Privacy policy

This policy explains how SolarAnswers handles personal information, in line with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988.

What we collect

• When you ask for quotes: your name, email, phone number, postcode, details about your property (type, storeys, roof, whether you own it), your approximate electricity bill, your existing solar size if you give it, when you want to install, and any notes you add.
• When you join the community: your email address (to send sign-in codes, never shown), the display name you choose, and what you post: questions, answers, comments and votes. Posts and display names are public once published.
• How you reached us: the page you came from and any campaign tags in the link, so we know which guides and ads are useful.
• Technical information: your IP address, which we use to limit spam and abuse of the quote form.

You can read the site and use the calculators without giving us any personal information. The calculators run in your browser and do not send us what you type.

Cookies

We set two cookies only when you sign in: one that keeps you signed in (it holds a random token, not your email), and one holding your display name so pages can show that you are signed in. A short-lived cookie holds your email for the few minutes between asking for a sign-in code and entering it. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.

Why we collect it

To pass your quote request to up to three installers who work in your area, to follow up on how it went, to run the community (sign-in, showing your posts, moderation), to answer your questions, and to keep the service free of spam.

Who we share it with

• Installers. When you submit the quote form and agree to it, we share your details with up to three installers so they can contact you by phone, SMS or email about a quote. Installers pay us a fee for each request. We tell you which installers received your request if you ask.
• Service providers who run our email and hosting, under confidentiality obligations.
• Where the law requires it.

We do not sell lists of personal information, and we do not share your details with anyone else for marketing.

How long we keep it

We keep quote requests for up to two years so we can handle follow-ups and complaints, then delete them. Community accounts and posts stay until you ask us to close your account; we then remove your email and display name, and remove or anonymise your posts. You can ask us to delete anything sooner.

Your choices

• Ask for a copy of the information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it.
• Ask us to delete your request, or to tell installers you no longer want to be contacted.
• Tell an installer directly that you do not want further contact. They must respect that.

Security

Requests travel over an encrypted connection and are stored with access limited to the people who handle them.

Contact and complaints

Email hello@solaranswers.com.au with any privacy question or complaint. We aim to reply within 30 days. If you are not satisfied, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.