FAQs

We are a commercial installer, with our projects starting at 50kW. We will, however, look at a domestic installation in conjunction with a commercial/agricultural project.

No, SolarEdge inverters only operate with a live mains connection. This is a safety feature.

On-site generators are not a problem. We need to connect to the grid side of the generator to follow a loss of mains protocol.

Yes, a structural sign-off is a key component to all our projects pre-start milestones. You may be able to obtain this from your builder/structural plans. Alternatively, Westwood Energy can conduct a full site survey.

Panels should be cleaned every 12-18 months, depending on the site location.

It is recommended to use de-ionised water and light agitation with a soft brush. Please do not pressure wash solar panels. Many window cleaners now offer a solar panel cleaning service.

Yes, Westwood Energy monitor all systems for production and any faults that might occur. This is free of charge for the first year of production, then a small fee is applicable every year thereafter.

All clients are given access to the SolarEdge Monitoring portal for Solar and the Compleo Monitoring portal for EV Charging.

A standard G99 application takes 45 working days, applications for some large projects may take longer.

No, the grid deem the maximum connected capacity irrelevant of any export limitation capabilities.

Yes, the connected capacity refers to the inverter size in kW. The SolarEdge inverter has the capability of accepting 175% of its output in connected panels.

Your current electrical infrastructure will determine this, including transformer size, incoming fuse size and the grids ability to accept your generation.

Roof mounted commercial solar installations under 50kW do not generally require any planning. Roof systems between 50kW – 1MW require prior approval and roof systems greater than 1MW require planning permission. Ground mounted systems require full planning.

Times vary by the scale of the project. Normally 65 working days should be allowed unless additional surveys are required.

We use Trina, Tier 1, modules. The modules come with a 15-year product warranty and a 25-year performance warranty.

At Westwood Energy, we use black panels. Although colour doesn’t affect the performance of the panel, it does add to the aesthetic nature of the install.

Yes, we can supply batteries for three-phase connections, but only on 10kW inverters. We are expecting batteries to become available for larger inverters in 2024.

SolarEdge inverters have been designed to accept a SolarEdge battery after the initial installation. We recommend clients run their system for a year before assessing the need for a battery.

The SolarEdge battery solution is DC coupled, making it more effective than other battery storage solutions. This is also helpful for grid restricted installations.

SolarEdge inverters have many advantages over other manufacturers These include industry-leading warranties, module level monitoring, module level performance, safe DC, a user friendly monitoring portal and fully optimised strings.

SolarEdge inverters use optimisers on the back of panels. There are several benefits to this, such as:
∙ Any fault and the system drops to 1V per optimiser
∙ Increased yield
∙ Increased design flexibility
∙ The ability to see each panels performance remotely.

Our supplier of mounting equipment has a large selection of solutions to fix panels to almost all roof types and styles. Our team will determine the most suitable solution at the survey phase.

Yes, as part of our turnkey solution we request an export quote for the client and manage the process.

We do accept existing solar PV sites into our selling group, please contact us to discuss further.

Export contracts vary in length but generally will last for 12 months, however this does change in relation to market conditions.

Depending on your supplier, it can take between 3-6 months after the solar PV has been commissioned to finalise export.

Many modern meters are capable of export, if not already they may need re-calibrating to record export. Westwood Energy will advise if its likely your meter will need upgrading.

Every project is designed using SolarEdge’s design package giving both the client and Westwood Energy a 3D render of their site, proposed panel layout and estimated levels of production and consumption.

The design software uses years of irradiance data, giving highly accurate predictions on performance.

Using the SolarEdge optimised system, Westwood Energy can design either avoiding shaded areas or in shaded areas. Thanks to the optimiser, production is limited only to the panels in the shade at any given time.

Yes, we can install panels at different angles and on multiple roof areas. A full survey will determine the suitability.