Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Solar Scout Ltd ("we", "our", "us") collects, uses, and discloses information from users ("you") of our website www.solarscout.co.nz ("Website") and Services. It should be read together with our Terms and Conditions.

By using our Website and Services or otherwise providing information to us, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not accept this Privacy Policy, you are not authorised to use the Website or Services.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

1.1 Information You Provide

This includes details you give us directly, such as:

• Name, email address, phone number, and property address
• Responses to our solar assessment survey (such as power bill information, household details, and solar preferences)
• Any other information you voluntarily provide when enquiring about solar

1.2 Property and Solar Analysis Data

When you provide your address, we generate a personalised solar assessment for your property. To do this, we obtain and process data from third-party sources, which may include:

• Aerial or satellite imagery of your property
• Roof geometry and measurements derived from LIDAR data
• Land and property information from Land Information New Zealand (LINZ)
• Solar irradiance and shading estimates for your location
• Indicative solar system sizing and pricing based on the above data

This analysis is automated and is used to provide you with a realistic picture of solar potential for your home.

1.3 Technical and Usage Data

We also collect non-personal information that does not directly identify you, such as:

• Click tracking data (pages visited, time spent, referring sites)
• Device identifiers, IP address, browser type, and operating system
• Aggregated and anonymised usage statistics
• Cookies (see Section 9)

If you do not provide certain information, some features of the Website or Services may not work for you.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

1. Verify your identity and property details
2. Generate a personalised solar assessment for your property using satellite imagery, roof analysis, and solar irradiance data
3. Display your property's solar assessment to you, including imagery of your home and indicative pricing
4. Connect you with one solar installer based on your location, preferences, and assessment results
5. Share your contact details and solar assessment with that installer so they can contact you and prepare a quote
6. Follow up on your experience with the installer
7. Improve our Website, Services, and solar assessment accuracy
8. Send you updates, offers, or marketing material (you can unsubscribe at any time)
9. Respond to your enquiries
10. Comply with our legal obligations
11. Protect and enforce our legal rights

3. Disclosure of Your Information

We may share your information with:

3.1 Solar Installers

We connect you with one solar installer. That installer will receive:

• Your contact details (name, email, phone number, address)
• Your survey responses relevant to their quote preparation
• Your full property solar assessment, including roof imagery, system sizing, and indicative pricing

This allows the installer to contact you directly and provide a tailored quote without needing to reassess your property.

3.2 Service Providers

Our staff, contractors, and service providers who help us deliver our Services, including IT and hosting providers, analytics services, marketing platforms, and professional advisors. These parties only access your information as necessary to perform their functions and are bound by confidentiality obligations.

3.3 Third-Party Data Sources

We obtain property data from third-party sources including Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), satellite imagery providers, and solar irradiance databases. These providers have their own terms of use and privacy policies governing their data.

3.4 Legal and Regulatory

Regulators, government agencies, or other parties where required by law, or to protect our legal rights.

3.5 Aggregated Data

We may use aggregated, anonymised data (which does not identify you) for reporting, marketing, or research purposes.

4. Automated Analysis and Indicative Pricing

Our solar assessment uses automated systems to analyse your property and generate indicative pricing. This is based on:

• Roof size, orientation, and pitch derived from imagery and LIDAR data
• Estimated shading from surrounding structures and vegetation
• Solar irradiance data for your location
• Current market pricing for solar systems

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information and property solar assessment for up to 24 months after your enquiry, unless:

• You request deletion earlier (see Section 8)
• We are required by law to retain it for longer
• You become a customer of one of our partner installers, in which case they will hold your information under their own privacy policy

After the retention period, we securely delete or anonymise your information.

6. Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Access controls limiting who can view your information
• Secure servers and hosting infrastructure
• Regular review of our data handling practices

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You provide information at your own risk.

7. Overseas Storage

Your information may be stored on servers located outside New Zealand, including cloud services in Australia or the United States. Where we transfer personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure safeguards comparable to the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 apply.

By using our Website, you consent to this transfer and storage.

8. Accessing, Correcting, and Deleting Your Information

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request corrections to inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal information

We will respond to access and correction requests within 20 working days. Deletion requests will be actioned promptly, subject to any legal obligations to retain certain records.

To make a request, contact us at: hello@solarscout.co.nz

9. Cookies

We use cookies (small text files stored on your device) to:

1. Improve usability and user experience
2. Remember your preferences and progress through our assessment
3. Track website usage and traffic patterns
4. Support advertising and remarketing (including via partners such as Google and Meta)

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but some features of the Website may not work properly if you do so.

10. Marketing and Unsubscribing

You can opt out of receiving marketing communications from us at any time by:

• Clicking "unsubscribe" in our emails
• Contacting us directly at hello@solarscout.co.nz

Opting out of marketing will not affect essential communications needed to deliver our Services.

11. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us first at hello@solarscout.co.nz. We will investigate and respond to your complaint promptly.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at www.privacy.org.nz.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any changes will be posted on this page with a new "Last Updated" date.

Continued use of the Website after changes are posted means you accept the updated Privacy Policy. For significant changes, we may notify you directly.

13. Contact Us