Installing solar is a big investment and deserves the research you would do for an extension, a sports car or a family holiday.
Choosing to install a system can be a real benefit both financially and environmentally, however your satisfaction of your installation will only be as good as the work of your installation company.
When looking for a company to install your system it is essential that:
- They must be MCS accredited and use MCS accredited panels with a G83 compliant inverter, without meeting this basic criteria, your system will not be eligible to receive Feed-in Tariff payments.
- The company is part of the REAL accreditation, which ensures they operate in an ethical manner.
- They should offer a warranty on the system they install, which covers not only parts, but labour and access for any future work required.
- Their warranty should be backed by an independent third party such as the IWA.
- Make sure that before you sign any documentation you have and read a copy of the companies terms and conditions including those covering their warranty.
As a new and expanding industry there are many new installers both on a small and large scale joining the industry. It is important that you chose an installer who has your best interests at heart, and will find the right system for you rather than simply the system they want to sell you.
It will often help you to know how many unity of electricity you use and how much this costs per year prior to speaking with an installer. This will allow the installer to help design a system that can meet your rnergy demands if that is your aim. Ensure that the installer gives you written estimates about the performance of the systems they reccomend and that they make clear where these estimates come from. All estimates should be givenj from the governments Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) calculations.
Do not sign a contract with a company who:
- Offer high initial prices followed by substantial discounts for signing on the day or otherwise
- Offers you a discount for monitoring ths performace of the system or for providing testimonials
- Withholds price information until the end of their site visit or ask you for competitors prices before they give their own.
- Discredit other products and services.
Remeber to find a company that has been operating a decent period and to find out many installations the company has completed. Does the company install in your area? If so ask for a customer reference and speak to the customer if possible. This is important to ensure the company complete their work as promised.
You should get more than one quotation, to check that you are paying a competitve price and to be able to ensure that the company you choose is being truthful about all aspects of their system and the technology in general.
Remember all REAL accredited companies have a cooling off period of 7 days, meaning that should you change your mind you can cancel the contract without any penalties. When you do sign a contract, under the REAL guidelines, the company should not ask for a deposit of more than 25%.