New solar panels poor performance, can't contact solar company! Apolo solar.

[jojitsu]

just had a quick look he did have 7 companies, solar company cease trading. He now runs Kovco Holdings Ltd and scaffold 4 ltd

Really? ... Might be worth me giving them a phone call!!

 

[SolarCity]

I have a feeling you'll be wasting your time.

 

[jojitsu]

I agree... I can't believe the fitter did such a tidy/neat job, and seemed really professional, but left them like this! I am kicking myself for not fixing the issue sooner..

 

[SolarCity]

The electrician was probably trained up to a certain point but then had little knowledge of how PV works. It is incredibly sad that someone would go to the trouble of testing his work yet have no idea what the figures meant.

 

[jojitsu]

Well there's no point in testing it if when you find something wrong you don't fix it!
I really hope the insurance doesn't give us any problems, otherwise they will have to stay as they are.

 

[Richard]

Don't forget, the people who he employs could be the best of electricians, but how they run their business could be a different matter all together! Best of luck getting it sorted

 

[jojitsu]

I would imagine the best of electricians would not leave the job like this.. Thanks for your input, really appreciate it.

 

[jason121]

I had something similar to this, when i tested both strings didn't match but put it down to being late evening. I told customer watch if both trackers didn't match a week later PIN 2 stop working. MC4 connector had not been pushed together tightly and burnt out. Luck was in was a bungalow

 

[jojitsu]

Just an update, and not a good one! The IWA (insurance company linked with my solar install) have been in touch and are saying because it looks like the panels were installed incorrectly and there was a fault from the beginning, it was up to Apollo to fix them before they went into liquidation, and that they won't pay for the repairs!! I feel absolutely sick!! It was only a couple of weeks back that I found out for certain that there is a fault with the system, and when I suspected a fault later last year I tried to contact Apollo to get it looked at, but they wouldn't answer the phone as they had just gone, or going bust!!

I just don't know what to do: all our savings went into getting the bloody panels fitted in the first place, now, instead of making money they are causing nothing but stress!! I wish I never came up with the idea of getting them fitted!

 

[jerriais]

Out of interest, what reason did IWA give for determining the panels were installed incorrectly? In my experience, if you go strictly by the book, most of the panels I see are installed incorrectly according to the installation manual, especially with reference to the correct location of the clamps. They should be at or close to the 25% and 75% marks on the long side of the panels but many times I see them far too near the ends of the panels. I really don't get that as it's not as if that would even save the installers time or money to do it that way but it would invalidate the warranty for most panels.

 

[jojitsu]

It's because the original paperwork that the fitter filled in that shows the results of the electrical tests (that may has well be written in Chinese to me!), shows that one of the 2 lines was never working properly, or at all for that matter.. The loophole basically says they will pay for them to be fixed if they go wrong AFTER the company goes bust.. So because they were still in business after they fitted my system, they should have fixed them then! Of course by the time I suspected they were not working properly, I tried to contact apollo, but got no response..

 

[SolarCity]

Are the panels easily accessible from the velux window? If they are, it might not be too tricky to put right.

 

[JulianC]

So that's MCS, RECC, DECC and now IWA. Shameful the lot of 'em. Never trust an acronym.

 

[Gavin A]

We're too busy to help at the moment, but will probably have time in April to come over and sort this out at a relatively low cost if you've not got it sorted by then.

It'll either be 3 panels not in the string, or 2 panels wired in backwards, either way it's simple enough to fix as long as we can get a scaf tower in below - may not even be needed if the fault is accessible from the ladder and velux.

This confirms my suspicion that these insurance backed warranties we pay for are a complete waste of money.

 

[jojitsu]

It'd be easilt's great, Gavin. Thanks so much for the offer. I'll definitely be in touch if I can't get it sorted before then. I do have good access from the velux, but all the panels are cable ties down. Good practice I'm sure, but will probably make it hard off a ladder. The guy who came a couple of weeks back really tried to see any fault from the velux, but couldn't get access without going on the roof.
I've just today got a good quote from a local scaffolding company, if and when it's needed..

When the wife was trying to pay for the system, she had a credit card in her hand, all day there phone line was engaged.. After trying all day she eventually decided It would be easier to send a cheque.. We would probably have been insured through the credit card!

 

[jojitsu]

Sorry for the typos, doing this on my phone!

 

[Gavin A]

It'd be easilt's great, Gavin. Thanks so much for the offer. I'll definitely be in touch if I can't get it sorted before then. I do have good access from the velux, but all the panels are cable ties down. Good practice I'm sure, but will probably make it hard off a ladder. The guy who came a couple of weeks back really tried to see any fault from the velux, but couldn't get access without going on the roof.
I've just today got a good quote from a local scaffolding company, if and when it's needed..

When the wife was trying to pay for the system, she had a credit card in her hand, all day there phone line was engaged.. After trying all day she eventually decided It would be easier to send a cheque.. We would probably have been insured through the credit card!

as I say, we have a scaf tower, or easidec system for access as long as it's clear below the system - ie no conservatory etc

 

[jojitsu]

Yeah, we don't have a conservatory or extension or similar. Many thanks.

 

[oldsalty]

We're too busy to help at the moment, but will probably have time in April to come over and sort this out at a relatively low cost if you've not got it sorted by then.

It'll either be 3 panels not in the string, or 2 panels wired in backwards, either way it's simple enough to fix as long as we can get a scaf tower in below - may not even be needed if the fault is accessible from the ladder and velux.

This confirms my suspicion that these insurance backed warranties we pay for are a complete waste of money.

Reading an offer like REALLY bolsters my faith in the human race. Well done, Gavin A, from God's country!