Solar Panel Surveyor - what should I ask?

thriftytracey

The surveyor is coming today.  We have decided on 16 solar panels, optimizer, inverter and 5kWh battery.

Obviously ask what happens if they need repair during warranty
Onward maintenance
Do they need cleaning

They have positive reviews on TrustPilot 

I don't know if I need bird netting.  See a few woodpigeons but wouldn't say they are prevalent.

Anything else?

Many thanks.

Merlin139

thriftytracey said:

The surveyor is coming today.  We have decided on 16 solar panels, optimizer, inverter and 5kWh battery.

Obviously ask what happens if they need repair during warranty
Onward maintenance
Do they need cleaning

They have positive reviews on TrustPilot 

I don't know if I need bird netting.  See a few woodpigeons but wouldn't say they are prevalent.

Anything else?

Many thanks.

What does optimizer mean? Is this individual panel optimizers or some kind of Voltage optimizer?

Do you have any shading issues that would require individual optimizers?

Panels don't need cleaning. Rain should do that. 

On the subject of netting, the only thing that has tried to nest under my panels is Squirrels have decided to build a drey on 3 occasions. 

DougMLancs

Get them to talk you through how they’re getting cables from the roof to where they’re sitting the inverter. A good installer should do what would look tidiest for you and not just easiest for them! The house at the bottom of our street has cables all over the surface of their tiles and tacked diagonally down the outside walls- looks awful! 

Alnat1

Will your 16 panels be 400s? If so you're looking at 6400kWp on the roof. You'll need a 5kw inverter and G99 permission from your DNO before installation.

Make sure your company is going to obtain the permission and they aren't going to simply get G98 and limit your export to 3.6kWh.

thriftytracey

Optimiser required as there are shading issues on the south facing roof (gable ends on extension)

Most panels being site on the west facing roof.

Screwdriva

thriftytracey said:

The surveyor is coming today.  We have decided on 16 solar panels, optimizer, inverter and 5kWh battery.

Obviously ask what happens if they need repair during warranty
Onward maintenance
Do they need cleaning

They have positive reviews on TrustPilot 

I don't know if I need bird netting.  See a few woodpigeons but wouldn't say they are prevalent.

Anything else?

Many thanks.

Which installer did you decide on and what specification have they quoted you? 

I would ensure that the inverter has an a 20+ year warranty. 

thriftytracey

Size of system 6.4kh. With 5kh battery storage

Making PV Panels Smarter Up to 25% More Energy from Your System Connecting SolarEdge power optimisers to PV panels makes them SMART PANELS that produce MORE POWER at all times

Equipment;

16 x 400w German Sharp Solar black panels, 25-year warranty to 86.2% efficiency

16 x Solar Edge optimizers fitted to each panel. 25-year warranty

  1 x Solar Edge SE6000H HD wave inverter 20-year warranty.

  1 x Growatt SPA3000 AC/DC Battery storage management system 10-year product warranty

  1 x Pylontech 5kh of battery storage 10-year 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 G99 Certificates

All service and maintenance under the terms of the warranty.

thriftytracey

Alnat1 said:

Will your 16 panels be 400s? If so you're looking at 6400kWp on the roof. You'll need a 5kw inverter and G99 permission from your DNO before installation.

Make sure your company is going to obtain the permission and they aren't going to simply get G98 and limit your export to 3.6kWh.

Yes, they mentioned this and said they would need to obtain permission.

Screwdriva

thriftytracey said:

Size of system 6.4kh. With 5kh battery storage

Making PV Panels Smarter Up to 25% More Energy from Your System Connecting SolarEdge power optimisers to PV panels makes them SMART PANELS that produce MORE POWER at all times

Equipment;

16 x 400w German Sharp Solar black panels, 25-year warranty to 86.2% efficiency

16 x Solar Edge optimizers fitted to each panel. 25-year warranty

  1 x Solar Edge SE6000H HD wave inverter 20-year warranty.

  1 x Growatt SPA3000 AC/DC Battery storage management system 10-year product warranty

  1 x Pylontech 5kh of battery storage 10-year 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 G99 Certificates

All service and maintenance under the terms of the warranty.

I know that installer well. With any installer, I always recommend:

1) Pay with a credit card, even if its just the deposit. This will provide Section 75 protection incase the installer disappears.

2) Always check each component (but especially the optimizers and panels) when they arrive at the location prior to installation. Sometimes they get incorrectly switched due to error etc. Make sure your panels actual say Sharp 410W etc.

3) Be politely detailed with any installation instructions when it comes to wiring on the day of. Installers always chose the path of least resistance, which may not match aesthetic requirements. 

4) Insist in writing that final installment (10%) will only be made after 48 hours of successful continuous operation in the SolarEdge app. 

Best of luck!

thriftytracey

Thanks for responses, very helpful.  I certainly hadn't thought of the wiring and how it is configured on the roof.

I am intending to pay a small part of deposit on credit card.  Unfortunately cannot pay all of it as we need it for trip abroad but I understand that £100+ will provide section 75 cover.

Good idea to withhold part of final payment until 48 hours of successful continuous operation.  

powerful_Rogue

You've chosen a good company.

I would consider the bird proofing. I ordered it, but they forgot to put in on the van. By the time they came back out, we were inundated with pigeons.

Also the battery you've got, that's not very big. Worth getting bigger and taking advantage of the 0% VAT if batteries are for you.