So the company that installed my system back in 2019 has folded. They cite lack of demand as the reason for being unable to sustain the business. And I guess now that we're a long spell without load shedding, this must have hurt some people as folks are now choosing to not break into the piggy bank.

There are some problems for me. I don't have any proof of purchase for any part of the system. If I want support from FreedomWon, now what? I won't even ask about the Goodwe inverter.

But how many other installers have gone the same way? How are those that have survived surviving? And what happens to somebody (let's call him Bob) who had a system, had support for it. Where does Bob go now if there's work needs doing? Obviously it won't be free, but say the cabling up on the roof is getting a bit tatty?

Does my scenario (and I can't be the only person in this position) open up opportunities for a solar maintenance company? Or will that we not be very remunerative?

Hi Bob, 

This has become common place towards the end of this year. Big companies that have been around for a while are also gone. Valsa whom we're a Solar PV mounting structure supplier, just to name one such casualty. 

There are a lot of casualties of the big slow down. Luckily for myself, my company very quickly & early on positioned ourselves to the C&I market. Once again with the solar industry being such new booming technology we come across so many of these scenarios where not just residentially, you no longer have a reliable support network. I recently visited a 1.5MW ATESS plant with the same issue. They carried out the installation & low & behold they have no contract in place or SLA for a O&M (Operations & Maintenance) company. So imagine 2000 solar panels & nobody to call when support is required. 

I would love to assist, however, my main core of business is the commercial market. There was a massive boom when a lot of other tradesman jumped into the solar market. The ship has sailed & there is a vacuum left behind. I do have some of my team looking to earn the extra cash & wouldn't mind to assist. If you ever need help of such a nature please check in with me. There would be a call out fee and then an hourly rate & consumables as used on site costs to cover.

Don't stress about FreedomWon or Goodwe I have direct contact with both companies & account management that I can call upon in the event of an issue. 

Thanks for that Steve, I wasn't fishing, but I have long thought that there has to be something in solar beyond getting a system installed.

For now, I'm OK, but I see value, for EG, in regular inspection & maintenance. 

But I'm past pension age now. I'm fortunate to have contract work, but that can change, and it comes a year at a time, so I don't want to sign contracts anymore. 

Though what happened to my installer shows that what you think is a 9 to 5 can vanish pretty quickly.

6 hours ago, Bobster. said:

So the company that installed my system back in 2019 has folded. They cite lack of demand as the reason for being unable to sustain the business. And I guess now that we're a long spell without load shedding, this must have hurt some people as folks are now choosing to not break into the piggy bank.

There are some problems for me. I don't have any proof of purchase for any part of the system. If I want support from FreedomWon, now what? I won't even ask about the Goodwe inverter.

But how many other installers have gone the same way? How are those that have survived surviving? And what happens to somebody (let's call him Bob) who had a system, had support for it. Where does Bob go now if there's work needs doing? Obviously it won't be free, but say the cabling up on the roof is getting a bit tatty?

Does my scenario (and I can't be the only person in this position) open up opportunities for a solar maintenance company? Or will that we not be very remunerative?

Am across the Limpopo river in Zimbabwe and looking at the drought we are experiencing as well as in Zambia, this for those still young, poses quite a huge opportunity to explore and expand regionally. Off course, this is not for the fainthearted, Africa being what it is for business prospects. For those with a “sharp pencil” on their pricing it’s something worthy to  explore. 
 

Sorry to make this long. FYI:

• There in most areas load shedding from 4am-8pm daily

• No mandatory Certificate of Compliance for installations (this means no schematics available or done and wiring isn’t always done correctly. My first installation was done when I was in not there, and on verifying discovered there was no DC wiring used but electrical undersized cables, so I had to redo.

• Regulations are coming so a lot of installations will have to be redone both in Zambia and Zimbabwe, for that there’s no doubt.

• Some inverters will be condemned as well as they’re sub-standard.

• Some Panels may have to be required or condemned.

• Old sub-standard “lithium batteries” will need to be recycled, destroyed or repurposed.

• Some and many protection systems for anti-islanding do not exist nor any regulation regarding size of breakers or fuses.

So there’s the overview of opportunities.

Edited December 22, 20241 yr by Moffat
Additional info