Tony Dunn had solar water heating panels installed on the roof of his home in 2006 at a cost of £7,125. “When the installer’s salesman pitched to us, he promised wildly optimistic savings,” says Tony, who lives near Braintree in rural Essex. “I knew his figures were unrealistic, and told him so, but the money wasn’t important to us; our main reason for installing the panels was to be less reliant on fossil fuels for our energy needs.”
Although the Dunns did not expect enormous savings, they did expect to save slightly more than the £2 over three years that their solar thermal system has actually delivered.
Their story highlights findings from the consumer organisation Which? that the majority of solar thermal companies exaggerate the potential savings of installing these systems. Last year the Office of Fair Trading received more than 1,000 complaints about the solar panel industry. With a Government target of 800,000 such installations by 2020, consumers need to be able to trust this potentially vital technology.
So how did Tony Dunn’s system end up giving him such poor return on his investment? The installer, Smart Energy, now bust, sent one hard-pressed workman to install the system over one day. “He worked for nearly 12 hours in hot, cramped conditions in our roof,” says Tony, who runs a holiday cottage on his two-acre property. “I asked him to spread the work over two days but he made it clear his orders were to finish the job in one day so he could be free to do another one the next. But it’s evident now that corners were cut and the workmanship was not of a good enough standard.”
Shortly after the 12-month guarantee period expired, a thermocouple developed a fault, pumping cold water into the shower, then last July, Smart Energy went into administration and at about the same time some of the water pipes in the roof started to leak. A firm recommended by the administrator sent out an engineer who serviced the system and fixed the leak, for which they charged £250.
“The savings from the panels amount to 8kW per day for seven months a year, which makes £84 per year. After three years that means we have saved £252 off our heating bills,” Tony says. “If you subtract the service charge that means we have saved £2 on our £7,125 investment. Not great, is it?”
The Which? investigation found that 10 out of 14 solar installers exaggerated the savings home owners could make and not one of the companies tested warned potential clients about the technical challenges involved in installing a solar system.
“Complex plumbing and electrical work is required for these systems, plus it’s all in the roof, a vital part of any house,” Tony says. “We now have stains on our bathroom ceiling because of the leak. You’ve got to have a well-regulated system with well-trained and accountable technicians, otherwise people are going to turn their backs on renewable technologies,” he adds.
Cathy Debenham, of renewable energy users website YouGen, says: “I’m a great fan of solar thermal. We turned off our boiler last week and are showering solely in solar heated water. But both my father and uncle have been on the receiving end of pushy solar salesmen, who over-quote, offer discounts if you sign up today and claim too much for the product.”
In a statement the industry body said: “The Solar Trade Association (STA) takes the issues highlighted by Which? seriously. The solar industry is growing exponentially and as a new industry it is not immune from 'rogue traders’. We will do everything within our power to eradicate such companies.”
STA board member Peter Creasey added that if home owners are to take advantage of the financial incentives of the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive, which comes into force next April, they must use installers accredited through the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).
HOW TO SOLAR ON
* www.yougen.co.uk
* www.which.co.uk/solar
* www.microgenerationcertification.org
* www.solar-trade.org
Source - The Telegraph
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