Complaints against approved* solar and battery sellers jumped from 317 to 567 in six months. That's the number making headlines. But the industry was booming too. Battery installations jumped 52% in the same six-month period, with 276,011 batteries installed. So the rise in complaints needs some context. If you install for a living, your customers have likely seen the headlines, and they're bringing that doubt to every quote you give.

The figure comes from Clean Energy Council's latest Rooftop Solar and Storage Report (January-Jun 2026). On its own, it sounds like the industry is going backwards. Read the full report and a different picture emerges - and for honest installers, it's an opening. Get this right and you close more quotes, and give customers fewer reasons to ever complain.

What the numbers actually say

The headline makes it sound worse than it is. Complaints are rising, but they're still rare: approximately 1 complaint for every 800 installs.

The biggest areas of non-compliance were:

• Quotes and contracts - 34% of the non-compliance identified

• Installation and delivery

• Grid connection

A trust gap, not an industry collapse

Complaints rose while the market was growing at an extraordinary rate. Battery installations jumped 52% in six months, and the number of NETCC Approved Sellers also grew 18% to 2,389.

With 180,878 rooftop solar installations and 276,011 battery installations in the half, 567 complaints works out to fewer than 1 for every 800 solar and battery installations. That's a rough comparison, but it's the scale customers rarely hear.

And there's an important distinction: a complaint isn't automatically a finding that the seller did something wrong. The 567 complaints investigated resulted in 88 cases where compliance action was taken. The CEC also identified 143 instances of non-compliance during the period.

But the customer doesn't necessarily see that distinction. What they see are headlines about hundreds of complaints, investigations and problem installations.

In August, the ABC reported on a battery provider facing hundreds of complaints and multiple investigations. The NETCC complaints page itself warns of queues of up to eight weeks before an investigation starts.

That's the trust gap. A relatively small number of problem cases can shape how nervous homeowners see everyone. The honest installer pays for it in longer sales calls, more quotes being compared, and customers who hesitate at the deposit.

Using the data to reassure nervous customers

Don't dodge the complaint numbers. Raise them first, then show the customer how you're different. A few ways to do it:

• Name the risk honestly. "Yes, complaints are up. The industry has grown incredibly quickly. Here's how to tell who going to be around in five years..."

• Make your quote the proof. 34% of the non-compliance identified was related to sales documentation, including quotes and contracts. Walk customers through your line by line, and invite them to compare it with others.

• Explain grid connection up front. Tell customers what's involved, who handles the paperwork, roughly how long it can take, and when they'll hear from you.

• Show your credentials. Approved Seller status is required for some government solar and battery programs, including Queensland's Supercharged Solar for Renters rebate. If you're on the list, say so and show customers how to check it.

• Give them a checklist. Hand over a short "questions to ask any installer" sheet. Good installers don't mind customers comparing. They make it easy.

Trust is built in the small moments

Accreditation gets you in the door. What keeps customers calm is how you behave once they've called you. The Code expects sellers to deal with complaints promptly, fix issues and honour warranties.

In practice, that comes down to a few habits:

1. Answer the phone. If a homeowner can't reach you before the sale, why would they trust you'll be there after it?

2. Reply fast after hours. Most people research batteries in the evening, not at 10am on a Tuesday.

3. Confirm everything in writing. Quote, install date, what happens next - every time.

4. Follow up after install. A quick check-in at one week and one month catches small issues before they become complaints.

5. Close the loop on problems. Many complaints aren't about the system. They're about the customer feeling ignored.

None of this is complicated. It just has to happen every time, even on your busiest days. That's where an AI receptionist earns it keep. It can answer calls, reply after hours, send written confirmations and handle follow-up check-ins, so you can get on with the job.

Turning the gap into your advantage

The complaint numbers will keep making headlines while the battery boom runs. And from 1 December 2026, an updated version of the New Energy Tech Consumer Code, the rules Approved Sellers sign up to, brings stronger protections for customers. The bar is only going up.

For honest installers, that's good news. When customers are nervous, the business that answers quickly, explains clearly and follow through stands out more than ever. The trust gap is real - and installers who communicate clearly, answer their customers and follow through have an opportunity to stand apart.

Missing calls while you're on the tools? Nexus Agency helps tradies answer every call, chase every invoice and keep every booking on track - so the customer who rings you first never has a reason to ring someone else. Get in touch to see how it works.

Sources

• Clean Energy Council, Rooftop Solar and Storage Report, January–June 2026

• ABC News, Multiple investigations into solar power battery provider after hundreds of complaints (13 August 2026)

• New Energy Tech Consumer Code, Make a complaint and NETCC standards

*New Energy Tech Approved Sellers