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How to Choose a Solar Installer in the Northern Rivers: Who Should You Use?

Checked and updated by our licensed electricians: November 2026

Short answer: Use an SAA-accredited installer whose own licensed electricians do the work, who comes out to see your home before install day, who has real local jobs and reviews you can check, and who puts the brands, warranties, rebates and the Essential Energy grid application in writing. That is the standard we hold ourselves to at Sun Connect Solar, a Northern Rivers solar and battery company based near Mullumbimby. Use the eight checks below on any installer, including us.

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Sun Connect Solar's own solar and battery electricians with the company vans, solar installers for the Northern Rivers NSW
Our own in-house team: the electricians who design and install every system, no subcontractors.

The 8 checks that sort a good solar installer from the rest

  1. SAA accreditation. The person designing and installing your system should be accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA). The solar rebate (STCs) and the federal battery rebate both need an accredited installer. You can look anyone up on SAA’s accreditation status check.
  2. A NSW electrical contractor licence. Only licensed electricians can connect solar and batteries to your switchboard. Check the licence number on NSW Verify licence. Ours is 343044C.
  3. Who actually does the work. Ask: “Will your own employees be on my roof and at my switchboard?” Many solar companies sell the system and pass the install to subcontracted crews. That can work, but you should know who is accountable. Our guide to local solar installer or solar sales company? explains the difference.
  4. A site visit before install day. A good installer checks the roof, shading, switchboard and battery position in person before the job, not from a satellite photo alone. Here is what a solar and battery site visit checks.
  5. Sized from your power bills. If nobody asks for a recent bill, the system was sized from a catalogue, not from you. Our guide on how big a solar system you need shows how it should be worked out.
  6. Named brands and models. The quote should list the exact panel, inverter and battery models, how many, and the total kW and kWh. Our quote comparison checklist lists the 12 things every quote should show.
  7. Warranties in writing. Product warranties come from the makers; the installer’s own workmanship warranty covers the installation. Both should be written down. See solar and battery warranties explained.
  8. Local jobs, reviews and after-sales. Look for finished jobs near you and Google reviews from real local customers, and ask who answers the phone if something needs attention in year five. Our map of installs near you shows where we have worked.

Red flags to watch for

  • A price over the phone before anyone has seen a power bill or your roof.
  • Pressure to sign today, or a “today only” discount.
  • Words like “free solar” with no detail of what you are paying for and how.
  • A quote with no model numbers, or “tier 1 panels” with no brand named.
  • Nobody can tell you who will do the install or show you their licence number.
  • No mention of the grid application, your export limit or the switchboard work.

Questions to ask any solar installer

  • Are you SAA-accredited, and what is your NSW electrical contractor licence number?
  • Will your own electricians do the install, or a subcontractor?
  • Will someone visit my home before install day? What do you check?
  • Which panels, inverter and battery are you quoting, and why those for my home?
  • Who lodges the Essential Energy connection and what export limit should I expect?
  • What does your workmanship warranty cover, and for how long?
  • Who do I call if something goes wrong after the install, and how quickly do you come out?

What is different about solar in the Northern Rivers

  • Export limits. Essential Energy sets how much solar you can send to the grid. A good installer designs around it. See solar export limits in the Northern Rivers.
  • Salt air. Panel and battery makers have rules for homes near the beach, and some batteries must be at least 500 m from the coast or need the maker’s written approval. See solar and batteries near the coast.
  • Storms and blackouts. Many local homes want backup. Ask whether the battery backs up the whole home or only some circuits. See blackout backup batteries.
  • Hinterland homes. Steep roofs, trees, long cable runs to a shed and three-phase power are common in the hills. An installer who knows the area plans for them on the site visit.

How Sun Connect Solar measures up

We are a local solar and battery company, not a sales company. Our own in-house electricians design and install every system across the Northern Rivers, with no subcontractors. We are SAA-accredited, a NETCC Approved Seller and a Sigenergy-approved installer, we install AIKO and Jinko panels and Sigenergy and GoodWe batteries (and Sungrow, SolaX and Tesla), and our installation work carries a 25-year workmanship warranty. We handle the grid application and the rebates, and we visit every home before install day. Read what our customers say on our testimonials page, or see our recent installs.

Why Northern Rivers locals choose Sun Connect Solar

  • Our own in-house team designs and installs every system. Licensed electricians, no subcontractors, from our workshop at Wilsons Creek near Mullumbimby.
  • A face-to-face site visit before every install: compliant battery position, switchboard and RCBO check, so there are no surprises on the day.
  • SAA-accredited, a NETCC Approved Seller and a Sigenergy-approved installer, NSW electrical contractor licence 343044C.
  • 25-year workmanship warranty on our installation work, rated 5.0 stars on Google by local customers.

Where we install

Our own electricians install solar and batteries across the Northern Rivers, from our workshop at Wilsons Creek near Mullumbimby: Tweed Heads, Kingscliff, Banora Point, Bilambil Heights, Pottsville, Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby, Ocean Shores, Brunswick Heads, Byron Bay, Suffolk Park, Bangalow, Lennox Head, Ballina, Alstonville and Wollongbar, Lismore, Goonellabah, Coraki and Woodburn, Evans Head. See all areas we serve or the Northern Rivers solar and battery installation page.

Questions we get asked

Who should I use for solar panel installation in the Northern Rivers?

Use an SAA-accredited installer whose own licensed electricians do the work, who visits your home before install day and who puts the brands, warranties and grid application in writing. Sun Connect Solar does all of this across the Northern Rivers with our own in-house team, no subcontractors, and a 25-year workmanship warranty on our installation work.

What is the best solar company in the Northern Rivers?

Only customers can really answer that, so check Google reviews and real local jobs before you choose. Sun Connect Solar is rated 5.0 stars on Google by local customers, is SAA-accredited and a Sigenergy-approved installer, and our own electricians design and install every system from our workshop near Mullumbimby.

Is there a solar installer near me in the Northern Rivers?

Sun Connect Solar covers the Northern Rivers from Tweed Heads down to Evans Head and west to Lismore, from our workshop at Wilsons Creek near Mullumbimby. Our own electricians come to you for the site visit and for the install.

Should I use a local solar installer or a national company?

Either can do a good job. What matters is who is accountable: whether the company’s own electricians do the install, whether someone sees your home first, and who answers when something needs attention years later. A local installer is usually easier to get back out to your home.

How many solar quotes should I get?

Two or three quotes is plenty for most people. Compare them on the exact equipment, who does the install, the warranties and what is included, not just the price.

Does my solar installer need to be accredited to get the rebate?

Yes. Solar STCs and the federal Cheaper Home Batteries rebate both need an accredited installer. You can check an installer on Solar Accreditation Australia’s accreditation status check.

Are you independently reviewed?

Yes. As well as our Google reviews, homeowners have reviewed us on SolarQuotes, where we’re rated 4.9 from 22 reviews.

Sources

Last checked 5 November 2026. Written in our own words from the sources below and our own install experience.

Author: our director, in-house head electrician and energy expert, in the trade since 1987.

Want to know what this means for your home?

Start with the free tools (no details needed to see a result): solar and battery price calculator, is my solar battery-ready? checker or the 60-second battery quiz.

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The chat is with our head electrician, about your power bills and what you want from a system. No obligation and no sales script; the firm price comes after we have seen your bills and your home.

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