When blogging about solar sometimes finding something new to blog is difficult. However, when doing my research to write todays blog I came across an interesting piece written about two or three months back. The purpose of the blog isn’t a rate or slate, it isn’t a point the finger and lay the blame, it is simply to help open the consumers eyes when purchasing a Solar PV system.
ALL Solar PV installers should be registered with the MCS – the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. Essentially this means that as an installer we pay an annual registration fee, we work tirelessly to keep up-dated with the changing regulations. On an annual basis we go into panic mode to ensure everything is in order and prepare for the audit of our lives – if we don’t pass this audit we don’t trade!
The problem we have come across is that although we consider ourselves to be the ideal, law abiding, does everything by the book MCS Accredited company we know that there are companies out there that simply don’t care. They may have achieved MCS status by ticking a few boxes and promising to be good, but at the end of the day the accreditation (to the company) means nothing. But how do the get away with it I hear you ask? It’s quite simple, over the last 12 months of trading they will complete ONE good installation, they will complete ONE good file ensuring that all the paperwork is in order so that when it comes round to the annual audit Mr or Mrs MCS Inspector has something to look at. Mr or Mrs MCS Inspector will visit the appropriate property and sign off from a distance leaving the BAD company to continue trading.
After having conversations with potential customer I’ve found that the information in this blog is accurate and that a lot of installation have been botched jobs leaving the customer without a working installation, out of pocket, requiring additional work and additional expenses. The consumer is often finding that the BAD company is no longer trading and because there is no workmanship warranty there is no insurance backed guarantee.
My purpose of this blog is to simply advise you to check your installers qualifications carefully. At minimum they should be registered with MCS, RECC, QANW (or similar insurance body) the electricians should at least have domestic installation qualifications and ideally be Part P registered. The installing company should also have a way of signing off or acknowledging that the work complies to building regulations – Benchmark.
Although Contact-Solar has only been trading for a little over 12 months the Group itself has been trading for almost 40 years. We DO NOT and WILL NOT risk our reputation by cutting corners therefore meeting all set standards for Solar PV is number one on our priority list next making sure you’re happy.
