Following an enquiry, our first aim is to meet you on-site and complete a full site-survey. As well as finding out your expected power and budget requirements, we really look closely at the site. Each location is different; there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when designing a solar system. The local topography, buildings, vegetation and planned usage (both now and in the future) all have an important influence on the design and layout of the system. By meeting on-site before any quotation is produced, we ensure all of these factors are considered, and we get an accurate and agreed plan from the start.
Also discussed at this stage is your preferred level of involvement. Some clients are hands-on and would like to be involved at various stages and gain a better understanding of their system as we install it; others are keen to hand over the entire process, knowing that our experts are taking care of all the logistical and engineering details.
Following the site survey, we then provide detailed quotes and designs, making you aware of all the key components of the system and the possibilities and limitations of each option. We combine our engineering experience with professional software to calculate the most suitable designs and – for more involved projects – produce electrical schematics
The proposal will be based on an agreed timeline, often fitting in around other building works, or deadlines for powering up and commissioning.
Once we’ve agreed a proposal and a timeline, we then work with our suppliers to bring all the necessary equipment and labour together to complete the install in the agreed timeframe. It may be – for example – that we plan to complete ground works weeks before the electrical components are installed, to fit in with other trades on-site.
Commissioning and hand-over follows the install, which we see as a very important stage in the process. A full commissioning document is completed, showing the key information, settings, maintenance schedule, registration details and other important information.
We have visited several clients who owns systems that they perhaps bought online, with no support from the supplier and no training on proper use and maintenance. A solar system can be a large investment, and potentially dangerous if incorrectly used, so we always ensure that we leave you feeling confident using and maintaining the system.
With improvements in connectivity, even in isolated sites, we have set up many clients on remote monitoring systems such as Outback’s OpticsRE or Victron VRM. With this system, the client or the installer can log in from any internet-enabled location and check the status and make necessary system changes.
If there’s no internet available at the site, we can provide a 4G router with suitable aerial and SIM to get both remote solar monitoring and general internet use up and running.
This level of monitoring gives real reassurance to our clients and helps us keep all the installed systems running smoothly.
