Photovoltaic (PV) suppliers
Posted Monday, 10 December, 2012 at 2:50pm
People often ask us at WinACC about installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in their home.
For some basic points about PV panels go to our PV Panel Facts page which will help with your decision-making or to know what questions to ask when dealing with a supplier.
Many also ask how to pick a good supplier. We can't recommend a supplier but if you click on "Read more", you will see a (not complete) list of local photovoltaic suppliers.
To be on this, a supplier must meet WinACC's minimum standards:
• they must be MCS accredited and signed up to the REAL assurance code of conduct;
• they must have done successful installations in the area;
• and all of their products and services must be backed up by warranty.
The suppliers on our list give WinACC a fee for every purchase that results from being introduced by us. So if you decide to contact any of the suppliers on this list or buy anything from them, please mention WinACC and let us know.
Some of these suppliers will offer group discounts for cooperative purchase schemes. If you want to get together with other households in the area and take advantage of this offer contact winacc@winacc.org.uk and we will match you up.
The "small print" is that WinACC does not accept any responsibility for the work of any of these suppliers.
Company name (WinACC member) | MCS accredited (other certificates) | Product and installation warranty | Are you registered on a user reviewed website? |
1Sunpath (Yes) 02392 221113 | Yes (REAL) PAS 2030 - approved Green Deal installer | 10 guarantee on their work, backed up by REAL's Deposit and Workmanship Warranty Insurance scheme. Also solar thermal and air-source heat pumps. | Yes: Yougen Check-a-trade |
Allen Electrical (No) 023 8060 1907 | Yes (REAL, NICEIC) | 5/10 year manufacturer, 5 year workmanship and 10 year performance (panels only) warranties | No |
| Yes (REAL, BPEC, IWA) | 10 year FSA approved, insurance backed waranty (IWA) | No | |
Equinox Energy (Yes) 01425 673560 | Yes (REAL, BuyWithConfidence) | 5 year workmanship waranty + manufacturer’s own waranties on components | Yes: yougen, WHICH?, BuyWithConfidence |
Finesse Energy (Yes) 02380 403825 | Yes (REAL, IWA, checkatrade) | IWA insurance backed warranty | Yes: Checkatrade |
Green Power Projects (No) 01794 500682 | Yes (REAL) | Between 5 and 30 years depending on manufacturer | No |
0800 909 8882 | Yes (REAL, Trustmark) | 10 years insurance backed warranty | Yes: Checkatrade |
Ocean Solar Ltd (Yes) 02380 873075 | Yes (REAL, Gas Safe) | Manufacturers warranty, QANW | No |
Photon Energy (No) 0118 925 5289 | Yes (REAL, NICEIC, CHAS, SMAS, constructionline) | 5 year workmanship warranty and 5 year product warranty (extendible to 20years for inverters) | No |
Renenergy (No) 0845 225 2727 | Yes (REAL) | 5 year workmanship warranty | Yes: YouGen |
Solar Future (Yes) 01962 624270 | Yes (REAL, NICEIC, HETAS, OFTEC, Gas Safe, F-GAS) | Between 2 and 5 years depending on manufacturer. | No |
Solar Voltaics (Yes) 02392 006161 | Yes (REAL, Solar Trade Association) | 6 year installation warranty through Trade Direct | Yes: Yougen |
Southern Solar Ltd (Yes) 01962 718020 / 0800 157 7340 | Yes (REAL, NICEIC, CHAS, Constructionline, Solar Trade Association) | QANW | Yes: Checkatrade, Yougen, WHICH? |
SunSmart Energy (No) 01962 779253 | Yes (REAL) | Yes: Yougen , Checkatrade |
If you are a supplier who meets our criteria and wants to be listed, email WinACC@winacc.org.uk.
Key:
BPEC: BPEC (Training) Ltd is a charity who provide training and courses for installations in the Building services Engineering Industry.
IWA: The Independent Warrantee Association provides deposit and guarantee insurance should the company become insolvent.
CHAS Certified: The contractors health and safety assessment scheme.
FSA: The Financial Services Authority is an independant body that regulates the financial services industry and authorise companies to run IWA warranties.
MCS: The Microgeneration Certificate Scheme certificates microgeneration technologies used to produce electricity and heat from renewable sources.
NICEIC: is the UK electrical contracting industry’s independent voluntary body.
REAL Listed: The Renewable Energy Association is the industry code of conduct. We recommend only using suppliers that subscribe to it. It gaurantees deposits and repairs if the supplier ceases trading.
SMAS Worksafe: Safety Management Advisory Services provide health and safety approval.
QANW: Quality Assured National Warranties provides insurance backed guarantees and deposit protection insurance.
Comments
Update to Government Feed In Tariff
The Government announced today that they will only gaurantee the current FIT rate or 43.3p/kWh for installations completed before 12th December 2011. For installations after this date the rate will reduce on 1st April 2012 to 21p/kWh.
This makes it even more important to make the decision now to get the maximum benefit.