consumer disputes, known as NCAT, or dip into his super to have the problems fixed by another installer.Solar Power Nation said it had responded to Mr Goodfellow's complaint to the Building Commission NSW and resolved some issues but maintained others were not a problem because the work was compliant.The company said it was prepared to conduct any necessary on-site warranty work including replacing the cracked concrete slab within 28 days, after an independent review had been carried out.Mr Goodfellow told 7.30 he had not received that offer but welcomed it and wanted his other issues addressed.The company says the solar panel layout changed following the installer's on-site assessment of the roof. (ABC News: Craig Hansen)The company accepted Mr Goodfellow’s solar panel layout had changed during the installation.That change was based on the installer's on-site assessment of the roof, which included a plastic section that was considered unsafe.However, Mr Goodfellow maintained that the original design took this into account and he had not been consulted about the layout change.Hundreds of complaints7.30 can reveal that Solar Power Nation is under investigation in Queensland, NSW and South Australia after authorities were inundated with hundreds of complaints since 2024.NSW's Building Commission, which regulates the building and electrical work for solar and battery installations, has received more than 240 complaints about the company in that time period.Other dissatisfied customers have complained of unsafe, unfinished or defective work, being ghosted by the company, or paying deposits for products that were unreasonably delayed or never installed.Amin Khorram is another customer locked in a long-running dispute with Solar Power Nation.Amin Khorram says he chased Solar Power Nation for eight months for his missing inverter installation. (ABC News: Chris Gillette)His $13,000 battery and inverter system was installed last October at his Brisbane home, but only one inverter was put in, not the two he paid for, which limited how much he could charge his battery.Mr Khorram spent eight months chasing the company to complete the work."They just give like vague dates … no clear answers," he said.He escalated his concerns to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), and as a hearing date approached last month, the missing inverter was installed.Mr Khorram is also seeking almost $2,000 from Solar Power Nation for increased power bills and other expenses.Mr Khorram paid $13,000 for his battery and inverter system. (ABC News: Chris Gillette)Solar Power Nation has argued that the amount can't be justified by his bills and counter-offered $632.55.The company also said Mr Khorram was yet to pay an outstanding amount of more than $5,000.The matter remains before the tribunal.Company under multiple investigationsThe South Australian Commissioner for Consumer Affairs recently issued a public warning saying Solar Power Nation was under investigation over possible breaches of consumer law.According to the warning, the company told SA Consumer Affairs a surge in demand from a reduction in state and Commonwealth rebates had led to scheduling and refund delays.Queensland's Office of Fair Trading also confirmed it was investigating Solar Power Nation including the company operating it 1 Solar Australia.Solar Power Nation installed a battery system for Olympian Sally Pearson. (Supplied)However, it said the company had resolved 10 complaints through refunds or goods or services being provided, but two complaints remained under investigation.The company is also under investigation by the Clean Energy Regulator but it declined to provide further information.In December, Solar Power Nation was kicked out of a voluntary industry-run scheme called the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC), administered by the Clean Energy Council.The scheme oversees approved sellers with standards for advertising, sales practices, installations, and complaint handling.Jackie Trad, CEO of the Clean Energy Council, said in a statement that Solar Power Nation was expelled for six upheld code breaches."The findings identified significant failures to comply with obligations relating to business conduct, consumer information and financial disclosures, contracts and delivery requirements, installation and safety standards, and cooperation with the Code's compliance framework," Ms Trad said.Solar Power Nation declined an interview, but told 7.30 in a statement it had "a long history of delivering more than 25,000 quality solar systems to customers across Australia," and that the "overwhelming majority" were satisfied, which was reflected in many positive online reviews including a 4.5 out of 5-star rating on Google Reviews and a 4.2 rating on ProductReview. Solar Power Nation maintained that the experiences of Mr Goodfellow and Mr Khorram were outliers."We take our customers' concerns seriously and have already reached out to the customers … to offer remediation for their experiences, including rectification and refunds where appropriate."Potential insolvent tradingSolar Power Nation continued to operate after the retailer was sold from one related company to another.Solar Power Nation is under investigation in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. (ABC News: Chris Gillette)The original company, CSS & S, owned the retailer's assets, including the Solar Power Nation name and social media accounts and sold them in mid-2024 to another business, 1 Solar Australia, for approximately $506,776.However, 1 Solar Australia paid just over $18,200 because it agreed to take on liabilities for employees including their entitlements and outstanding finance or loans for vehicles and forklifts.CSS & S later went broke and left debts to creditors of more than $6 million, according to the liquidator.In a May 2025 report, the liquidator, David Ingram of I & R Advisory, questioned whether CSS & S had engaged in insolvent trading from June 2022 or earlier.The report said there was a possibility of an insolvent trading claim of an estimated $3.9 million against the current and former directors. Solar Power Nation did not answer questions about the circumstances surrounding the sale or the liquidator's reports.'Solar cowboys' not held to accountTrevor Glen is the general manager of Solar Quotes, a website which vets solar installers, provides advice and publishes reviews. He says "solar cowboys" aren't held to account when things go wrong and is critical of the NETCC, branding it a "toothless tiger.""There's no repercussions other than you get suspended or expelled from the program. It doesn't stop you from installing solar, it doesn't stop you from installing batteries," he said."You just might not be able to access some of the state government programs."Trevor Glen is the general manager of the website Solar Quotes. (ABC News: Carl Saville)That's the case in Victoria, where it's mandatory to be part of the NETCC in order to tap into the Solar Homes Program.Ms Trad defended the NETCC, saying it was meant to complement oversight from ombudsman schemes and various consumer regulators.There are also calls to increase oversight of the solar sector.ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey says there should be a mandatory code of conduct for companies accessing the federal government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program.ACCC Commissioner Anne Brakey says the current system needs to change. (ABC News: Billy Draper)"If they were not meeting the requirements of the code, they would not be able to access the subsidies," Ms Brakey said.Ms Brakey also wants to see an expansion of ombudsman schemes to cover more solar disputes and increased consumer rights, including an overarching consumer duty.A spokesperson for Energy Minister Chris Bowen said in a statement: "The Government has zero tolerance for poor behaviour from installers and has empowered the Clean Energy Regulator to monitor the industry closely."A spokesperson for the Clean Energy Regulator said its compliance program investigates complaints related to the creation of Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs).The regulator can take "direct compliance action, including failure of STCs, suspension from the scheme, or, where appropriate, civil or criminal action," and was increasing battery inspections, with 3,400 conducted so far.As investigations continue, NSW resident Adrian Goodfellow believes the system has failed consumers like him."The government rebates are paid independent of the quality of the outcomes," he said."I think there's heaps of disasters hanging on people's walls and we won't know the full extent until two or three years down the track."Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV