Innovate Energy Reviews
About
Innovate Energy has always and will always be owned and operated by experienced and qualified tradies.
What does this mean for our future clients? We know what we are doing!
Using our experience installing thousands of solar systems, we focus on designing and installing systems to suit your individual home and energy usage patterns.
You can rest assured that with Innovate Energy, every installation is checked over by our CEC qualified electricians in our operations team prior to installation, meaning there are no hiccups on the day.
We are here to support all our systems for the life of the installation. Having over 15 talented staff in roles such as customer service, finance, operations, qualified installers and service technicians allows us to provide unrivaled after sales service.
We are passionate about solar energy and delivering high quality systems that perform.
We currently hold the below accreditations and achievements:
*CEC Approved Retailer
*Licensed Electrical contractor (ACT and NSW)
*LG Solar Authorised Dealer
*Tesla certified installer
*ARCtick RTA (air conditioning)
*Solarquotes Gold Rated Supplier
*Illawarra Business Award Finalist
Innovate Energy operates out of two office locations:
South Coast Branch- 43 Quinns Lane, Nowra NSW 2541- Showroom and workshop- Drop-ins welcome
ACT Branch- 3/21 Raws Crescent, Hume ACT 2620- Showroom and workshop- Scheduled appointments preferred.
At Innovate Energy 'We take care of everything'
Reviewers report paying: $4,130 - $5,200 for depending on hardware choice and installation difficulty ( how is this calculated? )
Panels, inverter, battery and EV charger brands
Panel brands currently installed
Panel brands previously installed
Inverter brands currently installed
Inverter brands previously installed
Battery brands currently installed
The views expressed by reviewers are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of Peacock Media Group, which makes no representations as to the accuracy of the reviews. For our full disclaimer and further information, see our Terms of Use and our Review Guidelines.
Innovate Energy Reviews (130)
Show Most Recent reviews from All time across Australia
Average Scores
4.6/5
Value for money
4.6/5
Quality of System
4.9/5
Installation
4.8/5
Customer Service
- 5 star 68
- 4 star 58
- 3 star 3
- 2 star 0
- 1 star 1
View Timeline
25 March 2024
21 March 2024
Almost perfect installation
Our negotiations and installation was almost perfect - the only issue being unable to connect to the SEMS portal as we, being in a isolated, rural setting, do not have internet connection. Apparently the Sems portal is unable to be connected via our iPhone or IPad hotspot. (unless we pay for an additional 4G dongle + plus data connection)Also Innovate did not fully investigate the distance from our house switchboard to our meter board ( about 100 meters away) - they thought it was much closer - so there is some uncertainty as to the efficiency of the system and feed in factors due to “ voltage rise”. Also our smart meter was only connected yesterday (a full month after the solar system was installed ) so it’s too early to determine how efficient the system will be.
01 March 2024
Fantastic installer
Best quoted price. Kept me informed and listened to my questions. The installers were punctual and went 'the extra mile' to meet my requests. Very happy with customer service and workmanship.Inverter rating: 4/5
Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Allan! :)21 February 2024
Great installation
From the initial phone call to the finished install the team from Inovate energy did a great job.kept us informed on progress along the way. My wife and I are very happy.Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much for your positive review!
16 February 2024
Be careful using this company
If you just want a simple system and go along with everything they say and don't ask too many questions, then you are probably fine. If not we strongly suggest to go elsewhere.The solar consultant at this company has irritability and anger issues and it was very stressful to my wife and I dealing with them. On several occasions they became impatient and irritable when I asked what were reasonable and legitimate due-diligence questions (as recommended by e.g. SolarQuotes) ... I found myself tiptoeing around them and actually apologising for asking them questions (!).
They do not pay enough attention to detail, precise communication or unambiguous product descriptions in the quote. They did not forward any product specs or datasheets for 2 of the products we were purchasing, resulting in unnecessary confusion and us not getting what we KNOW we had verbally agreed with them and signed up for (my wife is a witness to every conversation I have had with the consultant and heard every word).
We paid the deposit. After that the company then did not want to honor part of the quote and said that what was in the quote actually meant something else (!) and if we wanted to go ahead with the installation we had to pay them another $900.
We offered a compromise, accepting there could have been misunderstanding about one of the products, to pay the difference for the upgrade ($400, retail prices are on Google). The company would not hear of it.
My wife was also a witness when the consultant called and asked for payment over the phone and then became not only impatient, but downright aggressive and unpleasant when I dared insisting on reviewing the final quote before paying them (I was not at home) ... "you have already seen the contract!! ... this has gone on for months now!!" (only 2 weeks), and more in the same vein. We were 1 mm away from pulling out at that point, but decided to proceed out of convenience. BIG mistake!
