How New Zealand Solar Makes Money (Our Transparency Promise)

Bottom line up front: NZ Solar Centre makes money in one way only. When you choose to request quotes through us, we charge our vetted installer partners a flat referral fee for the introduction. We do not sell your personal data, we do not take commissions based on system size or price, and we are not paid more if you spend more. The fee is the same whether you end up with a 4 kW system or a 10 kW system with batteries, which means we have zero incentive to upsell you. That is the whole model. No hidden kickbacks, no inflated margins, no "preferred partner" deals where one brand pays for top billing on our site.

This article walks through exactly how the business works, why we chose this model, and what it means for you as a Kiwi homeowner trying to make a big decision. If you have ever read a "review site" and quietly wondered who was paying the bills, this is the page where we answer that question for ours.

Why We're Telling You This

The solar industry in New Zealand has a trust problem. Too many websites posing as "independent advice" are actually owned by a single installer, or are paid to rank one brand above another, or quietly sell every form submission to half a dozen sales teams who then ring you for weeks.

We built NZ Solar Centre as a trust proxy for Kiwi homeowners. That positioning falls apart the moment we hide how we get paid. So we're publishing the whole thing on a page you can bookmark, screenshot, or send to your sceptical brother-in-law.

If you want the broader philosophy behind this approach, our Trust Proxy promise to NZ homeowners covers the editorial principles. This page covers the money.

How NZ Solar Centre Actually Makes Money

There is one revenue line in our business. It works like this:

• A homeowner reads our content, decides they want to explore solar seriously, and uses our 3 free quotes service.
• We match the homeowner with up to three installers from our vetted panel who service their region.
• If the homeowner agrees to be introduced, we charge each receiving installer a flat referral fee for that introduction.
• The fee is the same regardless of the system size, the price quoted, or whether the homeowner ultimately buys.

That's it. There is no second revenue line. We don't run banner ads, we don't take affiliate commissions on panels or batteries, we don't charge installers extra to appear higher in our directory, and we don't sell your contact details to anyone else.

Why a flat fee and not a percentage?

This is the part that matters most for your wallet. If we were paid a percentage of the install price, we would have a quiet incentive to push you toward bigger, more expensive systems. A 12 kW system with two batteries pays us more than a sensible 5 kW system, and suddenly our "advice" starts to drift.

A flat referral fee removes that incentive entirely. Whether you end up with a modest 3 kW starter system in a Wellington townhouse or a 10 kW plus battery setup on a Canterbury lifestyle block, we are paid the same. Our only job is to introduce you to good installers and let the quote that fits your roof and your budget win.

What We Don't Do (And Why)

This is the part most "comparison" sites quietly skip. Here is what we have specifically chosen not to do, even though each one would make us more money.

We don't sell your data

Your details go to the installers you're matched with. That is the only place they go. We don't sell mailing lists, we don't share with insurers or finance companies, and we don't pass details to a "marketing partner network." Our full approach to your personal information is detailed in our data protection page, which explains how we comply with the Privacy Act 2020.

We don't accept "preferred partner" payments

Several panel manufacturers and battery brands have offered to pay us for preferential coverage, top-of-list placement, or "sponsored" comparison wins. We say no. If we rate a Sungrow inverter above a competitor, it's because our review of the spec sheets, warranty, and Kiwi installer feedback supports that view, not because Sungrow's marketing department wired us anything.

We don't take kickbacks from finance providers

When we discuss green loans from Westpac, ANZ, BNZ, or Kiwibank, or signpost the EECA grant landscape, we receive zero referral payments from any bank or lender. Our Solar System Cost & ROI Calculator uses inputs you control. We have no incentive to nudge you toward any particular finance product.

We don't run a "lead auction"

Some lead generation sites in the trades and home improvement space auction each enquiry to the highest bidder. Whoever pays most that day gets the lead. We don't do this. Installers either meet our vetting standard and pay our flat fee, or they don't appear on the panel. There is no bidding war for your enquiry.

How the Installer Panel Works

The question that naturally follows is: well, who's on your panel, and how do they get there? Fair question.

Every installer on our panel has gone through our 13-step installer vetting process. We check things like:

• Electrical Workers Registration Board registration status
• SEANZ (Sustainable Energy Association NZ) membership where applicable
• Workmanship warranty terms (we look for 10 years minimum)
• Insurance and bonding
• Customer reviews across multiple platforms (not just the ones on their own site)
• Complaints history with Consumer NZ and the Commerce Commission
• Track record of standing behind warranty claims, especially for older systems

Paying the referral fee does not let an installer skip the vetting. If they fail any of the checks, they're off the panel regardless of what they're willing to pay. We have removed installers from the panel after consistent customer complaints, even though that cost us future referral revenue.

What the fee actually covers

The referral fee covers the very real costs of running this business: writing and updating hundreds of articles, maintaining the ROI calculator and our other tools, ongoing installer vetting, hosting, and the modest team that runs it all. Installers are happy to pay it because qualified, well-informed homeowners are dramatically cheaper to acquire than people poached cold off Facebook ads.

What This Means for You

The point of all of this is not to make you applaud our business model. It's to give you a clear-eyed view of where our interests align with yours, and where they could (in theory) diverge.

For the ROI Pragmatist

You want a system that pays itself off in a sensible window for your part of the country. Our flat-fee model means we have no incentive to inflate the system size beyond what your power bill justifies. If a 5 kW system is the right answer for your roof and consumption, we'd rather you got that quote than a 9 kW oversell.

