Solar Sid | Independent Solar PV & Energy Advice for Ireland

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====== Planning a solar install Part 2 ☀ ======

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Solar is a 25-year marriage. If your installer vanishes in six months, you’re left holding the baby, and your warranty is worth less than a chocolate teapot.
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☕ **Help keep Solar Sid independent**

Hi, I'm Dale McWilliams (Solar Sid). This site has no ads and no installer sponsors — it's 100% independent. If the guides helped you, you can [[https://buymeacoffee.com/solarsid|buy me a coffee]] to help cover domain and hosting and keep it free for everyone.

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Too many Irish installers have gone belly-up lately. They got greedy during the "Green Rush," underpriced jobs to grab cash, and legged it.

==== How to dodge the cowboys: 🤡 ====

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**1. "Too Good to Be True" Quotes:** \\
If they’re thousands cheaper than the rest, they’re robbing Peter to pay Paul.

**2. Massive Deposits:** \\
If they want 50% upfront just to look at your house on Google Maps, run.

**3. Subcontractor Roulette:** \\
Ask if they use their own sparks or random lads they found outside the builders' merchants that morning.

**4. CRO Stalking:** \\
Check the Companies Registration Office. If they change company names more often than a fugitive, give them a miss.

**5. REC + Cert:** \\
Always use a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) for home electrical work, and ensure you get a Completion Certificate once the job is done.
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=== 💶 The Bottom Line: ===

An SEAI grant isn't a safety net. Cheap solar is like a bad haircut — looks grand until you leave the shop and realise you've been butchered.
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=== The Golden Rules: ===

Always pay at least part of the cost — or the whole lot — by credit card. Even if you have the cash under the mattress, that chargeback protection is your best insurance policy if things go sideways. It might just save your bacon.

And always ask in this group before you sign anything; our users will give you their honest opinion about who you’re looking at.
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=== 🔧 Post-Installation Reality Check: ===

Remember, the job doesn’t end when the panels go up. Always confirm what the ongoing support looks like — will they be there to troubleshoot in three years, or are they willing to help you add a battery or a few extra panels, or are you on your own? Good backup is the difference between a system that pays for itself and one that gathers dust.
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P.S. As for me? I’m currently waiting on a budget review to upgrade our system from "She who must be obeyed." She holds the purse strings, and my approval rating is looking a bit shaky. ☀
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[[start|☀ Back to Start]] | [[start-here:how-many-panels-do-i-need-ireland|← Planning a solar install Part 1]] | [[start-here:get-three-quotes|Next: How many panels do I need? →]]