General Questions
Who are Rockys Solar?
Rockys Solar is a trading name of Gippsland based company, Rockys Electrical. Rockys Electrical has been a registered electrical contractor for over 40 years, and has been installing solar for more than 12 years. With a Solar Showroom at 13B Foster St, Sale, Rockys is trading as Rockys Solar to better identify to the local community the services that we offer. Rockys was established by Rob Hekman and son Brett Hekman now runs the business employing Gippsland based electricians, apprentices and administration staff. Rockys Solar believes in supporting the Gippsland community.
Are Rockys Solar really local?
Yes! Our main office is based in Cowwarr and we have a Solar Showroom in Sale. All of our employees live in Gippsland and we always use in-house electricians for our installations. We don’t pass our jobs on to outside contractors*.
Does shopping local mean paying more?
No. Our quotes are very competitive and often cheaper than city companies even though we always use quality components. Rockys Solar always quote to give you the best value for your money without compromising efficiency and reliability.
Is Rockys Solar certified?
All of our electricians are fully qualified or serving apprenticeships under the supervision of fully qualified electricians. Rockys Solar is a Clean Energy Council Approved Solar Retailer and currently employs four Clean Energy Council accredited installers. Rockys Solar are also Telsa Powerwall Certified Installers and Selectronic Accredited Integrators.
What solar incentives and rebates available?
Two incentives are currently available. The Federal incentive called the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) issued in the form of small scale technology trading certificates (STCs, see below) and the Solar Victoria Rebate. Phase 1 of the Solar Victoria rebate began in August 2018 and the second phase was introduced in July 2019 and is expected to continue for 4 years.
What are STCs?
When you install a solar system the Federal Government offers an incentive in the form of small-scale technology trading certificates (STCs) based on the amount of power your solar system will generate from the time it is installed until 2030. Rockys Solar offers you an upfront discount on your solar installation in exchange for the trading certificates your solar system is eligible for. STCs are traded through the open market and as a result the value (and therefore the upfront discount we offer you) changes on a regular basis. Our STC discount will appear on your quote and is valid for a period of 7 days. The number of STCs that apply to a solar installation are adjusted down at the beginning of every year.
Can I claim my own STCs?
Yes you can. At Rockys we will include your STC rebate in your quote by way of an upfront discount unless you let us know you wish to claim your own STCs. If you wish to claim your own STCs you will need to arrange and fill in all the required paperwork yourself.
What is the Solar Victoria Rebate?
Full details and eligibility criteria of the Solar Victoria rebate can be found on their website at solar.vic.gov.au. As an incentive for households to reduce their energy bill by installing solar, the Victorian Government introduced Solar Victoria in August 2018. The newly formed body currently offers a rebate to eligible households when they install a new solar system. The rebate amounts to a discount of $2225 on most solar systems and an optional interest free loan (paid back to the government over a period of 4 years) of an additional $2225 is also available. The amount of rebate and interest free loan drops to $1888 for rebates that are approved after 31 December 2019.
What is a FIT?
A Feed in Tariff (FIT) is an amount per kW offered by electricity retailers to buy back any excess power you feed back into the grid. This will appear as a credit on your electricity bill. The amount of the FIT varies between retailers but is required to be a minimum of 9.9 cents per kW as of July 2018. When you have solar connected to your property your electricity meter will be reconfigured to export to the grid and your retailer will usually require you to agree to new terms and conditions relating to your FIT.
Will I lose my premium FIT if I upgrade my solar system?
If your solar system was installed when the Premium Feed in Tarrif (60 cents/kW) was in effect, then yes, upgrading your solar system will mean you lose the high FIT. Even taking this into consideration you may still be better off if you upgrade your system and are shifted to the current standard FIT. Ask us about your options.
Do you offer payment plans?
While the current state and federal rebates and incentives have reduced the upfront cost of installing a solar system dramatically, Rockys Solar may be able to assist you with a payment plan if requested. Please contact our office on (03) 5148 9479.
What is involved in getting a quote?
There is no one-solution-fits-all when it comes to solar installations and energy solutions, therefore we will need information from you to complete a quote. First, we will take your contact details, you can start by filling in the quote form on our website. Once we have your details we will contact you to arrange an appointment with one of our solar experts. We will then usually meet you at your property to determine all the factors that will need to be taken into account to help us design a solar/energy solution system that will give you the best return on investment. We will analyse your energy bill and in some cases request more detailed data from your energy retailer. Once we have all the information required our solar design experts will design a system for you and provide you with an emailed or printed quote. Once you are ready to go ahead you will be asked to pay a deposit before we order materials required for your installation.
How long will installation take?
The time frame for installation depends on a number of factors including rebate applications, how much research and data is needed for us to custom design your solar system, whether or not manual pre-approval assessment from Ausnet Services is required and if any special products need to be ordered for your installation. Generally after any ordered parts have been received and all pre-approvals have been granted your installation can usually take place within 1-6 weeks.
Where will I find a copy of the manuals for my solar system
You were provided a link to download the manuals for your solar system when it was installed, If you have lost the link you will find it here.
More Frequently Asked Questions will be answered here soon. Please feel free to contact us should you require further information or have any questions we have not addressed here.
* The only exception to employing outside contractors is installation of Solar Hot Water, however we do use a reliable local company to install your solar hot water.
