- Reaction score
- 205
I agree it could well be a faulty bypass diode. If so, it’s not something an installer could easily repair (unlike a bad connector) so you’d probably need a new panel. But this one’s not dead, it’s just under-performing.
Do you have the datasheet for the Siliken panel? Does it mention anything about being insurance-backed?
I think your first course of action should be to check whether you actually have a warranty that is valid. You mentioned you have an insurance policy in case your installer ceased to trade. Are you 100% sure it’s valid?
I think a phone call to the CPA could help. I expect when they hear the story, and that you are only losing about £20 a year, they will simply offer to pay you £20 a year to make up the shortfall. Over 25 years, that would only equal £500. You may have to send them screenshots each year of your monitoring software and you can do some basic calculations to work out how much lower this panel performed than its neighbours and therefore how much it has cost you in cash terms.
The cost of a scaffold might be close to £500 in your area before adding in labour and the hassle of finding and paying for a replacement panel. Most installers would rather avoid work completed by others as any faults later might be pinned on them.
You would obviously need to monitor the situation to ensure the panel doesn’t lose more generation but this would seem to be the most sensible way to proceed from a financial perspective.
Do you have the datasheet for the Siliken panel? Does it mention anything about being insurance-backed?
I think your first course of action should be to check whether you actually have a warranty that is valid. You mentioned you have an insurance policy in case your installer ceased to trade. Are you 100% sure it’s valid?
I think a phone call to the CPA could help. I expect when they hear the story, and that you are only losing about £20 a year, they will simply offer to pay you £20 a year to make up the shortfall. Over 25 years, that would only equal £500. You may have to send them screenshots each year of your monitoring software and you can do some basic calculations to work out how much lower this panel performed than its neighbours and therefore how much it has cost you in cash terms.
The cost of a scaffold might be close to £500 in your area before adding in labour and the hassle of finding and paying for a replacement panel. Most installers would rather avoid work completed by others as any faults later might be pinned on them.
You would obviously need to monitor the situation to ensure the panel doesn’t lose more generation but this would seem to be the most sensible way to proceed from a financial perspective.
