Choosing a solar installer in Ireland

Ask every company the same practical questions. It is easier to compare answers about your own roof, equipment, price and support than broad claims about who is best.

Check who you are hiring

For SEAI grant supported solar, check the exact company on the current SEAI Solar PV Company register. Registration is not an SEAI endorsement or guarantee of the company’s work.

Separately, ask which Registered Electrical Contractor will carry out and certify the electrical work. CRU’s electrical safety guidance explains the Safe Electric scheme and how to find a registered contractor. Keep the Completion Certificate after the work.

Check that the name and contact details on the proposal match the business you are engaging. SEAI recommends obtaining at least four quotes and checking references. Read what customers say about communication, installation and support, not just the score.

Use project evidence carefully

Ask to see work relevant to your property. A clear photograph can show equipment placement and cable routes, but cannot certify hidden electrical work. A case study should distinguish the installed specification, a forecast and any measured results.

Our project collection shows examples of our work. Ask us the same questions about design, installation and support that you ask any other company.

Make the written scope easy to compare

Before agreeing to proceed, ask for these points in writing:

• The design: panel count and capacity, exact equipment, roof layout and proposed inverter and battery locations.
• The energy estimate: forecast annual generation, household use and export assumptions, with the basis of any payback figure.
• The price: full installed cost, the separate grant assumption, options, exclusions and anything still subject to survey.
• The work: access and scaffolding, cable routes, roof and electrical checks, and responsibility for grant and grid paperwork.
• The agreement: planned timing, deposit and payment stages, how changes are agreed and the warranty and support terms.

Do not assume two quotes include the same work because the panel counts match. Ask each company to explain any difference. Keep the agreed version and a record of later changes.

If claiming a grant, the company and system must match the relevant SEAI offer and conditions. Check the approval steps before buying equipment or starting work.

Know what you will receive afterwards

Agree the handover documents and support contact before choosing. Ask for the applicable electrical and connection records, safety information, operating and maintenance instructions, product details and warranty terms. Grant supported work has its own required completion evidence too.

Find out who handles a product fault, what an installer visit might cost and which work each warranty covers. Product, performance and workmanship warranties are different documents. A long headline warranty is not a description of every cost or service included.

The aftercare guide explains what to keep and what to ask at handover. For a company, farm or community site, also discuss access, operating hours and disruption through a commercial site review.