Addressing Poor Solar Installations – A Frustrating Reality

Today, we visited a three-year-old solar PV and battery installation to carry out an inspection and test for a concerned customer.

The homeowner had no app visibility of their system's performance due to a lack of internet connectivity, and their EV charger was behaving erratically, displaying unusual readings.

Upon investigation, we found a critical installation error: the CT clamp for the EV charger had been installed backward, causing imported power to be misread as exported generation.

While the Solax PV System was producing a healthy amount of power and charging the battery, the household loads were still being supplied by the grid - a glaringly obvious error.

A call to the Solax support desk and a run through of basic troubleshooting steps didn’t resolve the issue and without an internet connection in place, remote diagnostics and firmware updates were impossible.

To complicate matters, the garage had no cellular coverage, ruling out a 4G dongle as an alternative. Even making calls to support from that location was difficult, adding another layer of frustration to the job.

We’ve agreed to return and install a hardwired internet connection for both the Solax inverter and the EV charger. Once that’s done, Solax support will be able to upgrade the firmware, which should correct the inverter’s energy flow issues and finally bring the system to life and allow for full system functionality and efficiency, which has been absent for 3 years!

The customer was understandably dissatisfied. They invested in a stunning, high-spec, one-off new build home featuring triple glazing, an electric ASHP heating system, and an excellent EPC rating, all great steps toward energy efficiency. But unfortunately, their investment in renewables was let down by a poorly executed installation.

As an installer, it’s frustrating to see companies market themselves as “Solar PV Specialists,” win fantastic projects like this, and then fail to install, commission, or support the system properly.

A well-installed system isn’t just about hardware, it’s about craftsmanship, commissioning, walkthroughs, customer handovers, and ongoing support.

This system will be put right, and as always, I’ll provide the level of support my customers deserve. But the reality is, the original installer walked away with the lions share of profit, while the customer now has to invest further to get the system working as it should have from day one.

This situation highlights why choosing the right installer is just as important as choosing the right system. Which is another can of worms for another day.

If you’re considering solar PV, battery storage, or EV charging, make sure your installer is committed to quality, correct commissioning, a good handover, and long-term support.