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We are here for the long haul. First Choice Solar Gold Coast
In little more than a decade, Peter Berkers has grown First Choice Solar Gold Coast into one of the largest and most respected solar companies on the Gold Coast, Northern NSW and The Sunshine Coast.
Now he is focused on his next goal – overseeing a succession plan that will see the business thrive well into the future.
Founded in 2010, the business started life contracting for other solar companies. However, it was not long before Peter set his sights on becoming a solar retailer and was dealing directly with the customer.
“It’s no secret a lot of solar installers come and go and that’s why we’re so proud of our longevity. Solar is a highly competitive industry, but we are here for the long haul,” said Peter, who has invited two of his loyal team members to join him as shareholders in the business – son Josh Berkers and fellow long-term employee Matt McKinley.
“Matt and Josh have played an integral role in our tremendous growth during the past five years, and I am thrilled to welcome them as joint shareholders.”
Matt has worked with the business for a decade, having started as an installer before climbing the ladder to now being the director of a solar company that employs a dozen staff and has completed more than 10,000 installations.
“Josh oversees our solar installations, which are completed by full-time employees who are focused on quality rather than quantity,” Peter said.
“He has been with First Choice Solar Gold Coast since high school and throughout his electrical apprenticeship. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge and forms a key part of the leadership team with Matt and myself.”
As a proud father, Peter is understandably excited that Josh has joined him as a shareholder in the company he founded. Peter’s two other sons have also worked for First Choice Solar, with one having been onboard since day one and a potential future shareholder.
Starting out as Qelec Pty Ltd trading as First Choice Solar, the company has since changed its name to First Choice Solar Qld Pty Ltd (ACN: 144 966 110) after the restructure.
“What differentiates us from our competitors is that we don’t employ salespeople,” Peter said.
“We realised that customers want to speak with people who truly know what they are talking about and in our case that is Matt, Josh or myself.”
“We are all qualified electricians, Clean Energy Council-accredited solar installers and have spent many years on the tools and our customers appreciate that we have the time to educate and support them.
“I believe there are three important aspects to selecting a solar system that will still be working and saving money for 10 years and beyond – the inverter, panels and installation.
“However, it is not just the quality of these three, but the workmanship and support given by the company providing it. We operate out of a factory and showroom in Burleigh Heads in which our customers can come and discuss our products and get advice and support.”
Peter added: “We only provide products from companies with proven performance that have offices and support staff based in Australia. I like to call these blue-chip companies where they have been around longer than the warranties they offer.”
With the succession plan now in play, the co-owner and mentor has no intention of stepping away any time soon.
“I still love going to work,” Peter said.
“I remain incredibly passionate about the industry, but it is reassuring to know we have implemented a succession plan that will ensure First Choice Solar continues to deliver quality, service and support to our customers well into the future.
“The solar industry is hugely rewarding because of its environmental benefits and we get to help people save money, which is the key driver for most of our customers.
“When you rewire a house, a customer can’t see your work. When a car breaks down, people can begrudge having to pay for it to be fixed. When we leave a job though, our customers look at the new solar panels on their roof and are happy because it is going to save them money for many years to come.
“My job never feels like a chore. It is an industry I love and when it comes time to retire, I think the boys might need to lock me out to keep me away.”
We offer a comprehensive range of products and services, including:
- Grid Connect Solar System
- Hybrid & Off-Grid Solar Systems
- Service & Repairs (including cleaning & warranty claims)
- Detailed Site Analysis
- System Monitoring
- Heat Pumps
- EV Chargers
We pride ourselves in providing quality products, workmanship and personal attention to every client through every stage of the process.
Contact First Choice Solar
Enjoy the benefits of solar power in your home or business today by contacting the friendly team at First Choice Solar, the respected name in Solar Power.
Why Choose Solar?
Reduce your energy bills
Reducing your electricity bills by using a free energy source. Once installed, the power you derive from your solar panels is free of charge.
Helping our environment
Reducing your carbon footprint. Solar power isn’t only good for you, it’s good for the planet. As non-renewable energy sources begin to dwindle, you can do your part by switching to a renewable source.
Protection against rising power costs
Protection against rising electricity prices. No matter how much electricity costs rise, you won’t be affected, as solar power is always free.
