The government partnered with solar companies in Western Australia to seek feedback on the current state of their clean energy journey using photovoltaic approaches.
It will be done using a survey, which is being conducted by the Building Energy and the Mining Department Division, alongside the Industry Regulation Bureau for Safety. This was viewed as an effective method to gain a better comprehension of how the community responds to the transition and how the solar industry can improve upon its systems.
Moreover, the survey covers nine essential questions that can give the administration an overhead view of the renewable energy market. In theory, it can presumably support solar power research and market data.
These surveys are also set up to allow for anonymous submissions in case the client or customer prefers to keep their personal details private. However, the main option encourages users to include their name and contact information to allow the businesses to follow through on any inquiries.
They include the following:
- Installation schedules for any past, pending, and ongoing projects
- Overall cost of the project or the installed systems
- Average size of the projects, alongside the smallest and the largest in record
- Identification of installation companies involved in said projects
- Certification number of the electrical contractor to ensure the verification of their license
- Proof of owning an official certificate for Electrical Safety
- Details of the projects, to be filled out by clients and customers
- Satisfaction ratings from the clients and customers of these installation companies
- Any additional comments to clarify any details
While the survey’s purpose is somewhat hazy, the Building Energy department has laid enough groundwork to get some progress going. It has listed its responsibilities, and among them are data regulation, policy enforcement, finance and energy audits, and site inspections from reliable third-party renewable energy evaluators.
Depending on how widely the Building Energy department promotes this campaign, it may generate a large number of responses. With that, some installers will receive an update on any results that may supplement their work.
The Western Australia Solar Market
Solar energy for residential use is thriving in Western Australia. As of February, the state had installed over 375,000 systems with a capacity of less than 100kW. Earlier in the year, at least a few thousand of those renewable energy installations finally began.
While Western Australia’s feed-in tariff is pretty pitiful these days, among the main reasons for the enduring popularity of Photovoltaic energy use is its affordability. In fact, it was observable in Perth that most solar installers were kept busy by the metropolitan region with low solar costs, which may be the most practical pricing in the world. That said, its substandard tariff for the feed-in still presents Solar Energy as a worthwhile investment.
Status of Solar Energy Research
Solar power is likely to be beneficial to most Western Australians, but negative experiences with getting it installed will be few and far between. However, as elsewhere and as in any profession, things can go awry. It just so happened to be in Western Australia
Incompetent operators are always lurking around the corner. A number of firms, such as Perth-based Authentic Decorators, were fined over $6,000 in 2015 for fraudulent testimonial claims on their website.
Despite having high hopes for solar rooftop power in Western Australia, in November 2017, State of Originator of Consumer Protection or the DCP, Commissioner Lanie Chopping believed customers needed to conduct considerable due diligence before affirming their orders.
In that research, a portion of it should be to read the solar installation reviews. In general, customers were better off addressing their complaints through the local trade organization than on Twitter.