Our 13-Step Installer Vetting Process

Here is the bottom line: before any solar installer can appear in your three free quotes from NZ Solar Centre, they must pass 13 specific checks covering licensing, insurance, workmanship warranties, financial stability, customer outcomes, and ethical sales practice. We don't take a finder's fee from installers in exchange for a soft vetting process. We run the checks ourselves, we re-run them annually, and we remove partners who fail. This page explains every step of that process, in plain English, so you can see exactly what we look for on your behalf before we ever pass on your details.

This article is for homeowners who want to understand how we decide which installers are good enough to recommend. It sits inside our broader Trust Proxy promise to NZ homeowners, and it pairs with our solar scam checklist so you can apply the same lens to any installer, whether they came from us or not.

What "Vetting" Actually Means in the NZ Solar Industry

Solar installation in Aotearoa is a lightly regulated industry. There is no single "solar installer licence" issued by the Crown. Instead, the work sits across several regulatory frameworks: the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010, the Building Act 2004, the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, and lines company connection standards administered by your local network (Vector, Orion, Wellington Electricity, Powerco, Aurora, Top Energy, and so on).

That means a "solar company" can be anything from a multi-decade electrical contracting firm with twenty staff to a one-person operation that started last Tuesday. Both can legally quote you. Only one is a safe bet.

Our 13 steps exist to do the homework that's genuinely hard for a homeowner to do alone. You shouldn't need to ring the Electrical Workers Registration Board, request company financial statements from the Companies Office, and cold-call past customers just to get a fair quote. We do that bit, so you can focus on the bit that matters: choosing the system that fits your roof, your power bill, and your life.

The 13 Steps, in Detail

Here is exactly what every installer in our network must clear before we list them, and every year thereafter to stay listed.

Step 1: Electrical Worker Registration (EWRB)

We verify that the lead electrician on every install holds a current Practising Licence with the Electrical Workers Registration Board. Solar PV work in NZ must be carried out or supervised by a registered electrician. We cross-check the EWRB public register and confirm the licence class covers PV installation, not just general domestic wiring.

Step 2: Master Electricians or SEANZ Membership

We require membership of either Master Electricians or the Sustainable Energy Association New Zealand (SEANZ), ideally both. SEANZ in particular publishes an installer Code of Practice and operates a complaints process. Membership is not a guarantee of quality on its own, but the absence of either is a yellow flag we want to understand.

Step 3: Public Liability Insurance (Minimum $2 Million)

We sight a current Certificate of Currency for public liability insurance of at least $2 million. This is the policy that pays out if an installer drops a panel through your skylight, damages your roof membrane, or causes a fire during install. We confirm the policy is active for the dates of installation, not just for the day the quote is issued.

Step 4: Statutory Liability and Professional Indemnity

For larger residential systems (above 8 kW) and any commercial work, we also require statutory liability cover (which covers fines under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015) and professional indemnity cover for design errors, such as undersized cabling or incorrect inverter sizing.

Step 5: Workmanship Warranty of 10+ Years

Panels and inverters come with manufacturer warranties (typically 25 years for panels, 10 to 12 years for inverters). But the installation itself, the brackets, cable runs, roof penetrations, conduit, and switchboard work, needs a separate guarantee.

We require a minimum 10-year workmanship warranty in writing, in the contract, with a clear process for honouring it. Five years is the industry minimum we see in some quotes. We think that's not enough for a roof penetration that needs to last 25 years.

Step 6: Financial Stability Check

This is the step the SolarZero collapse taught the whole industry. A 25-year warranty is only as good as the company that issued it. We pull Companies Office records, check filing history, look for adverse judgments, and require partners to either:

• Have been trading profitably under the same legal entity for at least 5 years, or
• Be a NZ subsidiary of a parent with audited financial statements and a clear local presence, or
• Underwrite their workmanship warranty via a third-party insurance-backed product (such as those offered through SEANZ or independent warranty insurers) so the warranty survives the company.

Step 7: GST Registration and IRD Standing

We verify GST registration and require partners to attest they are current with their IRD obligations. We don't audit the books, but an installer who isn't GST registered on a job over $60,000 of annual turnover is either very small or operating in a way we won't recommend.