In the end the consultant managed to make us feel so stressed and so angry that we decided we would rather cancel the contract and lose our deposit than having to deal any more with this company.
A & J, Sanctuary Point
05 January 2024
So far so good
Some difficulty with communication/different sale repsInstallation was very polite and professional as they introduced themselves and showed ID with Contractor License Number.
Organized grid connection but put the Circuit Breaker in the wrong place in the power box.
Inverter rating: 4/5
12 December 2023
Excellent installer
Excellent company.Innovate just installed an 8.3kw solar system for me. Very easy and smooth process.
Kane thoroughly explained all aspects, easily modified and adapted the quote to our requirements. Very professional first contact.
Chris from installation was great, fast efficient communication and booked it at our preferred date and time. Follow up questions all promptly answered.
The tradies Sam, Connor and Dan were excellent. Arrived exactly on time, very professional, did a great job, cleaned everything up, explained the system to me very well. Awesome installation.
Customer service was excellent and included grid connection with endeavour.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
29 November 2023
Fantastic Team!
Sales process was easy, installation was quick and done in a day31 October 2023
Good service and price for quality system
Innovate customised proposal to meet our requirements. Responses were always quick and informative. Installation went smothly and system operating fine after one week. Change in roof pitch across arrays could not be accomodated by racking system so installation does not quite fully meet requirements of AS (<5% difference) but given array configuration impact on efficiency likely to be small.20 October 2023
Panels & Battery - Gungahlin
The quoting process was very easy and Innovate Energy answered all my questions promptly. I am a retired Engineer and they were very good with the technical stuff for me as well.The crew turned up on the assigned day and at the allotted time as promised and were very informative of the installation process, they let me know what when how and why would be happening for the day. They were also very patient while I stuck my nose in to have a look at the my toys from a nerdy point of view.
The crew were polite, careful with my house and cleaned up after themselves, you would not have known they were there.
Installation went as planned and the system was generating as soon as it was turned on. They managed everything for me, including the grid connect. One thing I didn't account for, was the time that it would take the electricity provider to upgrade my old power meter to a new digital meter. They advertised 14 business days to do this and it was done on business day 14. The electricity provider does not upgrade the meter until after the install and technically you are not able to turn on your solar until that it done.
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Steve! :)
20 October 2023
Professional, responsive and price well
Professional, responsive, clear in expectations and process, communicated well, and price fairly.The job was neat and tidy, and they were very quick.
Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Mathew! :)
05 October 2023
The best solar and electrical company
What an amazing company and team of highly skilled and friendly proffessinals. A special thank you to Kane who guided me through the process of setting up the right system for my house.He co-ordinated the whole process and made things easy and extremely affordable. Within a week of my first phone call a team of tradesmen were at my door and installed a quality system on my room.The blokes even worked through a nasty rainstorm so I could have my system up and running. The moment I saw the meter running backwards and chewing dollars off my bill I was so bloody happy. I have recommend to my family a friends to get in touch with this amazing company and get an installation done ASAP.Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Stephen! :)17 August 2023
Great Provider
They were very professional and efficient. With great handover. The system is integrated and working wellInverter rating: 4/5
Battery rating: 5/5
Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Terry! :)09 June 2023
Original Review on 12-08-2022:
Excellent company to deal with
The whole process through Innovate Energy was brilliant. From the initial contact, the office staff and the installers themselves, they were very helpful and informative. I would (and have done so), recommend them without hesitation.Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Roy! :)10 months later we asked Roy: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Yes, so far so good.21 April 2023
Innovate are great!
The sales team and installation team were exceptionally easy to deal with.03 April 2023
the team from innovate were the penultimate installers, professional, courteous, incredibly clean and efficient.
sales team were fantastic, installers were courteous and professional, kept us up to date with the whole process from wo to go. incredibly neat and not a sign they were ever here!Supplier Reply:
Thank you so mcuh Brent! :)14 March 2023
Great installation team
The installation all went very well. The installers were respectful, tidy and helpful. I am still waiting for the smart meter to be installedInverter rating: 4/5
Supplier Reply:
Thanks so much Alicia! :)14 February 2023
Great installation experience.
Quote process was seamless, all of my questions were answered quickly and concisely.Installation was great. The guys were punctual, polite and cleaned up meticulously.
Everything was done with a minimum of fuss and explained beautifully.
Could not be happier.
