The first step in having solar panels installed on your roof is a consultation with a company that installs solar PV systems. REAL, the industry watchdog member organization, warns that this is the place where cowboy solar installers take advantage of unwary homeowners and push them into buying solar panels that may not be appropriate for their needs. That’s a waste of your money, and may end up disqualifying you from participation in the Feed-in Tariff scheme that pays you for generating electricity that you use. Knowing what to expect can help you evaluate whether this is a company with which you want to do business. Here’s what to expect when you schedule an appointment with a company that installs solar PV systems.
The company will send a salesman orconsultant to your home. Reputable companies will send a knowledgeable installation expert who will take the time to ask you about your typical electricity usage and examine your property to make sure it meets the requirements for solar panels. The appointment should take about an hour and certainly not more than two hours, and most of that time should be taken up with the inspection of your property and an explanation of the best solar PV system size and type for your use.
What is the Solar Panels Installer Looking For?
There are a few requirements to ensure that your property is actually suitable for a solar PV installation. Remember, solar panels can be installed on any property, but only about 85% of properties in the UK will actually benefit enough from a solar PV system to make it worth the installation costs. The solar panels company representative will be checking the orientation of your roof – a south, west or east facing roof surface is necessary – as well as its pitch, to determine whether or not you have a suitable roof for solar panel installation. In addition, he or she will be looking for objects such as buildings, trees and other structures or landforms that might overshadow your roof for part of the day. Those obstacles can seriously reduce the efficiency of any solar PV system.
The consultant will also sit down with you to discuss your typical electricity usage, and should explain to you how much of your current electricity your solar PV system can reasonably be expected to replace. He or she will ask you questions about the times of day you typically do things like laundry, run televisions and use other electrical appliances. Those things will all affect how much you can save by adding solar panels to your electricity sources.
He or she should not use any high pressure sales tactics or tell you that you must make a decision today in order to get a special low price. Those are typical ways that cowboy companies force sales and cheat people.
One way to be sure that you’re dealing with a reputable company that installs appropriate solar PV panels is to check with REAL to find out if the solar panels company is listed with them. REAL requires that its member companies adhere to certain standards that guarantee you are working with a legitimate company and not a fly-by-night company whose only purpose is to take your money.
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