Step 8: Lines Company Approved Contractor Status

Every grid-tied solar system needs a connection approval from your local lines company. Some lines companies (Vector, Orion, Wellington Electricity in particular) maintain lists of contractors familiar with their connection paperwork and metering requirements.

We check that our partners regularly connect in the regions they quote. An Auckland-based installer quoting a Queenstown home without Aurora Energy connection experience is a problem we'd rather catch before you sign.

Step 9: Manufacturer Accreditations for Panels, Inverters, and Batteries

The major hardware brands (Fronius, Sungrow, SMA, Enphase, Tesla, BYD, Goodwe, LG, REC, Jinko, Trina) all operate installer accreditation programmes. Accreditation matters because it's what unlocks the full manufacturer warranty, including labour replacement in some cases.

We require current accreditation for the specific products an installer quotes. If they quote you a Fronius Symo without Fronius accreditation, the warranty path narrows considerably.

Step 10: Customer Outcome Audit (Minimum 20 References)

We sample at least 20 completed installs across at least two years of trading. We look at:

• Whether the system performs at or near the quoted annual generation (kWh)
• How aftercare callouts were handled
• Whether the export buy-back was set up correctly with the homeowner's retailer
• Whether the building consent and lines company sign-off paperwork was completed and handed over

This is the step most "comparison" websites skip, because it's slow and expensive. It's also the step that tells us the most.

Step 11: Sales Practice Review

We mystery-shop every partner at least once before listing them, and randomly thereafter. We're looking for high-pressure sales tactics, "today only" pricing, scare-tactics about power prices, and door-to-door manipulation. Any of these is a hard fail.

An installer who can't quote you fairly without a pressure close cannot represent NZ Solar Centre. Full stop.

Step 12: Complaints History

We check with Consumer NZ, the Commerce Commission, the Disputes Tribunal (public decisions database), SEANZ's complaints register where accessible, and Google review patterns. A handful of complaints over years of trading is normal and we read them carefully. A pattern of unresolved complaints, particularly around warranty enforcement or refund disputes, is a fail.

Step 13: Annual Re-Verification

Every step above is repeated annually. Insurance certificates expire. Companies get sold. Lead electricians leave. A partner who passed in 2024 doesn't automatically pass in 2026. If a partner fails re-verification, we pause new quote referrals until the issue is fixed, or we remove them.

What This Means for You as a Homeowner

If You're the ROI Pragmatist

The vetting process protects your investment in two specific ways. First, financial stability checks (Step 6) reduce the risk of your workmanship warranty being worthless. Second, the customer outcome audit (Step 10) means the kWh figure on your quote is grounded in reality, not optimistic modelling. You can plug realistic generation numbers into our Solar System Cost & ROI Calculator with more confidence.

If You're the Tech-Savvy Optimiser

Step 9 (manufacturer accreditations) is the one for you. If you've decided you want a Fronius hybrid inverter, an Enphase microinverter setup, or a specific battery brand, vetting filters out installers who'd quote unfamiliar gear and then call the manufacturer's helpline when something goes wrong. You want someone who has installed your chosen kit at least a dozen times.

If You're the Eco-Conscious Family

Step 5 (workmanship warranty) and Step 11 (sales practice) matter most. You're making a long-term commitment to your home and your kids' future, and you want a partner who'll be around to honour it without making you feel pressured into things you don't want. Lithium battery safety (LiFePO4 in almost all current residential batteries) is well-established, but it depends entirely on installation quality, which is exactly what these steps protect.

What Most Comparison Sites Don't Tell You

A lot of "free quote" services in New Zealand operate on a simple model: any installer who pays a per-lead fee gets your details. The "vetting" is whether they paid the invoice. That's not vetting.

We charge our partners a modest annual listing and verification fee, not a per-lead success fee. That structure is deliberate. A per-lead model creates pressure to send your details to whoever paid the most, fastest. An annual-fee model creates pressure to keep partners that homeowners actually like, because annual renewal depends on continued performance against Step 10 (customer outcomes).

It's not a perfect model, but it aligns the incentives in your direction. We'd rather be paid less per quote and trusted more per homeowner.