Inverter rating: 5/5
Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Neil! :)31 January 2023
I finally have solar
The whole process was seamless. I enjoyed the flexibility provided by Innovate, specifically I wanted to upgrade to the Fronius Inverter despite increasing the overall cost.The installation was great. Efficient, punctual and professional. They did not break one house roof tile! As advertised they completed the installation in one day.
The sales and service staff were friendly and more than happy to discuss my order and remained flexible with date installation. Grid connection was explained to me and carried out without a hitch.
Very happy with my solar.
Thank you Finn for the 3 professional quotes but especially for your education about solar. Your website gave me a lot of confidence to decide on an installer and the products they offered. Thank you
Inverter rating: 5/5
Supplier Reply:
Thank you Les! :)27 December 2022
Fast and trouble free process
The customer service lady was very helpful regarding where the panels should go and the benefits or each possible layouts. They also handled the process of getting an interest free loan and grid connection. The installers were prompt, polite and consulted us when small changes needed to be made. Also showed us how it all worked. Totally painless!26 December 2022
Efficient, professional and good value for money.
From the sales person to the installation the team from Innovate Energy were professional and efficient . Communication was good with me being kept in the loop at all times and when I did have questions they seemed very happy to explain in more detail. On the day of installation the team were on time and had the job done by mid afternoon with no mess and minimal disruption. I’d be happy to recommend this company any time and have done so with two work colleagues also going through this company.14 December 2022
Alexs install
Easy quoting and seamless installation11 December 2022
Best all round company by far
Best all round company we have dealt with on solar. Everything is high quality, from the personalised initial quote process where someone actually visited my house to discuss my needs, through to the smooth installation and responsive customer service. I feel confident in my choice and would highly recommend Innovate Energy to others.
07 November 2022
A great experience
System was installed only yesterday 7/11/2022 and it is working well. Everything about the entire experience went extremely well from initial contact and quotation to the installation.Just to give you some appreciation of the service, the contractor in charge of the installation vacuumed my driveway before he left as there were some metal chips there!
18 October 2022
A quality system, well installed.
Sales and quoting was professional. Installers were efficient, very polite and did a good job in difficult weather. I am very pleased to have split the panels over both roof surfaces as this is working well and extending the day while reducing the peak.Very happy with the whole process, including punctual registering with existing Fronius account.
Panel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
11 September 2022
Amazing and informative customer service. Great installation
From the first initial call innovate were amazing, they were my favourite straight off the bat but they were also the first I’d called for a quote. They were upfront and informative, very easy to talk to. I got quotes from all the companies that were recommended to me and went out on my own and got quotes too. We came back to innovate mainly because of their amazing customer service and the quality of their products.Installers were polite, tidy and easy to talk too. All in all we’re very happy with our decision.
Inverter rating: 1/5
23 August 2022
Friendly, professional and communicative
Took the time to explain and adapt the system to our needs. Professional and courteous. Kept us informed through the whole processPanel rating: 4/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Battery rating: 5/5
07 August 2022
Most comprehensive answers to questions
The sales person was polite well dressed and new his product He was the middle quote The installation was quick and efficient The installers were polite appropriately dressed and left no mess at all. The customer service was excellent Would recommend This company to everyone/Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Valerie! :)02 August 2022
Original Review on 24-10-2021:
Knowledgeable & expected service
Company offered a very competitive deal/price. Informative & answered all our questions. Great advice on panel quality, inverter quality etc. Have hit a hurdle with availability of panels so the install has not taken place just yet, but fingers crossed it’s not too far down the track. Based on my own research re Company, they have a good reputation in the area & yes, I would probably recommend them to my Grandmother…9 months later we asked Michael: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Well and truly at this point. The reduction in our account from providers is def confirmation for us that we did the right thing. Possibly look into Battery options at some point if pricing comes down….. could only benefit us even further into our retirement years….01 August 2022
Great experience and great company to work with
Throughout the whole process, from our initial discussions on the type of panels and selection of inverter to the actual installation and follow up customer service - the whole experience working with Innovate Energy has been fantastic. The sales staff were extremely helpful in answering any questions we had. The installation itself went well. Their was a minor issue which resulted in us ending up with a 6.29 kwh system instead of a 6.6kwh system due to a supplier error with the number of panels sent through however again the company were very professional and outlined the different options available - we ended up proceeding with the 6.29kw system at a slightly reduced price to the original quote.The installation guys were very professional and friendly and walked me through the system and the inverter once the installation was completed.
