Solar Panel Damage Review

[Cr4zySmurf]

Hi,

My solar installer has not been very careful when handling my solar panels to say the least.

Firstly when unloading and handling on the ground by a single person, they were slide around with no protection scratching up the frames on the van floor and my tarmac driveway.

They then stored some panels up against the scaffolding and one of them blew over in the wind and luckily landed on grassed area and not the driveway, no visible damage.

They were then put one by one into a bag and hoisted up the side of the scaffolding with a rope. With the wind the panels where bumping into the side of the scaffolding including poles that were protruding out perpendicular from the house wall. I was not impressed. You can see the hoist setup and scaffolding in one of the images.

They also slide panels over the first row of panels to install the ones above.

I could see scratches from the ground floor and so I climbed up the scaffolding to check them out and the images show what I saw.

They have 3 more panels yet to be installed because they ran out of roof mounting rails.

Do you know if this is how they are normally installed and is the damage shown after installing solar panels acceptable or should they be replaced?

What's your experience?

 

[Barx]

That's pretty shoddy and could easily have been avoided. I would certainly not be happy if that was my place. Sometimes accidents happen, but that just looks like carelessness.

 

[Cr4zySmurf]

That's pretty shoddy and could easily have been avoided. I would certainly not be happy if that was my place. Sometimes accidents happen, but that just looks like carelessness.

I completely agree, they did not take much care at all, imagine receiving a brand new car with scratches all over it, what's worse is that I believe these scratches will most definitely affect the performance of the product.

 

[Sharpend]

I wouldn’t accept it and insist that they replace them.
Sadly it is a myth that by saying nothing you are complaining.
No, complain loud and proud using all means posssible

 

[Murdoch]

Complain politely and constructively by email.

 

[steptoe]

That is an embarrassment to anyone that calls themselves a solar panel installer.
Refuse the install as shoddy workmanship, if it's like that on the outside, WTF is the wiring etc like,?

 

[Cr4zySmurf]

That is an embarrassment to anyone that calls themselves a solar panel installer.
Refuse the install as shoddy workmanship, if it's like that on the outside, WTF is the wiring etc like,?

See my thread here on the rest of the installation (pics included), some issues there too.

Solar System Review

 

[binky]

It's difficult to avoid the odd scuff due to the way the panels are delivered, and the minimal packaging. However, being ruff as **** with them is totally unacceptable. Complain very loudly, that damage on the glass is actually quite superficial, however if they have been that ruff, there's also a high chance of damage to the backsheet, which is a soft membrane of some sort. Damage to that will allow damp into the rear of the cells, which will subsequently fail.

 

[revor]

Total disregard for the product and towards the customer. Complain assertively. The scratches my be a bit superficial but I would expect that they will fill with dirt and affect performance. Good case for DIY my wife and I fitted ours, albeit on a ground array but we waited for a still day and handled them carefully and out of the factory box they were delivered in. Just a thought are you sure the panels are brand new and not seconds or from another job.

 

[Cr4zySmurf]

Total disregard for the product and towards the customer. Complain assertively. The scratches my be a bit superficial but I would expect that they will fill with dirt and affect performance. Good case for DIY my wife and I fitted ours, albeit on a ground array but we waited for a still day and handled them carefully and out of the factory box they were delivered in. Just a thought are you sure the panels are brand new and not seconds or from another job.

Good point about them being brand new, they appeared to be visually, although not packaged individually, I think the company may have bought them in bulk and they come on pallets not individually boxed. They arrived in a small van all sandwiched together standing on their side without any protection between or around the panels, a ratchet strap keeping them in place in the van.

I've sent images to the company I ordered from asking them to replace all or at least the damages panels with new and also asked that they use a more reputable installer to complete the job as I have no confidence in the original installer.

I am also reporting the installer to MCS.

 

[revor]

A couple of installers I know around here have panels delivered from the wholesaler directly to the site so they do not have to double handle them. Our panels 18 of them came in a very big thick cardboard box on a pallet the size of the panels and each panel was separated from the other in the stack with shaped carboard corners. Minute they are handled elsewhere they are vulnerable.

 

[binky]

A couple of installers I know around here have panels delivered from the wholesaler directly to the site so they do not have to double handle them. Our panels 18 of them came in a very big thick cardboard box on a pallet the size of the panels and each panel was separated from the other in the stack with shaped carboard corners. Minute they are handled elsewhere they are vulnerable.

Sometimes you get a box, sometimes they come on a pallet with cardboard corner protection. Mostly the later. Either way, you're paying £ks for a product, and it should be handled with a modicum of care. The glass is textured and has a self cleaning coating, when the corners of the panels get dragged over the glass, it's usually just the coating that is damaged, however given how extensive these scratches are, it wouldn't surprise me if the glass has been scratched, which would clearly weaken it.

Locked to prevent being resurrected (again)