Victorian Minister for Solar Homes, Lily D’Ambrosio, announced that from 1 July 2019, the major solar retailers participating in the Solar Homes program must sign up to the Clean Energy Council’s Solar Retailer Code of Conduct.
The code of conduct will require retailers to prove that they meet the highest safety and quality standards. Solar Victoria is also conducting regular auditing of installed systems to further ensure safety and quality standards are being met with five per cent of all installations to be audited.
Requiring businesses to be Approved Solar Retailers will protect consumers from dodgy providers and help establish a more level playing field for the solar installation industry.
Breaches of the terms of the Solar Retailer’s Code of Conduct will be reviewed by the Clean Energy Council. Sanctions for breaching the code range from warnings, to potential loss of Clean Energy Council approval, and referral to other agencies including Consumer Affairs Victoria, WorkSafe and Energy Safe Victoria.
“This Code of Conduct will make it easier for households to know what they’re entitled to and easier for retailers to do the right thing,” Ms D’Ambrosio stated.
All other retailers taking part in the program will have until November 1 to become signatories to the Code. The Clean Energy Council will also expand its existing application process to ensure solar retailers wanting to take part in the Solar Homes program can have their Code of Conduct applications processed before the deadlines. Retailers that are not signatories to the Code will not be able to take part in the ten-year Solar Homes program.
“We’re making sure that safety and quality is the number one consideration for providers delivering our Solar Homes package.”
More information about the Retailer Code of Conduct is available at https://www.solaraccreditation.com.au/retailers.html