Increase the value of your home or business
Increase the value of your home or business. Properties with solar power systems installed are worth significantly more. Make an investment in your future and make the switch to solar power.
TestimonialsWhat our clients have to say
5 Plus stars for Matt and his team at First Choice Solar. This was the second installation First Choice Solar have done for me and...
We looked into several different companies and found first choice solar to be professional and not pushy from the start. The service was professional and...
First class people to deal with. Commercial install was well organised and very professional. Nothing was a problem for them. I would highly recommend this...
From start to finish the whole team at First Choice Solar were professional ,prompt and courteous.It was an easy experience overall,will and have aready recommend...
First Choice Solar were highly recommended by a friend, we also obtained 2 other quotes. First Choice were the equal cheapest of the 3 with...
Incredibly happy with the service from start to finish! Matt was friendly, helpful and listened to what I wanted. The installers were on time and...
Fantastic service from ordering to installation. Highly recommend this local Burleigh Company.
I had my solar cells installed in January 2013 and have had an amazing run up until we had a severe hail storm on the...
Very professional and friendly team of installers. Matt gave us the best advice and the best price for a good quality system. All of our...
Highly recommended,professional and friendly installers great job very happy AAA++++
Peter was very helpful and answered all my questions without high pressure sales pitches. The system was installed efficiently and on time. It is very...
Fantastic! First and ONLY Choice worth considering when installing solar. From the very first email everyone I dealt with was fantastic. I was abit sceptical...
Loving our new solar panels. First choice solar were very helpful with the entire process. Extremely happy to refer.
Great service, great pricing. Love the phone app for current monitoring, watching my solar energy going back to grid. No more electricity bills! No more...
First Choice Solar have done an exceptional job, they managed to install them on short notice as I was leaving for Europe. All the crew...
I contacted First Choice Solar regarding installation of extra Solar Panels and was impressed with the service offered by Matt and the work he and...
Service was outstanding. Am so very pleased I have installed solar with first choice.
From the moment I called for a quote through to the installation everything was efficient and professional. Matt, Peter and the team provided a great...
Highly recommend First Choice Solar. Competitive price, friendly service, easy to deal withswithsensible advice. 5 star!
Great Service, the installers were friendly and professional. Walked us through the app features to check our production and usage. Very happy with the services...
All the crew at First Choice solar were excellent. Our installation was affected by rain but the crews did everything to get the job done...
Outstanding job guys, I couldn't be happier with the service and quality of panels, inverter and installation. I highly recommend First Choice Solar for quality...
Great sales and service, well recommended, thank you to the Team at First Choice Solar!
I was happy with the excellent quotation process and quick installation. The owner was familiar with the specific installation requirements for a Ritek roof. I...
In 18 months I have saved $2200 already. I now happily pay my low power bills.
I Had a 6.6kw system installed, great price and fast installation very professional. Very happy with my purchase highly recommend if in the market for...
5 stars guys. Pete which I think is the boss, thanks for talking me through the benefits and costs of solar in layman’s terms. It’s...
Very happy with the way Peter dealt with my system being only six weeks out of warranty. Highly recommend this company to friends
Great service and price. The installs on both my house (5Kw) and business (30Kw) completed on time. The guys cleaned up after themselves and gave...
We did a lot of research before deciding on the panels and inverter that we thought was best. We had several quotes and decided to...
Very professional, good installation, good material and reasonable price. They do take care of customer communication and follow up diligently during the whole process. Really...
Professional. On time. Minimal disruption. Neat and tidy installation. Truthful about the power cost savings. Very happy. Our electricity bill has gone from about $1000...
Excellent friendly service, very prompt and efficient repairs to our 7 year old system. Fault was diagnosed and repaired within 24 hours, we would happily...
Have used First Choice Solar twice now and we are very happy with all aspects installation. The experience from start to finish has been superb,...
customer service from ellie was fantastic from start to finish, technicans arrived today and installed everything within 2 hours. very professional and helpful, would highly...
Excellent service, good price, on time, did what they said and cleaned up
Great Great system good savings on power bill and Quality products used compared to other companies we had quotes from No cheap Chinese products