So many to choose from - what system is best for me- the walls seem to be closing in
Their are many companies that are saying that their system is the best. The best system varies from client to client. You may have a friend that has had a 5kw Solar System installed recently, he is getting tremendous results so you decide to get the same deal. After installation, however, you are getting very poor results, less than half of what your friend is producing and still getting high bills.
Why is my system not working properly? I did the same as him - I got the over the phone quote from an expert salesperson.
First mistake- When getting a quote an Accredited Clean Energy Installer/Designer should attend and make an assessment of your proposed installation. (And that comes at no cost-its called a free quote).They check things like actual panel orientation(Not google maps that never fit), how many panels can actually fit on the roof, shading conditions (shade can stop your whole system from working), grid voltage of your area( high grid voltage can turn off your system for hours, if someone attends to give you a quote and does not check your voltage at the switchboard-RUN)), single phase/2 phase/3 phase to your house, future battery and the list goes on.They will design the best system for you and your budget.
What to Do
Always go local. Keep away from these sales based companies that are great at selling but offer poor customer support when something goes wrong then close down after a couple of years and suddenly reopen under another name.. Your local contractors are going to care a lot more than a sales based company that is here today and gone tomorrow. You don't have to go through all the channels of a huge company and be given the run around, the local company picks up the phone and attends and sorts out the problem.