With over half a million solar installations in the UK it is inevitable that some will, on occasion, experience technical problems. The vast majority of solar companies are adept at carrying out repairs and in many cases work will be covered by warranty or insurance policy. However, following the closure of a number of solar firms last year in the wake of the government's controversial solar subsidy cuts, some customers have been left asking what happens if a solar panel experiences a fault and the original installer has gone out of business?
That is the question the Solar Trade Association (STA) is seeking to answer with the launch of a new 'Solar Repair Agreement' designed to make it easier for installers to repair and maintain solar arrays that they did not originally install.
The agreement, which was unveiled late last month, comes in response to anecdotal evidence across the industry that some installers are unwilling to touch another installer's system for fear they could end up liable for further hidden faults.
"There is a problem in the solar sector where faulty systems don't get fixed when installers stop trading," admitted Chris Roberts, technical specialist at the STA. "Many installers naturally avoid other companies' work, especially when they suspect a bad quality install."
The new agreement aims to address the problem by clearly delineating the liability associated with any repair work. Under the STA's plan, customers would be asked to sign an agreement before a new installer takes a look at a faulty system, accepting the new installer's warranty only covers their own work and confirming they are not liable for other parts of the system.
"Our new repair agreement [aims to] clearly set out what the customer should expect from a repair, as well as what the installer is responsible for during the work," explained Roberts. "We hope this will lead to improved confidence in the secondary maintenance and repair market."
The agreement could become increasingly popular in the coming months, as the industry is braced to see thousands of jobs lost in the wake of confirmation from the government that it is to slash solar subsidies provided through the feed-in tariff incentive scheme.
The STA is advising customers of solar installers that have gone out of business who experience a fault to check if the original installer arranged an insurance-backed warranty for the system.
If there is no valid warranty they can then search for an installer who may be willing to undertake repairs, subject to the new Repair Agreement being signed.
However, the STA noted on its website that the new agreement is "intended to act more as guidance as to the limitations of the service being offered and has not been tested in the event of a disagreement".
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