If you live in Essex or the South East, you may have previously heard of the Solar Together scheme – a group buying initiative designed to encourage homeowners to install solar panels.
However, you may have noticed that Solar Together has now been renamed “Switch Together.”
Naturally, this raises an interesting question: why the rebrand?
SolarTherm UK operates throughout Essex and the wider South East, and while we are not opposed to solar rollout campaigns in principle, the most important factors for any homeowner should always be:
- System design
- Installation quality
- Long term reliability
Unfortunately, our office team who handle service calls often hear a very different story.
The Problems That Some Solar Together Installations Have Faced
A quick search online will reveal several reports surrounding earlier Solar Together campaigns, particularly in Devon. One of the most widely discussed examples involved the contractor Green Energy Together, which went into administration during a Solar Together rollout.
The collapse reportedly left many homeowners dealing with:
- Incomplete solar installations
- Battery systems with no warranties or documentation
- Roof damage including broken or missing tiles
- Systems that required full removal and roof repairs
The situation was serious enough to attract national media coverage, including reporting from the BBC. BBC News covered the issue in detail
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68152083
Reports suggested the company also left millions of pounds unpaid to suppliers.
It Wasn’t Just Devon
SolarTherm UK’s technical team has personally visited concerned homeowners across Essex, Suffolk, Kent, Hertfordshire and Surrey, diagnosing poorly performing systems and carrying out repairs. Often needing to replace damaged equipment or rip out the fill system and replace with quality components. These were systems originally installed under Solar Together campaigns by contractors who are no longer responding to customers or no longer operating.
How Solar Together (Now Switch Together) Works
The Solar Together programme – now branded Switch Together – is operated by the company iChoosr in partnership with local councils, including Essex County Council.
The scheme typically works as follows:
- Advertising campaigns generate interest via newspapers, online ads and leaflets
- Homeowners register their details online
- Installers submit bids to supply systems within a postcode area
- The project is then usually awarded to the lowest bidder or selected companies on the framework
While this approach can appear attractive from a price perspective, it inevitably raises an important question:
Can the lowest price always deliver the best system design and installation quality?
A Real Example of Poor Solar System Design
In the photo example we’ve seen from one such installation, several design issues were immediately apparent. The system installed on an east-west split roof, but little consideration had been given to shading.
Issues included:
- The rear array is partially shaded by the dormer window
- A nearby tree that will continue to grow and increase shading
- Poor panel symmetry and spacing
- A visible 500mm gap between panels
- No bird protection installed
- The array visibly out of alignment
While the system will still generate electricity, it could have been designed significantly better. The panels used were budget modules, and the inverter appears to be configured as simple strings. With more careful planning, individual panel optimisation or alternative inverter configuration could have improved performance considerably.
Cheap Solar Isn’t Always the Best Value
Installations like this are often marketed at below-£5,000 for panels only, which can understandably seem attractive. However, solar is a 30 year investment, and small design improvements can make a meaningful difference.
In this particular example, a better system design could have generated approximately £188 more electricity per year on the same roof.
For an additional £1,000 investment, the homeowner could have benefitted from:
- Better production
- Improved aesthetics
- Reduced fire risk
- Bird protection
- Lower future maintenance costs
Over the lifetime of the system – which for most solar panel brands is 40 years or more – that difference becomes significant.
The Hidden Cost of Poor Installations
SolarTherm UK receives regular enquiries from homeowners experiencing issues with systems installed under cheap solar campaigns. Unfortunately, the reality is that fixing these installations can be costly.
Common problems include faulty or poorly configured inverters, cable management issues, roof damage or incomplete documentation. Installers regularly avoid calls, ignore warranty replacements and mess customers around – that’s if they are even still operating.
When repairs are needed, homeowners may face additional scaffolding costs, replacement components and labour costs to remove and reinstall panels. This can significantly reduce the return on investment of the original solar system.
The Missing Step: Proper System Design
One issue we frequently observe is that some projects move directly from sale to installation with very little planning in between.
A well designed solar project should normally include:
- A site survey
- Cable routing design
- Equipment specifications
- CAD layout drawings
- Shading analysis
- Electrical system design
Without these steps, installers are effectively fitting a generic kit rather than designing a system tailored to the property.
And that is often where problems begin.
Why SolarTherm UK Does Things Differently
At SolarTherm UK, we make no claim to be the cheapest installer. We also choose not to participate in low cost solar schemes because we believe they rarely offer genuine value for either the homeowner or the installer.
Instead, we focus on delivering properly designed solar PV systems, high quality installation workmanship and reliable equipment. Our long term customer support is second to none. Now in our 16th year of continuous trading, we have seen many solar schemes come and go – and we have also seen the problems that can occur when price becomes the only deciding factor.
Considering Solar in Essex or the South East?
If you are considering installing solar panels and want a properly designed system rather than a generic package, our team would be happy to help. SolarTherm UK installs and services solar PV systems across Essex and the wider South East, providing expert advice, system design and professional installation.
If you would like a quotation or a second opinion, please get in touch with our team today – we will be more than happy to provide you with impartial, expert advice.
Your home. Your energy. Your future.
