Solar PV Panels

zeupater

Gizmosmum wrote: »

Follow up calls are quite normal. One of the companies that we first contacted lost the job because they didn't bother to follow up. I was too busy to get things sorted out and the company that made an effort and followed up with polite non challenging emails was the one that got the job. I'd have been getting round to it now otherwise. It's acceptable under MCS and Real and some time ago when I had a team of staff providing impartial advice we used to do follow up calls then.

Hi

I wouldn't worry about a follow up call, as long as it wasn't too soon, or became a regular event. However, if a salesman turned up on the doorstep without invitation in order to convince a customer to reconsider, I would classify that as being a form of 'pressure selling' which could be very intimidating to some people, especially groups which can be classified as being vulnerable.

Section 5.2 of the REAL code actually provides guidance on the sales process and conduct ... http://www.realassurance.org.uk/scheme/consumer-code#tag5.2 ... including the provision ... "Members must check in advance of a sales visit whether the consumer is vulnerable in any way. If so, they must request that the consumer arrange for a trusted friend or relative to be present. If this has not been possible, the member must re-schedule the visit at a time when a trusted friend or relative is available to be present." ... myself, without first arranging and agreeing an appointment, I wouldn't have a clue whether someone who wouldn't be classified as vulnerable a week or so ago hadn't been subjected to circumstances which changed their position, neither would a company selling [STRIKE]double glaz..[/STRIKE] solar pv, therefore they should always make an appointment.

Z

Gizmosmum_2

Yea, sorry I wasn't clear, I meant to say knocking on someone's door without an appointment is completely unacceptable. I'm not a fan of the dg salespeople either

malch

sarajames101 wrote: »

I think your becoming to bothered by the voltage this inverter kicks in at. Far more important things in some inverters, that can make up the difference in the voltage. Panels are also just as important, if not more, depending on type you have.

what i am tring to get at is that the salesman kept pushing the fact that their system could start working 1/2 an hour earlier in the morning and stop 1/2 hour later in the evening, also in poor light it would be producing, albiet a small amount, whereas the units coming in at 175v-200v may not produce at all. now over a year that could amount to a reasonable amount of kW. this was the reason i went with PV Solar rather than the two other companies who would prise match the same system, but with alternative inverters

zeupater

malch wrote: »

what i am tring to get at is that the salesman kept pushing the fact that their system could start working 1/2 an hour earlier in the morning and stop 1/2 hour later in the evening, also in poor light it would be producing, albiet a small amount, whereas the units coming in at 175v-200v may not produce at all. now over a year that could amount to a reasonable amount of kW. this was the reason i went with PV Solar rather than the two other companies who would prise match the same system, but with alternative inverters

Hi

Although the majority of total power generated happens in a relatively small timespan, typical UK conditions restrict generation for the majority of the time, therefore anything that increases the generation period is to be welcomed, as long as any extra costs incurred are covered by the increased production.

Having raised that, sarahjames101 also has a valid point in that there is always the possibility of panels which produce higher voltage could achieve the same effect, depending on the capabilities of the inverter. This raises the possibility of an inverter cutting in at 175v/200v with one type of panel could outperform an inverter which starts production at 125v with different panels ..... it's all down to matching the panels to the inverters and then the system to the cost ...

HTH
Z

CheshireCat44

A local company is telling me that the Sovello panels they use now come with an insurance guaranteed return "£x in y years". I haven't yet seen the small print, so I don't know exactly how it is phrased.

On the principle that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, I'm highly suspicious. Has anyone else had similar quotes? Anyone got Sovello panels up and running?
Regards

Cardew

CheshireCat44 wrote: »

A local company is telling me that the Sovello panels they use now come with an insurance guaranteed return "£x in y years". I haven't yet seen the small print, so I don't know exactly how it is phrased.

On the principle that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, I'm highly suspicious. Has anyone else had similar quotes? Anyone got Sovello panels up and running?
Regards

That guarantee will have many caveats.

1. Nobody knows inflation rates in the years ahead.

2. Nobody knows fuel inflation rates in the years ahead

3. It has to make an assumption about how much of the generated electricity you use in the house.

4. What steps the Government might take on FITs in the future.

5. What repairs/replacements might be required

Gizmosmum_2

Or how much the sun will shine :rotfl:

Equaliser123

Gizmosmum wrote: »

Or how much the sun will shine :rotfl:

Going well at the moment for us. 26 kw/h in 2 days and full sun forecast for tomorrow.

Gizmosmum_2

Us too - not quite as good as a friend though whose meter is going backwards! He uses electric for a chiller for milk and he's generating 14kwh/day as well as the meter going backwards. Lucky ***!

JenR8

I wonder if any of the 'Techies' on these threads can explain this:

I have a new (rent a roof) installation, and my leccy meter is running backwards so I know when I'm generating. Yesterday, in the middle of the day when the sun was blazing, my system stopped generating and we were using. Hubby went up in the loft to look at the inverter, which had lights flashing and was turning itself on and off continually. Some while later the system started to generate again.
We have a 3840Wp system with a Fronius IG35 Inverter.
What do you think?