@guthrie that’s the main box and zero insulation on some of the pipe and on the remainder dreadfully done, two water pumps on the system. That controller was in the loft but we couldn’t get to it easily so it was moved but no idea if it can regulate anything no instructions came with it, i asked the spark for one but he said they don’t come with any.

Posted by: @david999

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The stuff in the plant room is too complicated for me and I think for the installers as well.

That's a very important observation.

It's such a mess of components and pipes, I'm at a loss to understand how this might relate to any form of 'system design' which they should have undertaken.

Moreover, the lack of site-specific documentation and training means that it doesn't comply with Building Regulations Part-L

@transparent do any of you guys know if these solar panels are clamped correctly, strong winds today and they are lifting a little bit in the centre. The clamps are on each end of essentially a rectangle and nothing in the centre of the long sides.  I’m thinking it’s going to pull out of those end clamps

@david999 I have just looked at our panels again to be sure; we have 21 in total, all mounted landscape orientation on various roofs and ground mounted. The panels are each fixed with four clamps, two each end and are placed near top edge and about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down - all on the sides, nothing top or bottom. We live in a VERY WINDY environment! Our clamps are fixed squarly on the panel frames and nothing has shifted in the last 18 months. Regards, Toodles.

No, that's not correct @david999

The mounting bars shouldn't be placed along the top & bottom of the PV panels, but inset so that the clamps are positioned about 20% and 80% of the way along the vertical edge.
Your clamps are too close to the corners.

Have a look at this photo which shows just the first panel of the row in place:

I used the Fastensol roof-rail system.
You can download the installation manual here from the website of Midsummer Wholesale.
The calculations to get the rail and brackets in the right place are on page 13 (see comment at point-3).

You obviously can't get the clamps precisely aligned with the calculations due to the constraints of the size of slate/tile on your roof.
The tile-interval defines where you can insert the bracket which holds the rail onto your roof.

@transparent toodles was saying, I think that his is similar to mine and ok but yours looks more secure. Mine are bowing in the centres of the long section and looks like they are stressing the clamps and panels. Looks like the clamps are the wrong way as well with those serrations facing outwards rather along the panel to grip the frame.

@david999 The attached photo is from one of our ground mounted panels; the clamps on the roof mounts are the same style but less accessible ro my iPhone!😳

Our panels look a bit more like 10% and 80% setup, but have survived 70mph gusts over winter okay and seem to be rigid just now.  The clamp on David's looks wonky and should surely be checked out. 

In fact, editing this after looking more closely at the photo, I'm pretty sure yours are clamped just at the short ends, which would indeed lead to bowing with a strong wind, which is totally nuts.  Everyone elses are clamped at 2 places on each long edge, and would therefore be much better.

@guthrie The clamps on ours are on the left and right hand ends; all the panels are mounted landscape as I mentioned. The longer sides of the panels do not have clamps on them but I have not had any problems to my knowledge. Regards, Toodles.

@toodles mine are getting stressed to death at the minute as they bow in the middle which is in theory wanting to pull out of the end clamps.  It wont be good for the panels either rattling on the rails like that. Be a hole through one soon

@david999  have a look at the Fastensol manual I linked earlier.

Note that there are two types of panel clamp

• end-clamp
• mid-clamp

The latter is only for clamping between two adjacent panels.

Here's me putting a mid-clamp in place.
I can't tighten it until the adjacent panel is in position.

Your installer has tried to use a mid-clamp at the end of the run.
To prevent it simply slipping off, he's rotated it 90° and relies on a weak piece of plastic in the middle to wedge the clamp against the panel.
That's why you're seeing serrations which appear to be sloping the wrong way.

This is unsafe.
A typical PV panel weighs over 20kg and can do a lot of damage when it breaks loose.

The reason that my installation looks much stronger is that I didn't use a 'professional' installer.
I read the manuals, bought the correct equipment, and did it myself.

My installation doesn't have an MCS approval certificate or guarantee, which yours probably does.

Which do you want...?

• solar panels fitted by a qualified professional installer who is authorised to issue MCS-certification, and self-approval for Building Regulations?
• or a system which is properly installed, compliant with the manufacturer's specifications, and safe?

It seems you can't have both  😥 

Here's a photo of a single PV-panel, wall-mounted.

Firstly, note the spacing of the horizontal rails behind the panel.

Secondly, you'll realise that this situation requires the panel to have four end-clamps.
I've just held a camera out of the window to give you a closer look at one of those.
It's quite different to a mid-panel clamp.