DB Contractors solar failure

DB Contractors installed a solar system for me at my home. There were numerous obstacles, not with the physical installation, but to get the technology behind the system properly configured, but eventually the system was completed and I was initially quite pleased as everything looked neat and appeared to be working.

Then on Christmas Day 2024, thankfully I was home when I noticed smoke coming out the outside building that houses the inverter and battery. Upon investigation I noticed that the distribution boards that had been installed for the solar system were on fire, with flames up to the roof. Strangely nothing had tripped and only much later would it become apparent why. I immediately switched everything off and after a protracted period of time I managed to get the fire under control by throwing sand on it.

Despite it being Christmas Day I immediately contacted David Biggs of DB Contractors and let him know what had happened and sent some photographs of the extensive damage. Now without any power, to his credit, that evening the same technician who had installed the system was dispatched to my property and he succeeded in getting me back onto the grid. He was also extremely apologetic and mentioned that he had erroneously used the wrong breaker, which apparently was the cause of the fire. I should also mention that I had been issued with a CoC for the system. At the time there were also three large gas bottles in the small room and the fire was about 30cm from an exposed plastic gas pipe. So with these factors I'm not sure how a CoC was issued?

A few days later the distribution boards were replaced and a good effort was made to repair the damage. Originally I had eight solar panels installed on one roof and two on another, but at some point it became apparent that the two panels were not capable of powering up the battery as was their purpose. DB Contractors disconnected those two panels and took no further action. So despite having wanted ten working panels as paid for, I now only had eight.

After all this, it became apparent to me that the system was not operating optimally and bizarrely my electrical bills quadrupled rather than coming down. DB Contractors made multiple attempts to get the system to operate optimally but I continued to have issues with it, that they were not able to resolve. Finally DB Contractors said that an independent "expert" would come identify what is wrong and that the cost for this independent expert to assess and resolve the issues, would be covered by DB Contractors. (All of this is on record).

After a period of time, I contacted this expert to find out when he would be coming and seven months later I hadn't heard back from him or DB Contractors. With a still limping solar system, much earlier on, I took the decision to get an expert of my own. The clear and obvious first step that was recommended, was that the two panels that were now essentially roof ornaments had to be moved to the same roof as the other eight, to work in unison. It was also pointed out that the settings and configuration of the system was completely wrong.

The act of moving the two panels then exposed installation issues that are too many to mention, that to that point, I was oblivious of. A complete rewiring and reconfiguration had to be carried out. It also became apparent why the system had not tripped during the fire, as the system had not been earthed. (CoC?).

Given that DB Contractors had earlier committed not only to getting the system to operate optimally but also to cover any associated costs, months later I requested reimbur*****t from them for the expense I had incurred to get the system corrected. I went on to say that failure to "do the right thing" and reimburse my expenses would result in potentially greater consequences.

Now DB contractors did a complete 180 and claimed that the system had been working "perfectly" until it was "tampered" with and that I needed to prove any liability on their part. (I mention again; acknowledging that the system was not working properly and committing to sending an expert that never materialised is all on record).

More than a little flabbergasted, I made it clear that it was my intention to write a review of all the true facts should they not live up to their commitments.

DB Contractors' reaction to this was to allegedly open a ******** case of ******ion and ********* against me. So I did the right thing and wrote a review.