Common Pitfalls We See in Quotes (and What We Filter For)

Even after vetting, you should still read every quote carefully. Here are the most common issues we filter for at the network level, and that you should double-check anyway:

• Vague hardware specs. A quote should name the specific panel model, inverter model, and battery model (if any), not just "premium 400W panels".
• "Up to" generation figures. Annual kWh estimates should be based on your roof's actual orientation, pitch, and shading, ideally modelled in software like PVsyst or Helioscope.
• Buy-back rate assumptions baked into ROI. Buy-back rates change. Use our trust framework as a starting point and verify current rates with your retailer.
• Finance products that aren't actually green loans. Some installers package "easy finance" that's a high-interest personal loan in disguise. Independent green loans from Westpac, ANZ, BNZ, and Kiwibank are usually a better path.
• Missing line items. Scaffolding, building consent fees, lines company connection fees, and switchboard upgrades should all be itemised, not absorbed silently.

Our partner agreements require that all of the above are addressed in writing in every quote. If you ever see a NZ Solar Centre referred quote that misses these items, tell us and we'll deal with it.

How We Handle Your Privacy During This Process

When we match you with three vetted installers, we share only the information needed for a fair quote (location, rough roof size or photo, power bill, contact preference). We don't sell your data, we don't share it beyond the three matched installers, and you can withdraw at any time. The full detail is in how we protect your data under the Privacy Act 2020.

If you're interested in how the wider energy sector is moving toward data portability and homeowner control, our piece on the Consumer Data Right for energy walks through what's coming and why it matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you accept installers who pay you the most?

No. Partners pay a flat annual listing and verification fee, regardless of how many quotes they receive through us. There is no "premium tier" that prioritises one installer over another. Matches are made on geography, system size suitability, and current capacity, not on payment.

What happens if one of your vetted installers fails after I sign with them?

If a partner enters liquidation or fails to honour a workmanship warranty, we'll help you escalate via SEANZ, the Disputes Tribunal, or the Commerce Commission as appropriate. We also lean on Step 6 (financial stability and insurance-backed warranties) precisely so that the warranty survives the company. It's not a perfect safety net, but it's a lot better than the industry default.

Is a SEANZ-member installer automatically safe to use?

SEANZ membership is a positive signal but not a complete vetting on its own. SEANZ doesn't audit financial stability, mystery-shop sales practice, or sample 20 past customers per partner. We treat SEANZ membership as one input among 13, not as a substitute for the full process.

How long does vetting take for a new installer to join your network?

Typically 4 to 8 weeks. The financial stability check and the customer outcome audit are the slowest steps because they involve external records and live phone calls to past customers. We don't fast-track this for anyone.

Can I see the specific results of a vetting for an installer you've matched me with?

We share the high-level outcomes (insurance current, warranty terms, accreditations, years trading, broad complaints history). We don't share confidential financial records or individual customer reference details, since both are provided to us under confidentiality. If you have a specific concern, ask us directly and we'll address it.

What if an installer I already like isn't in your network?

That's completely fine. The 13 steps are a framework you can apply yourself. Ask any installer for: EWRB licence number, current public liability certificate, workmanship warranty terms in writing, years trading under the current legal entity, manufacturer accreditation evidence, and three customer references from installs at least two years old. A reputable installer will provide all six without hesitation.

Do you vet installers in every NZ region?

Yes, though network depth varies. Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Dunedin all have multiple vetted partners. Smaller regions (Far North, West Coast, parts of Central Otago) may have one or two partners or rely on regional installers travelling. We'll always tell you upfront if your area has limited coverage rather than padding the list.

What's the single most important step in your view?

Step 10, the customer outcome audit, because it captures the lived experience that paperwork can't show. An installer can hold every licence, certificate, and accreditation and still deliver a poor install. The only reliable predictor of how they'll treat you is how they treated the last 20 households.

Where to Go From Here

If you'd like to read more about how we approach trust as a brand, start with our Trust Proxy promise to NZ homeowners. If you want to apply this same lens to any installer (whether they came from us or not), our solar scam checklist is the practical companion piece. And if you'd like to model what a properly-sized, properly-priced system would do for your power bill, the Solar System Cost & ROI Calculator is the right next stop.

When you're ready for actual numbers on your actual roof, that's where we come in.