Solar Installation Day Checklist: What to Check Before Handover

Use this solar installation day checklist to confirm the people, equipment, system access and documents you expected are actually there. You do not need to supervise electrical work or climb onto the roof. Your role is to check what you can safely see, ask clear questions and record the handover.

The Australian Government says a residential installation commonly takes 1–3 days, depending on system size and job complexity. Weather, access, roof condition, switchboard work and the connection process can change the timing, so treat the installer's written plan as the reference for your home.

Before work starts

Try to be home for most of the installation, or arrange for an adult who understands the accepted quote to be there. Make sure the crew can reach the switchboard and any agreed access points, but keep children and pets away from the work area.

Before equipment goes on the roof, complete these checks from the ground:

• Ask who the accredited installer is. The Australian Government says at least one person on the crew should hold current Solar Accreditation Australia accreditation, and the accreditation belongs to the individual rather than the company.
• Compare the make, model and quantity of the delivered panels with the accepted quote.
• Check that the inverter, optimisers, monitoring hardware and battery, if included, match the written agreement.
• Confirm the agreed panel layout and solar inverter location.
• Ask whether anything has changed since the site inspection, including cable routes, roof access or switchboard work.

If something is different, pause the conversation and ask for the change, reason and any price effect in writing. A reasonable substitution may exist, but a verbal “equivalent product” claim is not enough for a useful future record.

During the installation

Stay clear of the roof, ladders, switchboard and electrical equipment. The installer is responsible for the technical work, testing and commissioning.

You can still watch for decisions that affect how you will use the system. Ask before the crew changes the panel layout, inverter position or visible cable route. If your roof has known shade, compare the final layout with the assumptions discussed during quoting and revisit the solar panel shading checklist if required.

Take a few ground-level photos of delivered model labels, the completed inverter area and the finished array where it is safely visible. These photos are not a technical inspection. They are simply a record of what was supplied and where equipment was installed.

Before the installer leaves

Use this short handover check while the right people are still onsite:

• Ask for a basic demonstration of the inverter, including its normal operating display and the documented shutdown procedure.
• Confirm that you can sign in to the monitoring app and see the correct system. Ask whether it measures solar generation only or also household consumption and grid flows.
• Save the monitoring login somewhere you control rather than relying on the installer's phone or email account.
• Ask what still needs to happen before the system can be switched on. Metering, network approval or an inspection may be handled differently across states and territories.
• Record the best contact for installation faults, roof concerns, monitoring access and warranty questions.
• Ask when the complete document pack will arrive and who will follow up if anything is missing.

Do not guess at switches or settings if the system is not operating yet. Follow the installer's written instructions and the connection process for your location.

A useful handover pack keeps system details, operating instructions, warranty information and monitoring access together.

Keep a complete handover pack

The Australian Government's installation day and after guide says the installer or retailer should provide relevant documents electronically or as hard copies. Keep the contract, system specifications, maintenance advice, operating and monitoring instructions, emergency shutdown procedure, product and workmanship warranty information, equipment handbooks, installer contacts and commissioning sheet.

Also ask for the electrical safety certificate or equivalent required in your state or territory. Store the pack in two places you can access later. It will be useful if an app account changes, a fault appears, the property is sold or you need to make a claim. The solar warranty checklist explains how to organise the different warranty paths.

The Government's installer and quote guidance supports checking accreditation, components, responsibilities and after-sales support. The Clean Energy Regulator also publishes its current solar PV inspection checklist, although that technical checklist is for inspections and is not a DIY safety guide.

What to do next

Once the system is authorised to operate, check that the monitoring app shows a normal day of generation and keep your first electricity bill for comparison. If output is missing, the app is linked to the wrong system or the supplied equipment does not match the contract, contact the solar retailer in writing and keep a copy of the response.

You do not need to prove a technical fault yourself. A clear handover record gives the retailer, installer or regulator better information to work from and makes the next conversation much easier.