April 2021 Solar PV install - 3.33kWp, West Berkshire

QrizB

I mentioned in another thread - this one - that I had received quotes for a solar PV installation and that I was thinking of going with Light Renewables, a small firm based in Kent. Not exactly local for my property in West Berkshire (roughly 90 miles by road) but they are happy to travel and the only local installer I could persuade to quote wanted 60% more for essentially the same system. The company are MCS accredited (they sent me a copy of their certificate with the quote, and I checked) and HIES members (I checked that too).

They initially quoted, unseen, for a 12-panel 4kWp system (with or without batteries) which I doubted would fit on my roof; I gave them a rough size and pointed them at Google Maps and they came back with the following:

•   9 x 370w Canadian Solar All black panels, 25 year warranty to 86.2% efficiency
•   1 x Growatt Hybrid inverter and AC/DC Battery storage management system 10 year product warranty
•   1 x All cable run’s isolators and fitting’s
•   1 x Micro generation meter
•   1 x System Wi Fi monitor  
•   1 x System registration
•   1 x Access Equipment
•   1 x MCS and G98 Certificates

The quoted price was £3600 inc VAT for the 3.33kWp system, £1.09 per watt, which seemed pretty reasonable although not *quite* the magical £1/watt.

I queried the hybrid inverter and they admitted it was a copy-and-paste error from the previous "with batteries" quote, but haven't yet said what inverter they're going to fit instead. They didn't knock anything off the quote either (I did ask).

Well the quote seemed good so I confirmed last Friday (the 9th). They arranged the survey for Tuesday (the 13th) and the installtion is scheduled for tomorrow (the 16th). They clearly don't believe in wasting time!

So far I'm impressed by their enthusiasm but their back-office seems a bit disorganised (not helped by their recent bereavement, for which I'm cutting them some slack). I had to chase them for the invoice for the 25% deposit and it wasn't until 1930 this evening that they finally confirmed receipt of the payment and that tomorrow's installation is going ahead.

I'm planning to be on site for part of the install (and my tenant is a tradesman and will no doubt give his own opinion of their workmanship) so I'll let you know how it goes.

Solarchaser

I dont want to worry you, but the old adage of if your tradesman is available tomorrow,  you probably don't want him, rings bells here.

If they are rapid in responding and installing they are not busy... if they are not busy, you have to wonder why.

What I don't see there is any pest netting, and really, unless you like your garden strewn with dead chick's, broken eggs and other pigeon detritus, not to mention woken up at all hours with them trilling, trust me you want pest netting.

The flying rats drive me crazy

QrizB

Thanks Solarchaser, We'll find out tomorrow, I guess!

I imagine it's been an awful 12 months for home improvements businesses (anyone here in the trade and want to comment?) so they might just have an empty order book.

Regarding pigeon netting, is that a problem in your area? We're fairly rural but have had our own PV system for 9 years and plenty of wood pigeons but none trying to nest in amongst the panels. We've had crows in the chimney a couple of times though!

QrizB

For anyone who's interested, the original quote was essentially the same system but with 12 panels, 4.44kWp for £4200 (£0.95/w), or that 4.44kWp plus 3.56kW of battery for £6400.

Solarchaser

Yeah im definitely not rural, and they drive me crazy.

Fair point on the lack of work during the pandemic 👍

Verdigris

They may have lost a lot of work through the cancellation of the Green Deal.

QrizB

The system is fitted and commissioned. The installers were great guys and rattled through it at an impressive rate of knots, but were then stuck for most of the afternoon waiting for the panels to arrive in a separate van.

I'll post more info separately, once I've sorted out the photos and how to share them here.

Solarchaser

Hope it's everything you hoped it would be

silverwhistle

Just a word of reassurance.. I have pigeons in my garden but they don't try nesting under the panels as there is no clearance. They occasionally do low level bombing runs but rain and UV repairs the damage. It helped removing an aerial from the chimney which did result in some concentrated targetting early on...

Solarchaser

silverwhistle said:

Just a word of reassurance.. I have pigeons in my garden but they don't try nesting under the panels as there is no clearance. They occasionally do low level bombing runs but rain and UV repairs the damage. It helped removing an aerial from the chimney which did result in some concentrated targetting early on...

Lucky you.
I had a bit of a discussion with the Mrs that went along the lines of "no chance they are under the panels, there's little space and they are big fat birds"

About a week later she called me out to witness a precession of about 5 of them going in and out under the panels.

Egg meet face 😕

QrizB

A very quick update - I've spoken to my tenant and yesterday he generated 22.7kWh, 6.88 O's. Seems everything is working well