A guide to what actually happens on the day of your solar panel installation.
Prepare the Property the Night Before
Clear a path to your loft hatch, and bring everything down from the loft space (i.e. put all storage in the loft space in the loft space) as the engineers will need to run cables through your roof space. We also need to park your cars off the driveway so that the scaffolding can be erected freely and moved around. Remove any furniture or valuables from near your consumer unit (i.e. in your cupboard or in the utility room) as we will be working in this area.
The Scaffolding and Roof Phase
Firstly, the scaffolding will be set up outside your home. This can take anywhere from an hour to a couple of hours depending on how big and complicated your roof is. Once the scaffolding is up and safe, the engineers will attach the solar panel mounting rails to the rafters of your roof. They will also attach any roof flashings as necessary. The solar panels will then be clipped into place on the mounting rails.
The Power-Off Period There is more on Solar Panel Installation Burnham at //redbridgeandsons.co.uk/solar-pv-panels/solar-panel-installation-burnham/.
Most electricity is switched off for a short period of time (30 minutes to 1 hour) while the new solar energy system is connected to the property’s consumer unit (electricity meter). We would recommend filling up the car, charging up devices, and trying to do as little as possible in the property (e.g. avoid using the computer, or oven) before the installer arrives.
Inverter Fitting and System Testing
Inverter fitted to internal wall. Inverter converts DC power from panels to AC power which can be used in property. Engineers carry out a series of tests to check that the correct amount of electricity is being generated by solar panels. Once tests have been carried out engineer signs off completion of installation. Redbridge and Sons complete testing stage of Solar Panel Installation Burnham.
Paperwork and Sign-Off
On the day of installation you will receive a handover pack which will include your MCS certificate, system specification and warranty details for your new solar panel system. It is also worth checking if your chosen installer is registered with Ofgem, which is the government body that looks after renewable energy schemes, to ensure that everything is being done correctly.
Keep the handover documents in a safe place as you will need to refer to them in order to claim for your feed-in tariff and any export of electricity that your solar panels will be generating.