RACV Solar Energy FAQs

RACV Solar is an end-to-end residential solar energy system and maintenance program designed for Victorian homes. The product comes in two packages, Solar Package and Solar-Battery package, both using high quality solar panels and inverters for maximum performance and reliability. The Solar-Batter package uses industry-leading storage batteries for storing energy for when you need it. Throughout the journey, RACV will manage the installation, and provide 5 years of maintenance to make sure that your system is healthy and working to its full potential.

RACV Solar is now available in the Greater Melbourne and Geelong area. Please enquire here to be contacted by one of our Solar Experts.

RACV Solar is here to provide clear, useful and relevant information to help you make the right decision for you. Enquire here to have one of our Solar Experts contact you to discuss possible solutions

RACV Solar is available to members and non-members. There is no direct benefit from being an existing RACV member. 

The solar app allows you to view your solar energy produced, home energy consumed, excess energy exported, and energy stored in your battery (if available) on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. It is available on iOS, Android and web. It helps you track your energy usage and shows you how you are benefiting from solar and battery storage (if installed).

At RACV we are committed to providing you with the best possible service and aim to resolve any complaint you may have as quickly as possible. If you have any feedback or complaints about your RACV system, please follow the steps below:

Step 1: Talk to us first

To speak to a member of staff, call:

• RACV Solar Sales and Service: 1300 481 026

Our operating hours are Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.

Depending on your complaint, your call may be referred to a manager. If you are not satisfied with their response, you can go to step 2.

Step  2: Contact RACV Solar Care

 The next step is referring your matter to RACV Solar Care Case Management. To do this, you can:

• email RACV Solar Monitoring Enquires, Technical Support and Feedback at solar_care@racv.com.au or
• call RACV Solar 1300 481 026 to request an escalation.

You will receive initial feedback on your complaint within 3 business days.

For complex complaints, you will receive notification of an outcome within 21 business days. We will contact you if more time is needed.

You can request information on the status of your complaint at any time by emailing solar_care@racv.com.au.

Step 3: Seek an external review of the decision

You are entitled to seek an external review of the decision from the appropriate body depending on the nature of your complaint.

Systems under warranty

Consumer Affairs Victoria - 1300 558 181

Faulty workmanship of an accredited installer

Clean Energy Council - cleanenergycouncil.org.au

Electrical safety

Energy Safe Victoria - (03) 9203 9700

Clean Energy Council Code of Conduct for Approved Solar Retailers

Fill in the online Code of Conduct complaints form

Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity which you can use in your home or sell back to the grid. By reducing how much power you need to draw from the grid during the day, you can make big reductions in your bill. Any extra power you produce will automatically be sold back to the grid which further increases your savings.

Solar panels generate electricity in the Direct Current (DC) form. The solar inverter converts the DC electricity to the Alternative Current (AC) form which can be used by your home.

Yes, solar is safe. All electrical systems carry some form of risk and solar is no different. But like all domestic building works, RACV follows all relevant codes and uses only premium products and parts for our systems. All work is carried out by licenced technicians.

Solar energy is clean energy. Generated by sunlight, solar energy does not produce carbon when it is created, making it a very sustainable and effective way to power your home. 

While it is possible to go completely off-grid it is often not the best solution for most homes.  In periods of cloud or rainy days, it is possible to deplete your supplies of energy and you may find that you need to re-connect to the grid to sustain power to your home.

The solar payback time is the time required for your electricity bill savings to cover the cost of your solar system. The payback time is dependent on a number of factors, such as the size of your solar system, your electricity consumption, and the weather. For an estimate of the cost and benefits of a solar system, please try the Solar Estimator.

The solar Feed-in-Tariff is a credit that you receive for excess energy you produce and send back to the grid. This helps you ensure that excess solar energy is not going to waste. The solar Feed-in-Tariff can help reduce your energy bills.

In Victoria there are two Feed-in-Tariff schemes currently running: Premium Feed-in-Tariff and current Feed-in-Tariff.

Premium Feed-in-Tariff 

The Premium Feed-in-Tarrif scheme applies to households with solar systems installed in 2009 and closed to new applicants in 2011. These households receive 60 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity sent back to the grid.* 

Homes under the scheme will continue to receive the Premium Feed-in-Tariff until 2024 provided the installed system is not modified to increase capacity. Existing panels can be repaired or replaced for maintenance reasons, and if the property is sold the new owners will be eligble for the scheme. 

Current Feed-in-Tariff

The current Feed-in-Tariff scheme covers all solar installations since 2010 and the minimum tariff is reviewed and set by the Essential Services Commission each year. Electricity retailers can offer two forms of the tariff:

• A fixed rate of no less than 12 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity**
• A time varying rate which changes depending on the time of day

_{* https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/victorian-feed-in-tariff/premium-feed-in-tariff
** https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/victorian-feed-in-tariff/current-feed-in-tariff}

Batteries allow you to store excess electricity generated when the sun is shining and use it at other times when you need it. Because the value of excess electricity that you sell back to the power grid (Feed-in-Tariff) is generally lower than what you are charged when you consume electricity, it is more efficient to store your own energy for later use.

Battery power can vary depending on the type of unit and the amount of power you expect to draw from it. As a guide, a typical “larger” $10K battery being sold today will hold about 50 – 75% of an average homes daily electricity usage.

For customers who chose the Solar-Battery package, the Reposit Box allows you to control how your energy is stored and used. For example, it can help you sell your energy in the Energy Market when demand for electricity is high and you are paid a high price for the electricity you sell. To get the full benefit of Reposit you may be required to change your energy retailer.

It’s easy! Simply request a quote online and one of our Solar Experts will contact you for an initial consultation.

While our initial quote is subject to change upon inspection of your property, we do not negotiate on prices.

Making a payment of the required deposit for installation will be seen as acceptance of the quote. As always, one of our Solar Experts will be there to help along the way whenever you have a question.

The initial RACV Solar product does not have a finance option. However, a finance option shall be available at a later date. 

Once the home assessment is completed and you have received a detailed quote, to proceed, you will be required to pay a deposit. On completion of the installation, you will be required to pay the balance of the total price. Payment is by BPAY only.

With so many variables involved in installing solar, dealing with the facts is imperative to finding the right solution. For us to best understand what your goals are, enquire here and one of our Solar Experts will contact you directly for an initial consultation.

The initial consultation will provide you with an estimate of costs, however to complete the assessment, RACV may need to visit your property to confirm conditions, measurements and provide a final quote.

Once the final quote is accepted, we will schedule installation and should only take one to two days to complete the installation. Connection to the grid is the final step in the installation process and this can take 4 to 6 weeks. Your dedicated Solar Expert will guide you through this process from start to finish.

Please note that connection to the grid is the responsibility of your electricity retailer and distributor, and generally costs $50 - $200 but sometimes more.