Thinking of having Solar panels installed? You might want to consider my experience

We had panels fitted in 2017 by a company based in Essex called GESS Limited. We have developed roof leaks. This is a report that another solar installer wrote, after GESS refused to address the problem claiming the 10 year warrenty didnt cover it

"ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY ROOF INSPECTION-

customer reported
leaked started shortly after the solar Panels were Installed initial
inspection revealed many tiles had been cracked/dislodged in the sections underneath and around the roof hooks of the solar mounting system, this had been poorly flashed using incorrect flashing (flash band) which is a temporary flashing this should been done with a lead this was causing water ingress.
the roof mounting hooks were incorrectly fitted, the roof was close boarded and should have been notched out to allow the hooks to sit flush to the joist this was causing the tiles to sit raised this would also comprised the strength and interrogatory of the mounting system aswell as allowing water in this would not have met MCS at the time of installation.
Panels where also mounted on a north facing roof which is not
advised due to lack of sunlight.
the gulley was also blocked heavily and suspected damage to gulley however there was no access to confirm this see pictures below.

Here is the response from GESS (which is factually incorrect as I did not agree that the problem was a blocked gully, although it was blocked due to panels making it totall inaccessible). The roof was still leaking in heavy rain when the roofer visited and I made this clear.

"I appreciate you reaching out regarding your concerns. However, I must reiterate that the installation was completed over seven years ago and was not substandard. If there had been an issue with the workmanship, a leak would have presented itself long before now.

Our head roofer, Wayne, visited your property on 7th November at 10 AM and met with you in person. At the time of his visit, it was raining, and there were no active leaks. His report is as follows:

"The roof is not leaking anymore as the customer has had his conservatory gutters cleaned out, which has resolved the issue. The customer mentioned a local roofer commented on tiles ‘kicking up.’ While some tiles may not be perfectly flush, they remain intact and are functioning correctly by keeping water out. The issue was due to clogged gutters, not the solar installation."

Given that you agreed onsite with Wayne that the issue stemmed from blocked gutters, I am surprised to see you now revisiting this with our business.

For reference, the contract you signed was under the REAL Assurance Scheme Consumer Code, which no longer exists. While your panels and microinverters are covered under their respective 20-year warranties, our workmanship warranty was for two years—meaning even if a claim were valid, it would now be well beyond that period.

Furthermore, I am unable to verify the credentials of the company SAS whose report you provided, (and I cannot open the report see attached) as they are not a recognised expert in this field. If you wish to pursue this matter further, we would require an independent, qualified roofing specialist’s assessment that directly links the issue to our installation.

Based on the evidence, it is clear that the problem was unrelated to the solar system, and we consider this matter closed."

As you can see, they also claim that the scheme it was certified under "no longer exists". This is very sharp practice and I caution everyone considering panels to consider how this company has dealt with this.

When GESS Ltd sold us the panels, it was suggested that with the electricty charges at the time, we'd get our money back in 7-8 years. Based on what we've seen, I think we've recouped at most 65% of our original investment and that is with a huge rise in electricity prices. We had to spend £1,600 on top, fixing the shoddy workmanship with another company and will have to redecorate our living room. The panels that caused the problem were north facing and the company that rectified the issue told us that they would NEVER recoup the cost. I am a big believer in renewable energy, which is why I went for the panels. Sadly, I cannot recommend the company that installed them and I would advise anyone considering panels to do their research and ensure you are getting what you paid for. Hopefully by 2030, I will have recouped my investment.