TWO Brisbane solar panel companies are being pursued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for allegedly deceiving customers by touting their panels as being made in Australia when they were actually Chinese.

Australian Solar Panel and affiliate Euro Solar, based at Acacia Ridge in Brisbane's south, also have been accused of faking video and written testimonials about their product using people who were not really customers.

The companies, which sell thousands of solar systems nationwide and employ about 100 employees and contractors, are facing injunctions, fines and publication orders if they are convicted of violating federal consumer laws by making false and misleading claims.

The ACCC has initiated proceedings against the companies in the federal court in Adelaide with a scheduling conference set for July 8.

The companies are yet to file a defence. ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the watchdog was cracking down on bogus claims. A spokesman said the allegations related to "nationwide conduct".

"Consumers should be able to rely on the accuracy of labels, especially when they are prepared to pay a premium for products made in Australia," he said.

"Australian consumers are increasingly relying on online consumer reviews to inform their purchasing decisions. Fake testimonials can mislead consumers . . . and harm competitors who do the right thing."

Australian Solar Panel director and former Euro Solar director Nikunjkumar "Nick" Patel, interviewed by The Courier-Mail on Friday, admitted some "mistakes" had been made but the company wasn't trying to deceive anyone.

"I'm not here to lie to my customers," he said. "We are an Australian company trying to create jobs in Australia. I'm a young person. These things will make me stronger. I will get much better at what I do."

Mr Patel said the promotions were pulled and real testimonials used.

He offered to replace any solar panels if clients believed they had been duped into buying them.

"I have to take care of the customers. If you tell me something's wrong I will change it in a fraction of a minute," he said.

Australian-made solar panels can cost twice as much, even though components are from China. Industry experts say quality varies from firm to firm, and is often not immediately apparent as it can take cheap panels a few years to develop problems.

The ACCC investigation followed complaints by competitors of Australian Solar Panel and Euro Solar. Gold Coast firm Aussie Made Solar managing director Gino Fiocco said he was among them.

"There are more sharks in this industry than there are in the ocean," he said.