Fair Trading Minister Anthony Roberts today hit back at continued false claims made in State Parliament by the Opposition Leader John Robertson in relation to the selection of suburbs to be next audited by NSW Fair Trading for solar panel installation problems.

The Minister said he had taken advice from his department about which areas should be audited and there was no political interference.

“Fair Trading made the decision to have 500 checks done in Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Kellyville and surrounds from Monday 6 June to Friday 17 June – not me,” he said.

“Fair Trading made this decision based on the high rate of installation of solar panels and complaints data related to solar issues in these suburbs.

“As much as Mr Robertson may delight in indulging in conspiracy theories, I hate to tell him that Elvis really is dead. As is Jim Morrison, rest his soul.

“What Mr Robertson must understand is that he can not fan the flames of a non-existent conspiracy and the only fires that might be lit as a result of his posturing and the Opposition’s inaction on solar panel problems, are fires in people’s roofs and homes.”

The Minister said he was not interested in game playing in the Parliament, but rather in keeping NSW residents safe from possible fires from sub-standard installation work.

“I am also interested in the Home Building Act 1989 breaches found by Fair Trading in Port Macquarie solar installations and the raft of problems that come with suspect advertising claims around solar, but my real and pressing concern is in relation to breaches of the Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2004,” he said.

Minister Roberts again urged any concerned NSW residents to call Fair Trading on 13 32 20 for advice on solar panel installations. A helpful consumer checklist is below. Also below is a map of complaints data tabled in Parliament today, showing the high volume of complaints to Fair Trading in the Blacktown area, which debunks John Robertson's conspiracy theory.

Solar panel installation: Consumer checklist

Home owners should not try to check on the solar panel installation themselves.

Get expert advice. If you have concerns your panels might not be properly installed, you can engage a qualified electrician to inspect the work.

Check your contractor was properly licensed to undertake the work

Builders and electricians installing grid connected PV arrays must be licensed. If you used a builder to do the installation part of the work, they must subcontract the wiring part of the job to someone who holds an electrical contractor licence or an electrical qualified supervisor certificate. You can check trade licences online on the Fair Trading website or by calling 13 32 20.

Check you have a Certificate of Compliance

The electrician should have provided you with a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work, attesting that the work is compliant with Australian wiring rules. They are also required to provide a copy to the energy network operator.

Check you have home warranty insurance

If the value of the work, including labour and materials, exceeds $12,000, you should have been provided with a Home Warranty Insurance certificate. Any rebate you may claim for the installation of solar panels must not be deducted from the cost of the work to avoid the $12,000 threshold for home warranty insurance.

You are protected by a statutory warranty

Installations are covered by statutory warranty for a period of 7 years from the date the work was completed.

NSW Fair Trading can help resolve disputes

If you cannot resolve a problem you can make a complaint to Fair Trading if your building work is within the statutory warranty period. Fair Trading provides a free dispute resolution service.

Helpful information

The Fair Trading website has detailed information on solar panels, statutory warranties, home warranty insurance and building disputes. Call 13 32 20 or visit the Fair Trading website.

Above: Map indicates concentration levels of complaints made to Fair Trading relating to solar panels. Yellow reflects the lowest level of complaints and red, the highest.

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