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Major solar panel firms 'misleading consumers'
Monday, 26 April 2010
enlargeSolar power installers are bamboozling householders with high pressure sales tactics and misleading financial statistics, an undercover investigation by a consumer group has found.
Which? condemned most of the companies it came across as "cowboys" and cautioned that the Government would have to clean up the taxpayer-backed industry, vital for the battle against climate change, unless it improved its performance.
The consumer group launched its investigation after a rise in complaints about solar thermal firms. Undercover researchers rented a house in southern England and invited firms to quote for installing solar thermal systems, which use sunlight to heat tap water.
Of the 10 that exaggerated the financial savings that could be made, the double-glazing giant Everest subsequently admitted that its representative had made false claims – that its system could save 30 times more money than was possible.
Another firm, Ideal Solar Energy, wrongly claimed a solar scheme could halve gas bills and grossly misquoted energy supply statistics from the energy regulator Ofgem.
Which? said: "While these two companies concerned us the most, we received poor service and exaggerated claims of performance from nearly all 14 firms."
Its chief executive, Peter Vicary-Smith, said: "Most of the firms in our investigation behaved like true cowboys – they promised huge savings that bore no relation to reality, and some really piled pressure on the homeowner to sign up immediately or risk losing a one-off 'special offer'."
He added: "The solar industry is too important to our long-term energy needs for things to drag on like this."
Neil McLoughlin, a trading standards officer who saw undercover footage of the Everest sales visit, said the precise nature of the quotation made the claim even more misleading and suggested the Everest may have broken the law on sales tactics by offering thousands of pounds off the price for making a decision "on the spot".
After being informed of the "sting", Everest said: "We're disappointed that our representative failed to use the sales support documentation provided and made claims he knew to be false."
In addition to boasting it could halve gas bills, Ideal successively dropped its originally quote of £8,690 to £5,860 and made a "pushy" phone call to the householder. It also misquoted statistics from energy regulator Ofgem about the proportion of a gas bill that goes on heating.
Ideal later defended its pitch, saying: "Like all retailers, we offer limited promotions on a selective basis" and added it instructed its sales agents not to specify savings to hot water bills.
Just one company, Southern Solar, was found to be helpful and provide sensible advice.
Last year, the OFT received 1,000 complaints about the solar panel industry – high for an industry with fewer than 100,000 installations in UK homes.
The Renewable Energy Association, a trade body which runs an assurance scheme for solar installers, said it was concerned by the report. A spokesman said: "We will be contacting Which? to follow up on their investigation, and take any action necessary against any of the companies which are members of our scheme."
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Schooled in NI, I specialised in aquatic biology at Bristol Uni.
From a Legionella perspective the safest solar water heating water stores are:
(a) thermal stores and
(b) dedicated solar volume in time systems which are heated to the base every day.
But old style solar storage systems don't heat to the base to 50C for 2-3 months in winter = "highly likely to be creating a health risk".
My youtube videos expands (beyond our 500 word limit).
Please may I read your Legionella risk assessment?
Posted by Barry Johnston | 11.05.10, 17:40 GMT
You quote Dr Makin: who has assisted in assimilating the very Health & Safety guidance I quoted earlier. He has seen a risk, examined it, and set sensible guidance to minimise that risk.
I do not work, as you are insinuating, as some sort of lackey in solar industry. My Background is in Microbiology, Technology and Health - and I believe this forum allows for a degree of anonymity! Please stop looking for witches that do not exist.
You have an unsupported augment - if you have to resort to YouTube for evidence I think you need to need to think about what is meant by credible data!
I also cannot understand your alarmist statement -"let's not wait until a confirmed Legionella / solar death." - the OUTCOME of any incident may be dangerous but it’s just not LIKELY. This is what risk assessment is all about: Minimising Risk to acceptable levels. I honestly believe NI installers that have REIA training and MCS accreditation are minimising risks better than the English story (above)!
Posted by ATM | 10.05.10, 17:35 GMT
PLEASE - let's not wait until a confirmed Legionella / solar death.
The Water Regulations Advisory Service states, regarding conventional solar storage "highly likely to be creating a risk". This report was buried at the industry's request until I got a copy under freedom of information
Search google for "wras makin solar pdf" and you will find it.
Search youtube for "solar cowboys" for more details on industry concealment.
Again, who are you? You seem to be presenting the "party line".
Posted by Barry Johnston | 10.05.10, 06:03 GMT
If you're worried about the Risk of Legionaries Disease: contact the Health & Safety Executive whos stance is:
"Anyone involved in the supply of water systems and their components (e.g. designers, manufacturers, water treatment companies and suppliers) has to make sure that such equipment is designed and made in such a way that it is safe to use and that it can be easily cleaned/maintained
If you feel an unacceptable risk is present in any system or by any installer it is your duty to report these “dangerous incidents” to HSE / Environmental Health not a trade body!
Apologies-I don't mean to sound cheeky but as your figures confirm this isn’t an issue
Posted by ATM | 06.05.10, 16:23 GMT
There have been £300,000 fines for breaking Legionella Guidance.
No infections (in UK) attributed to solar heating - yet. The context is under-reporting: UK requirements are to investigate "outbreaks", cooling towers not homes.
With 10 x more solar soon is the consumer expected to accept avoidable risks?
Are you also in the solar industry? You seem to be presenting the "party line".
feel free to look in youtube for solar and legionella or cowboys for more information.
Posted by Barry Johnston | 05.05.10, 15:49 GMT
In response to B. Johnston:
Legionnaires disease is not specific to solar water heaters – it is a real risk in ALL stored water heating systems! In fact the Water Research Council are more concerned with the high Legionnaires risk associated with shower units.
Legionnaires is a higher risk in stagnant water – but most hot water systems are used every day. Also if the temperature in your tank hits 60°C (140°F) you get pasteurisation of the bacterium - this means it dies very quickly. If this is your concern then rest assured that proper temperature regulation from an approved system installed properly by an MCS Accredited installer would do the trick. Combine this with regular cleaning and maintenance of heating systems (which EVERYONE should be doing) and Legionnaires risk is extremely unlikely .
I am really very interested in your theory though. How many people have been infected in this way? I cannot find any reported cases!
Posted by ATM | 28.04.10, 17:11 GMT
What Which? did not tell its members was even more interesting.
1/ Since 2001 the solar industry have been ignoring Health and Safety Guidance L8 on Legionella, is a water living bacterium which can cause a lethal form of pneumonia.
2/ Some of today's solar plumbing is described by the author of the safety guidance as "highly likely" to be creating a risk of Legionella.
3/ That UK's main solar heating trade association, the Solar Trade Association (STA), denies these concerns and risks. I used freedom of information to get the report in 2). I am a solar technology developer. STA have "advised" me to shut up.
4/ That the only solar company to be mentioned with approval by Which? is run by the Chairman of the Solar Trade Association.
5/ He makes untenable marketing claims about the environmental performance of solar heating by claiming that all solar heating is "zero carbon" when it is not.
Posted by Barry Johnston | 27.04.10, 18:49 GMT
Please note that this is a SOUTHERN ENGLAND story.
Posted by ATM | 26.04.10, 12:24 GMT