As mentioned further below there was also a slight hiccup with the inverter after installation however once I called Innovate energy they had someone out to look at it within 24hrs and quickly resolved the issue. They also monitored the system for the next couple of days to ensure the issue had been resolved and followed up with calls. The customer service provided in resolving this was fantastic.
Overall - a great experience and would definitely recommend this supplier.
Note - the photo attached is one half of the system with the other half on the other side of the roof
Panel rating: 5/5
Inverter rating: 5/5
Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Michael! :)
29 July 2022
Very good supply and installation
Innovate Energy provided friendly and professional service - plentiful and helpful information, quality materials and timely, safe and efficient installation of our solar system.12 July 2022
A thoughtful, friendly team of sales and installers.
The quote was provided very promptly and then they managed to fit my job in shortly afterwards as it was a straightforward job.The team informed me they were running a little late. They all introduced themselves to me, with smiles on their faces. They were polite and friendly throughout the day. They kept the shared driveway clear for other townhouse occupants to have easy access. They ensured that my cat did not escape from my yard. They finished the job in good time.
They cleaned up after themselves!!!
Innovate organised the grid connections, however I am still waiting for the wholesale energy company to allow feed-in. I was warned the wholesale cenergy company are a little slow, however everything seems to be working fine on site.
The installers, as a policy, are coming back tomorrow to double check all is working properly.
29 June 2022
Easy & fast
I would recommend Innovate Energy, Sales team answered all my questions of which there where many, stayed in contact, updated me of any changes, always polite and responsive.Installers contacted me a few times before, checking on suitable dates and availability. They showed up and completed the install on time and with out any fuss, very happy.
From the first contact with Innovate Energy the delivered quality service right up to completion of grid connection.
Very happy
22 June 2022
Overall good experience
They contacted me straight away and quote was back that afternoon and installation was done and completed with 2 weeks.Inverter rating: 5/5
15 June 2022
Thinking Solar Think Innovate Engery
The whole process was smooth and professional. We where particuarly impressed from the initial contact. Happy to answer all questions, returned calls in a timely manner, extremely helpful and honest. Installation was smooth and professional. The team were outstanding. We would strongly recommend this company.20 May 2022
Prompt and efficient service.
Sales and quoting process was good. Installation was polite tidy and punctual. The installation was relatively simple as it only involved the addition of a second Tesla Powerwall battery to an existing installation.It was necessary to remind the installation company to provide me with a copy of the NSW Fair Trading Certificate of Compliance Electrical Work (CCEW). There was apparently a delay due to illness.
Most customers in my experience are not aware of the requirement and it doesn't seem to be enforced. The NSW Government Fair Trading web site states: "Substantial penalties apply, including on the spot fines of up to $1000, for each occasion when a Compliance Certificate is not supplied to the consumer (or network provider if relevant)."
Battery rating: 5/5
07 February 2022
Original Review on 06-06-2021:
Good service, best price, seamless installation
First of all, we hesitated to include Innovate Energy in our decision making process as they did not immediately come to our house to talk through options. Our first connection was a phone call and from that call, they sent through a quote for a variety of systems.However, after talking to three other companies and reviewing IE’s quotes (much cheaper for similar product) we felt compelled to contact them to talk further. We are so pleased we did this as the experience from then on was perfect. We questioned their cheaper quote and it was explained they had recently reduced the price of the panels to boost sales. Fair enough.
Installation was soon after, the very next day after that they sent all required information to our electricity provider and we are now enjoying using “our” electricity and hopefully we will soon see benefits on our electricity bills.
8 months later we asked Helen: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Our system has performed above our expectations!! As far asw paying for itself goes, our first bill was $12.00 and the second bill was $120 in credit. We do get some pensioner Government rebates but this second amount certainly doesn't cover these credits. We are thankful every day that we took the plunge and began using all our wonderful sunshine!!06 February 2022
Quality service and installation
I was referred to Innovate Energy and 2 other providers by Solar Quotes and, after receiving 3 quotes, selected Innovate Energy to supply and install a 6.6 kW system for my property at Carwoola. They were prompt and competitive with the quote. The installation was completed last week by local Queanbeyan based tradesmen who did a great job, very neat and tidy. The installers were professional and polite. Based on my experience to date I would certainly recommend Innovate Energy.18 January 2022
Installation was trouble free, efficient, timely with most pleasant and knowledgeable workers
Quoting process was timely and accurate.Installation was arranged most efficiently as the job was only finalised just before Xmas and they did the installation on 14 January. The team of installers were very polite and interactive, arrived promptly at 7.30 am and completed the job by 3pm. They were clearly knowledgeable and skillful at their task.
