PV Installer North East

septicsac

Can someone recommend a Solar PV installer in the North East area, which would include Dublin, as I am sure they will all travel for the right money.

Looking for a company who are obviously grant compliant, not rip off merchants, but most important do a good job.

Anyone who has direct experience please advise, thanks in advance.

Jonathan

Check out the quotes thread here: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058055040/domestic-solar-pv-quotes-2020#latest

septicsac

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117994171#Comment_117994171

I have sen the thread, but its not a clear indication of quality and/or satisfied customers, as very hard to trail from quote to finish and possible satisfaction with job. I have to have a closer trawl through it again.

What size system are you wanting

septicsac

Probably go as big as I can, loads of room on large south facing roof

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117997363#Comment_117997363

100% fill it you wont regret it. I can nearly guess the spec TBH.

6 to 8kw of panels.

6kw inverter

5kw Battery

Hot water diverter

Im not going to guess the price but come back and let us know.

septicsac

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117997405#Comment_117997405

Near exactly that, might throw in a zappi charger as well, as next car will be electric

slave1

Do the cabling for the Zappi but don’t get it as you won’t qualify for the €600 grant until you own an EV

jethrothe2nd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117995223#Comment_117995223

It's a good point on the subject of quality. I have had a bit of back and forth with a company because their quote was €2,587 more expensive than the cheapest quote I got (more to see how they would justify it rather than because I had any intention of using them), and they have been very adamant that what they are offering is of far superior quality and what I would be paying extra for is 'insurance against issues that might arise between years 10 - 25' as a result of a 25 year guarantee, but it just doesn't stack up for me. Based on what I have read in the quotes thread, there is nothing wrong with the quality of what I am getting (quote 1 below)

Quote 1 - €3421 after grant

380w Q-cells x 8 (they might be able to fit 10 panels on the roof but that is yet to be confrmed)

3.6KW Ginling Solis 4G inverter

Eddi

Rensusol roof mounting kit

Quote 2 - €6,008 after grant

330w Q-cells x 8 (G9+)

Enphase micro inverter

K2 solid rail mounting system

Eddi 

myenergi monitoring system with app 

Now the only difference I can see there is that the panels are G9+ and they are using micro inverter rather than the string inverter. Is that worth an additional €2,587??

septicsac

Starting to get prices in, my God there is some wide variation in prices despite the fact there appears to be little in difference in what is being supplied. Will post all the prices when I have more time.

I am looking for

6/8kw of panels

At least 5kw battery

5/6 kw invertor

Hot water divertor

BER rating when complete

Currently prices range from 8,293 for 6kw panels to 12,800 for 7.6kw panels, from different companies, both prices after grant of 3000 has been applied.

septicsac

I put most of my quotes in the quotes thread, it really is a pain posting things in so many places, having to message, as no one wants to name a company out loud, what ever happened to word of mouth, practically every other website and social media outlet allows people the freedom to recommend good people and call out those not so good

bullit_dodger

The problem with promoting and/or dissing companies, is that it can very quickly degenerate into slaggin match.

Sometimes with the best will in the world, you just come across (dare I say it) arsehole customers bad-mouthing otherwise good companies. We all know the type, no matter what you do, there was NO PLEASING them. Ohh, the wiring wasn't neat, they used Blue and brown wires, I wanted them to use Red and black wires. "NEVER USE THESE PEOPLE" etc etc. and then company is left airing their laundry in public, or forced not to respond.

I also was of the same mind as you when I first started looking, but it's the lesser of two evils really when you think about it.

septicsac

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118020638#Comment_118020638

Oh I understand why it is as it is, just a pain for those looking for recommendations of good companies. The opposite logic can also apply, hypothetically, where someone recommends someone, via private message, who it all went extremely well with, no issues at all, so they do so in good faith, but meanwhile there are 5 other people who had genuine issues with same said company, but because it is not in the public forum they have no awareness of what is going on and the likely-hood is the customer loses out. Here there are more protections for the company than the consumer, but still probably better than the free for all that exists on social media where protection for neither exists in any real form.

bullit_dodger

Agreed - it's not a perfect system septicsac, and I've felt frustration myself with the same landscape. Even our own PM messages on what installers to calls, no one else here would be privy to. If everyone was open and honest, we could have a valuable rating system, but sadly with the sometimes toxic mentality that people have....<left unsaid>

The main thing that personally I think that quotes discussion hands down improves on is informing people that their are some good suppliers out there on the market who do deliver good value for money. It's very much a wink-wink nudge-nudge that we all know who are to be avoided, but if the quotes forum helps people get a competitive quote then that's a "win" - even if it doesn't get everyone the absolute BEST/cheapest quote.

While people are perfectly entitled to quote what they want, some of the quotes I've seen really are ethically disturbing (to me anyway). Doesn't sit well with me those €13K quotes for some 3.0Kwp system with a 2.4Kwhr battery.

MAULBROOK

Yes I agree its a pain but it would turn into the wild west in seconds.

We try and help people find value for money and yes I have my supplier who I heavily promote.

I would be called out very quickly if he was a chancer.

septicsac

Yes the system here, while a tad slow and laborious still beats the social media model hands down. Spoke to SEAI today re grants etc and guy said to have a good dig around for info on recommendations and while he could not recommend anyone it was blatantly obvious there were both highly recommended and the opposite out there.