Solar electricity: what happens next

Your checklist:

Before your assessment please can you:

• Ensure the assessor can park a van within close proximity of your property
• Ensure the assessor can gain unobstructed access into your home and loft
• Ensure that you have read the assessment terms and conditions
• Ensure you have signed both copies of the Tesco Renewable Energy declaration form.
• Ensure the assessor can gain easy access to your electricity fuse board.

 

The assessor will:

• Contact you 24 hours prior to your visit to ensure the date is still convenient
• Collect your signed declaration form
• Carry out a technical site visit during the assessment which normally takes 1-2 hours
• Verify that your property is suitable to accommodate a solar electricity system
• Consider the condition, orientation and size of your roof in the assessment process
• Identify how the connection will be made between the solar panels and your main electricity consumer unit (i.e. the fuse box)
• Identify the scaffolding requirements and make such arrangements following assessment if you choose to proceed (please note this will be erected prior to install)
• Discuss the options available to you depending on the available space for the system and your budget and how much electricity could be generated by different sized systems
• Advise if there are any items of work that you should undertake prior to the install of your solar electricity system. For example, rectify damaged tiles on the roof or upgrade the electricity meter if the existing one does not meet current building regulations
• Provide you with a guide price for the recommended work
• Advise if there will be any extra costs over and above the standard installation prices if the system you require for your property is outside of the standard quoted prices. For example: extra scaffolding if required for buildings over two storeys and/or electrical wiring upgrades.

After the assessment

If you decide you wish to continue with the installation on the day of assessment, the installer will inform Tesco Renewable Energy and we will then send you the following documents for your consideration;

• Formal quotation and declaration with a breakdown of costs and installation requirements
• Copy of the customer terms and conditions of our service to you

If you are happy with the details provided in the quote and the terms and conditions then you need to sign and date the Tesco copy of the quote and the customer declaration form and send to the Tesco Renewable Energy Freepost address.

Please note that once you have signed the customer declaration form you are confirming that you have read and understood and accepted the quotes and the terms and conditions and a contract will have been formed between you and Enact Energy Renewables Limited.

Once the signed declaration form has been received, a Tesco Renewable Energy Advisor will call you direct to:

• Take your 25% deposit
• Book a convenient date for your solar electricity system installation to be carried out.

 

Please Note:

Full payment must be available on the day of the installation.

Before installation: obtaining planning permission

In the UK the installation of solar microgeneration technologies is generally considered to be permitted development and, in most cases, planning permission will not be required. However, there can be restrictions if the proposed solar installation is of an unusual design, or if your home is a listed building or is situated within a conservation area.

• To enable us to continue with the installation you must enquire as to whether or not planning permission is required, obtain any required planning permission and sign the customer declaration form to confirm that this is complete
• In all cases it is recommended that you contact your local authority to check whether any permission is required to ensure compliance with regulations
• Check if your property is in a conservation area or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) as there may be restrictions in place. Your local authority will be able to provide further information

 

Please note:

If you do require planning permission this must be obtained before proceeding with the installation and therefore signing the purchase order.

If you require any assistance with contacting your local authority to check if planning permission is required, please get in touch with us.

Your checklist:

Before the installation please can you:

• Ensure the installer can park a van within close proximity of your property
• Ensure the installer can gain unobstructed access into your home/ loft and electric meter cupboard.
• Ensure you (or a nominated adult over the age of 18) will be present during the installation
• Ensure you have the balance available to pay Tesco Renewable Energy on completion of your installation

Please Note:

Your power may be disconnected at times throughout the installation.

 

1. The solar panels:

• The full installation will take 1-2 days to complete
• The solar panels will take approximately 1 day to install
• The panels will be fixed onto brackets which will in turn be fixed securely to the roof rafters underneath the roof covering.
• Any tiles/slates that need to be removed in order to secure the fixings will be replaced once the brackets are in place

Please Note:

The panels are covered by a 25 year power output guarantee and a 5 year warranty.

 

2. The inverter:

• An inverter is required to convert the direct current (DC) produced by the solar electricity panels into alternating current (AC) to become a usable form of electricity within the home or exported to the national grid
• The inverter will normally be located in the loft space with a cable that runs back to the consumer unit (i.e. fuse box) via a ‘total generation meter’, which will record the total amount of electricity being produced by the solar panels

Please Note:

The inverter is covered by a 5 year warranty. Further extended warranties are also available.

 

3. Final checks and guarantees:

• On the final day of installation all aspects of the system will be checked to ensure that everything is fully operational
• The system will be fully explained and all relevant documentation will be left with you, including all relevant guarantees/warranties
• On completion of the work the installer will clear surplus debris and make arrangements for the removal of the scaffolding

 

4. Payment on completion:

• Once the installation is complete and you have received all your documentation, the installer will call Tesco Renewable Energy to confirm completion.
• One of our Energy Advisors will then contact you to take the final payment.

 

 

5. After the installation:

Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) were introduced on 1st April 2010. The scheme guarantees a minimum payment for all electricity generated by the system, as well as a separate payment for the electricity exported to the National Grid. These payments are in addition to any savings made by using the electricity generated in your home.

For more information about FiTs please call 0800 321 3456.

• Once your installation is complete you need to inform your chosen energy supplier that you are now eligible to receive the FiT. Send your MCS paperwork to your energy company.
• The supplier will then register your installation onto the Central FiT Register, which is administered by Ofgem.
• You can arrange with your energy supplier when the payments will be made to you.
• All Generation and Export tariffs follow the rate of inflation.
  

After installation: arrangements with electricity suppliers to sell the electricity generated

With the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) you can earn money on all electricity you generate through your solar electricity system.

Once your system has been installed you will need to contact your electricity supplier (or shop around for electricity suppliers) to arrange to sell the electricity you have generated back to them.

All electricity suppliers in the UK are legally obliged to supply increasing volumes of their electricity from renewable sources and therefore will purchase such renewable electricity from householders like you.

 

Step 1:

• It is advised that you contact your current electricity supplier and research others to benefit from the most competitive rate.

 

You may find the following telephone numbers useful:

Electricity Company	Phone Number
Good Energy	0845 456 1640
Ecotricity	0845 555 7 100
SSE	0800 048 2412
E.ON	0800 051 0760
EDF	0800 096 2260
npower	0800 072 2999
ScottishPower	08452 700 700
British Gas	0800 048 0202

 

Step 2:

• The electricity company may ask for the following information:

- The make and model of the solar electricity modules you will have installed, the inverter and the total generating meter
- How the electricity will be used
- Details of the installation of the solar electricity system
- Current meter readings

• All information relating to these questions will be included in your documentation from Tesco.
• The electricity company will then offer to send you details and a form to complete.

 

Step 3:

• We now advise that you compare the offer(s) received from the electricity companies and decide which one suits you.
• Upon this decision, you will need to complete the appropriate form sent by the electricity company and return it to them to arrange the tariff. Information required for the completion of these forms will duplicate those as outlined in step 2. If you require any assistance with this process, please get in touch with us.

 

For further information on the Feed-in Tariff please click here or call us on 0800 321 3456.