For the Tech-Savvy Optimiser

You're looking at premium kit, dynamic tariffs through Octopus Energy NZ, and EV smart charging integration. Our editorial decisions about Sungrow vs Fronius vs Enphase, or LiFePO4 battery brands, are made on technical merit. No brand has paid us to be listed first, full stop.

For the Eco-Conscious Family

You want to know the people advising you actually care about the outcome, not the commission. The flat-fee model means we make the same money whether you install a sensible system that fits your values or a gold-plated one you don't need. We'd rather you got the right system than the biggest one.

Where Our Incentives Could Still Drift (And How We Manage That)

Honest disclosure means being upfront about where the model isn't perfect. There are two areas where, in theory, our interests could pull away from yours.

One: we still get paid more if more readers request quotes. So there is a soft incentive for our content to encourage people toward solar in general. We manage this by being genuinely honest in articles where solar is a poor fit, such as heavily shaded sites, very low power users, or homes about to be sold. If our ROI calculator tells you solar is a 15-year payback on your situation, we'll say so, even if it costs us a referral.

Two: we have a long-term commercial relationship with the installers on our panel. There is a soft incentive to be lenient. We manage this with the formal removal process baked into our vetting process, and by treating every Consumer NZ-style complaint as serious regardless of who it's against.

We're publishing both of these because they exist whether we mention them or not. Better that you can see them and judge for yourself.

How We Compare to Other "Comparison" Sites

We get asked how our model differs from the other sites in the space. Without naming names, here are the common models you'll see in the NZ solar market:

• Owned by an installer: the "review site" is actually run by a solar company, and somehow that company always wins the comparison. Watch the footer and the "About Us" page carefully.
• Lead auction model: your details go to 5+ installers who paid the highest bid that day. You get rung relentlessly. Common in the home improvement space.
• Percentage commission: the site is paid a percentage of the install. The site has a quiet incentive to push you bigger, regardless of fit.
• Affiliate-stacked: every panel, battery, and inverter recommendation has an affiliate link, so the "best" gear is often whichever pays the highest commission.
• Flat referral fee (what we do): same fee whether you go small or large, with editorial independence from manufacturers.

None of these models are illegal, and not all of them are dishonest. But you deserve to know which one is funding the advice you're reading.

Common Pitfalls in "Free" Solar Advice

If you take nothing else from this page, take this list. These are the patterns to watch for on any solar advice site, ours included:

• No "How we make money" page: an instant red flag. Every honest comparison site should have one.
• Vague language like "we partner with industry leaders": usually code for "we take payments and won't tell you how much."
• The same installer winning every comparison: especially if that installer also happens to own the site or sponsor it heavily.
• Pressure to submit your details to "see prices": real pricing depends on your roof and consumption. Anyone showing prices behind a lead-capture wall is harvesting data first and answering your question second.
• "Government rebate" claims that don't match EECA's actual programmes: the EECA does run grant and loan programmes for solar in specific contexts, but some sites exaggerate or fabricate these. Cross-check with the EECA website directly.

Our solar scam checklist covers the wider landscape of dodgy tactics if you want to read further.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the referral fee paid by me?

No. The fee is paid by the installer, not by you. Your quotes will not be inflated to cover our fee, because the fee is a fixed marketing cost installers pay regardless of whether you proceed, similar to how a real estate agent's marketing cost is built into the agency's overheads rather than added to a property's price.

Does the installer pay more if I sign a bigger contract?

No. The fee is flat and paid at the introduction stage, not the sale stage. The installer pays the same whether you buy a 3 kW system, a 10 kW system, or no system at all.

Can installers pay you to rank higher?

No. Where we publish brand comparisons or recommendations, those are editorial decisions made on technical merit and Kiwi installer feedback. No brand has paid for placement, and no installer can buy a higher position in our matching.

Do you sell my email or phone number to anyone else?

No. Your details are shared only with the matched installers, and only with your consent at the point of requesting quotes. We comply with the Privacy Act 2020. The full detail is on our data protection page.

What if I have a complaint about a matched installer?

Tell us. We treat complaints seriously and they form part of our ongoing vetting. Installers with patterns of unresolved complaints are removed from the panel. You can also escalate to the Commerce Commission or Consumer NZ for independent recourse.

Why don't you just charge homeowners directly instead?

We considered it. The reason we don't is that charging homeowners would create a barrier to honest research. Solar already feels expensive and confusing; adding a paywall to good advice would push people back toward the high-pressure direct-sales channels we're trying to protect them from.

Do you take affiliate commissions on panels or batteries?

No. We don't carry product affiliate links. Our reviews of inverters, panels, and batteries are written on technical and warranty merit.

What happens if no installer in my region pays your fee?

If we don't have a vetted installer who covers your region, we will tell you that directly rather than match you with someone unsuitable. You're better off with no introduction than the wrong introduction.

How can I verify any of this?

Ask the matched installers directly whether they pay us a flat referral fee. They'll confirm it. Cross-check our recommendations against Consumer NZ reviews, the EWRB register, and SEANZ membership lists. Trust, but verify.

Where to Go From Here

If this page has done its job, you now know exactly how we keep the lights on. If anything we've described feels off or you have a question we haven't answered, we genuinely want to hear from you. The whole point of writing this is to be transparent enough that you can hold us to it.

From here you might want to read the broader Trust Proxy promise that sits behind this revenue model, dig into our 13-step installer vetting process to see what we actually check, or work out the financial picture for your home with the Solar System Cost & ROI Calculator. When you're ready to talk to real people about your specific roof, our quotes service is one click away.