Am I being too fussy?

[SRE]

Unfortunately even the best of installers are having problems and when you get a Sanyo system at that price then there's even more of an issue, there's very little slack in the margin to allow for the cost of having someone in the office chasing orders all day, ringing you to let you know what's happening, changing your paperwork etc etc.

If it's cheaper (we'd be charging at least £1500 more than you're paying) it's usually because the costs have been cut somewhere and at times like this, that's when the cracks start to show, not your fault but an unfortunate result of a sloppy government decision.

You have 2 choices as I see it, accept the changes understanding the pressures that are on the industry at the minute or cancel the order and regret not taking this golden opportunity. You'll never again get the chance to buy a Sanyo system at that price with the 43p tariff - the last 2 months have been the golden era of solar. Cheapest prices and highest tariff.

 

[dansk]

it doesnt have to look untidy, this is was a downstairs inverter job of mine and i dont think its too bad.

 

[Noddy67]

I'd be happy with the subs. they're not short changing you on the panels or inverter. it's a great FiT rate at the moment so I wouldn't let it slip away because they could have tried subbing any old tat. In my opinion.

 

[sharpener]

I am not an electrician so do not know what can and can't be done. I was originally told meter cabinet could have meter in if required but told no today, has to be by CU. So I will have a cloakroom full of electrical boxes. I could live with the CU that is already there, cost too much to move. Now seperate meter etc.

Having a new kitchen next year which will involve electrics so feel I should just drop the build down to the standard one and forget the new CU and get someone else to do that who can do it as I want. Guess the only trouble then is if I changed the meter ie got the Wylex with it included would cause problems.

If I had known I would have sourced Wylex CU with meter enclosed myself.

From what you say you can do without the Wylex integrated CU for now (and should get a price reduction), get someone else to tidy up the job when you get the kitchen electrics done. There must be a procedure for changing a "broken" generation meter and notifying this to your electricity purchaser (I expect it will have to be done by an MCS certified electrician but come 2012 I dare say they will have all gone back to replacing CUs anyway...)

Funnily enough I wanted an SB 4000TL so I could upgrade with the Sunny Home Manager kit next year but was told there weren't any! At least you will be able to do that, or use the multifunction relay to control your immersion heater (see other threads) Am due to get a StecaGrid next week, have just spent a happy evening configuring a wireless ethernet extender box so it will be able to communicate with my ADSL router from the loft.

 

[MattyKHZ]

We have a Gledhill Boilermate (some sort of thermal store) instead of an immersion heater so not sure if the control you mention is the same.

I am happy with the products, did not go for the cheapest and went with then one that gave me the best impression at time of survey. Just feel everything I was told is incorrect, and as it is our home which we have had numerous problems with before this, am upset that people promise you one thing and deliver another.

I will just go with a vanilla install now and get the meter changed for a Wylex all in one CU at my own expense later. I am not paying any extra for CU work when it is not the one I outlined. Had I of known, I would have supplied that and the Solar Edge inverter myself. To be told they were looking at it I feel some things have not been bothered with. All information was given a month ago.

My cheapest quote was like for like but with insurance backed 10 year warranty and an alleged 20 year inverter warranty. That was something that appealed but the sales process was not as good as the company I chose. So went with the best salesperson rather than best company but you do not know this at the time.

I am awaiting daylight now so will get some 300mm lens snaps of the roof, tiles and fixings as it currently is and post them up later.

 

[MattyKHZ]

Also forgot to add:

At time of survey when I questioned warranties and the inverter as I believe this to be the part most likely to fail I was told not to bother with an extended warranty as SMA would replade a faulty one out of warranty for £300 anyway.

The installer even thinks this is not correct which again angers me that I am told one thing to put pen to paper and another after signing up.

 

[MattyKHZ]

And one last thing.

At time of survey was told I can stipulate generation metere location. They even looked in the meter cabinet and said it could go in there. I would keep the CU work if generation meter was in the meter cabinet as then would only have one box on wall of cloakroom like I now have.

Is it not possible to fit meter in the meter cabinet or is installer doing what is best for them rather than what is best for the customer?

 

[SolarCity]

It depends what you mean by 'meter cabinet'. If it is the DNO's own then you can't fit it there, unfortunately.

Regarding your install: Your price, as others have pointed out, is very cheap. We are also very competitive but couldn't get near that.

You are getting a great install but it isn't the one you wanted. To be honest, a lot of people are in the same boat. When you say "I would have sourced the Solar Edge myself", I don't think you realise just how crazy the market has been in the last month. It is very, VERY hard to deal with suppliers that you already have a long relationship with. It is harder still to deal with a new supplier. I reckon that trying to source equipment as a non-MCS member of the public would have been on the other side of impossible.

Your installer should have been more upfront with you. We have had problem for the last 3 months or so trying to secure stock. We have had to return to customers and offer them alternative solutions. Luckily this meant that most of these customers ended up with an even better system - by substituting Suntech panels for Linuo panels.

 

[MattyKHZ]

Meter cabinet is on the side of the house (new build from 2007) so not sure who exactly owns the cabinet. I would have thought the householder rather than DNO as they did not put it there.

When I was getting quotes circa £12500 was the going price for my Sanyo install based on 16 (or even 17) Sanyo 240W or 16 of the 250W. All with 4000TL's. Had some around £15000 and one at £23000 who would then refund 10% and then the VAT.

I guess some do it on price and a small margin and others kept prices the same as panel prices dropped. Early Nov there was a £500 decrease in the price from the previous month from one installer.

Any way I am off to work now seeing as been awake since 3:30. Too dark to take any photos so I will wait to hear what day 2 of the install brings from my wife who is supervising today.

 

[MattyKHZ]

House before solar panels showing tile type.