The customer service was excellent through the whole process from first contact with the company to getting quotes and completing the job.
I would have no hesitation in recommending Innovate Energy to others.
They will arrange the change of meter and grid connection. As the installation was only yesterday this is still to occur.
Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Hilton! :)16 January 2022
Battery Installed within days of quote!
Great service and very professional.Delivery and Install within the week! The company had batteries in stock and delivered a week after quote acceptance.
Battery rating: 5/5
Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Graeme :)18 December 2021
Very happy with the whole process
From the quote to the install, everything has been great. Mathew was very helpful and knowledgeable. He was always happy to answer my questions and discuss options.Installation day, and everyone turned up on time. All the installation guys were very approachable and helpful. Despite some rain events, everything was installed on time and looks great.
Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Peter! :)17 December 2021
Excellent service
Innovation Energy was one of four quotes obtained and returned the best value offer. Installation was completed within two weeks of accepting the quote and the system is now working efficiently. I can highly recommend this company and their installers. Thanks also to Solarquotes for indirectly recommending this supplier.Inverter rating: 5/5
Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Ian! :)26 November 2021
Original Review on 27-03-2021:
Proper Job
Excellent to deal with, no fuss, efficient install with good people. grid connection organised by innovate pending.I have recommended innovate and solar quotes to friends
8 months later we asked Andrew: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
yes, everything working well, power bill slashed, everything hassle free.andrew
17 November 2021
18 October 2021
Give em a call
Quote: 2 requests before a call back for a quote. No biggie and probably attributable to covid and excessive work load.Install: Delayed due to weather but on the 2nd occasion the crew showed up and installation done that day.
After sales service: all good.
Workers: Great bunch of guys n girls. Pleasant and polite.
Would I recommend? Give em a go.
Inverter rating: 5/5
08 October 2021
Original Review on 05-02-2021:
Very solar satisfied
Innovate Energy NowraWe're professional, courteous, and extremely helpful in assisting us With our choice in solar products as well as keeping us informed of the expected cost of power savings with a scaled graphic.
The accredited installers were all exceptional, turning up on time, explaining what they were doing and cleaning up upon completion.
Overall we are very very satisfied that we had Innovate Energy Nowra supply and install our solar system
8 months later we asked Dennis: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
Our first bill was what we considered as normal, or no change from the normal prices that we were used to.So we called Endeavor Energy, The supplier installation company.
They sent a technician out and he checked everything, and explained the reasons why we didn't see any price reduction with a detailed graph and tree shadow outline on the panels.
With seasonal weather changes we have seen a marked price reduction in our bills
07 October 2021
Original Review on 19-04-2021:
Very Good Installation
The 8.88kw solar system installation was neat and proficiently done.6 months later we asked Gary: "Are you happy with the performance of your system so far?"
About 6-8 weeks after installation the system stopped producing energy it may have been the inverter panel main switch failing? However, Innovate Energy promptly fixed the problem at no cost to me and now everything is going smoothly without problems.29 September 2021
All aspects, from quote, through installation, to explanation of use were excellent!
Tyson arrived on time for the quote and answered all my questions about the equipment and likely savings etc. perfectly in plain English.The two young guys who came to install the system were also punctual, polite and informative. Innovate Energy have their own installers, while other local companies use sub contract installers. We were most happy that Innovate had no reservations about installing our panels onto our Terra-cotta tiled roof, where other companies we had quotes from, couldn’t do the job as their sub contract installers refused to install on on our tiles.
We would give the entire process with Innovate Energy ten out of ten.
17 August 2021
Innovate Energy - Why would you go elsewhere...
From the get go the team answered all questions, explained positives and negatives, gave options and alternatives. This was done in a timely manner, including the installation [within about 7-10 days of signing].Team attended site, went through what was going to happen. Listened to my questions. Worked around my wifes work schedule to be able to cut power for the install so she could still work from home without interuption. Nothing left behind, no mess, no rubbish and other than the panels being on the roof you would not know they were here.
So far this has been a great process.
Inverter rating: 4/5
16 June 2021
Excellent all round
Really good company fit me in within a week or so with a cancellation, perfect install.
Highly Recommend Innovate Energy
Innovate Energy (Eddie, Sam & Jack) installed a quality 6.6kW solar system for me in the Eurobodalla Shire at a competitive price. The guys arrived on time and the job was hassle-free. A special thank you to James (Operations Manager) and Sam (Electrician) who were very helpful and provided me with useful information before and after installation.Supplier Reply:
Thank you so much Chris! :)