Bogus solar panel installation warning to home and business owners

North-east home and business owners who are looking to install solar panels and batteries are being urged to be aware of unregulated sellers in the area.

Stuart Munro, owner of Kintore-based i-Protech, said that his company has seen a surge in the number of calls from people who have had faulty systems installed by individuals and companies claiming to be legitimate installers of green energy products.

Some have paid deposits of thousands of pounds for a solar panel system, only to find that they do not work properly. Many also have not received the appropriate insurance certificates or have been given forged certificates.

Aberdeen businessman Michael Mahoney, owner of Yardbury Engineering and Oilfield Products Ltd, contacted i-Protech after having a faulty solar system installed in his home last summer by a company from the Central Belt. An investigation by i-Protech uncovered a wide range of issues with the installation, including unsafe work

Michael said: “My father found a company online which looked amazing and ticked all the right boxes. The salesman arrived to assess and advise us on the best set-up for my father, my brother and myself. We all have similar sized houses and energy usage, but while they offered my dad and brother the same systems, I was given a different one.

“My dad’s system was installed in just eight hours, he got a phone call afterwards to get his payment, and zero instructions on how to use the system. Two weeks later my brother got the same and a week after that my system was installed.  Less than 24 hours later it went off due to a battery fault, so I called them and was told to turn it off and back on again. This went one for four weeks, but it never worked.

“I called the company many times, as well as the third-party installer, who said it wasn’t their problem. I started to do some research and it turned out that they didn’t have the proper certification to install systems. I was fobbed off so many times that around six months after installation I took legal advice. When I spoke to the company again, they offered to change my system but again it wasn’t right. After more calls, they blocked me and stopped to replying to emails so I’ve been left with a system that is half one brand and half another, with no usage instructions.”

Michael approached i-Protech, who assessed the installation and provided a report highlighting the various faults and issues, including unsafe electrical work.

“After speaking to Stuart, we have discovered we need a G99 certificate, which none of us received. We also didn’t get IWA policy numbers or MCS certification, which meant we couldn’t claim back from the grid. Between us, we paid the best part of £45,000 to this company, only to receive abusive emails and months and months of hassle. I complained to the governing body, MCS, was told there was nothing they could do as they were not a registered company. It was all very frustrating,” Michael explained.

The past year has seen an unprecedented number of enquiries for solar panels, partly due to the increasing cost of energy bills, as well as a range of incentives including the introduction of grants, financial schemes, and interest-free loans from organisations such as the Home Energy Scotland and the Energy Savings Trust.

An accredited installer of solar panels, i-Protech specialises in green energy, electrical, security and fire services and has fitted thousands of solar panels onto private houses and businesses.

Stuart said: “We are getting calls weekly from customers who tell us that they have subjected to a hard sell approach by some companies and individuals. The work is often sub-standard, and we are being asked to fix it.

“These salespeople are operating in much the same way as the windows and doors salesmen of old -   they offer to do the job at an inflated price and then say that they will get their managers to call. Someone phones claiming to be the manager and they are offered money off.

“Installing solar panels and batteries is a large investment for many, and not a decision to be taken in a rush. It is important that home and business owners do their research before committing to a company. Legitimate companies will be MCS accredited, and they will issue an insurance warranty on completion of the work. They are also obliged to notify the Grid either prior to a solar install or after an install.”

For more information about solar panel installation, go to the company website on https://i-protech.co.uk/

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