Choosing a Solar PV Installation Company

How to Choose a Solar PV Installation Company in Ireland

The solar PV market is booming in Ireland and you can now find dozens of companies to buy solar PV from. With so many options to choose from, use these four simple tips to find the best company to buy solar PV from.

Tip 1: Do They Know What They’re Talking About?

I’m serious. You need to make sure that the company representative knows what he’s talking about before you move forward. If you have any doubts then ask some technical questions and listen to how the representative responds. If you don’t know what to ask then try some of these questions: “Where will the inverter go?”; “How will you secure the panels to the roof?”; “Can he/she explain the electrical details of the system?”; “How did he/she calculated the power production?”. Make sure that you get satisfactory answers to all of your questions before moving forward. Only someone with a good technical understanding will be able to design the system that’s optimal for you. Which brings us to the next tip:

Graph paper, ruler and calculator being used by a solar PV system designer.
It takes a lot of technical knowledge to come up with the best possible solar PV system design for each individual customer. Make sure that the company you’re working with are experts on solar PV technology.

Tip 2: The Company Should Custom-Tailor the System to Your Needs

When it comes to solar PV, one size does not fit all. Factors like when, how, and what you use electricity for should be considered when designing your system. A specially-designed system will give you a much better return on investment than an “off-the-shelf system”. All of these factors should be analysed in detail during your site survey.

Asking questions about the customer's electricity use and carefully listening to the answers.
The person designing you solar PV system should ask lots of questions and listen carefully to your answers. Only with a clear understanding of your goals will the designer be able to give you the solar PV system that provides the maximum benefits to you.

Tip 3: Work Directly with the Installation Company.

There are many reasons why it’s best to buy your solar PV system directly from the installation company. The most important one is so you can contact the right people directly if you ever need technical advice or support in the future. Directly communicating with the installers is much more efficient than dealing through a middle man. Ask the company representative about this. “Will your own employees be installing my solar PV system, or will a contractor be installing it?”. If you have any doubts about their response then check the SEAI’s list of registered solar PV installers. The SEAI list let’s you differentiate between genuine installers and re-sellers because only genuine installers will be listed.

Tip 4: What do Their Customers Say?

Get the scoop from people like you who’ve bought systems from the company before!