Start by recording your daily and seasonal electricity use, including high-demand appliances such as pumps, fridges and water heaters. Check the site’s solar access, roof or ground-mount options, battery capacity, inverter size, backup generator requirements and room for future expansion. Your checklist should also cover cabling, safety equipment, monitoring, maintenance access, warranties, spare parts and plans for cloudy periods. Ask a suitably licensed installer to assess the design, electrical work and applicable approvals, and compare their advice with guidance from the Clean Energy Council or energy.gov.au.