Plenty of solar systems in the Algarve were put in by a company that is no longer the one you can call. The installer may have closed, stopped answering, or the panels came with the house when you bought it. The short answer to the first question people ask is yes: we service and repair systems that someone else installed.
First, check whether the installer still owes you something
If your installer is still around and the work is within its workmanship warranty, call them first. Fixing it is their job, and it costs you nothing. The panels, the inverter and the battery each have their own warranty with the manufacturer, which is separate from the installer’s. So before anyone touches the system, find the paperwork: the invoice, any warranty certificates, and the brand, model and serial number printed on the inverter.
What we can work on
All brands. Sharp, KOSTAL, SMA, BYD and LG ESS are the ones we install ourselves, so we know them best. The one limit is access: we cannot promise to connect to the monitoring of every inverter, especially white-label brands. Send us the details and we will tell you honestly what we can do before you pay for a visit.
What to send us
- The brand and model of the inverter (the label on the unit).
- A photo of the inverter display or the app, especially any error code or coloured light.
- Roughly how old the system is, and how many panels it has.
- What is happening and when it started.
- Your address or area.
On our request form you can attach up to three photos. When it asks whether Solar2Power installed your system, choose “No or not sure”. That is a perfectly normal answer.
What happens after you send it
- We review your request, the same working day. An engineer reads your description and photos and, where we have access, checks your monitoring remotely.
- We call you within 24 hours. We talk through what we are seeing, agree whether it can be fixed remotely, and explain what a visit would involve.
- We schedule a visit. You get a date and a time window. Emergencies go ahead of routine work, usually within 48 hours.
- We report back. After the visit you receive a short written summary of what was found, what was done and anything to watch.
What a visit costs
A diagnostic visit is €183.27 for the first hour on site, then €104.55 per hour, VAT included. Cleaning is €12.30 per panel. If you want an inspection on a yearly schedule, the yearly maintenance contract is €246 a year; we explain what it includes here.
Problems that come up on systems nobody has been looking after
- Monitoring that went offline when the router changed. The system is still producing, but nobody can see it.
- A fault code on the inverter that nobody has looked up.
- Production lower than expected, with no earlier figures to compare against.
- A battery that seems to misbehave, when the reserve level or the schedule was set up once and never explained to the owner.
Many of these are quick to sort out. Some need a visit. Either way, the first look gives you a written record of the state of the system, which you did not have before.
One thing about warranties
Factory warranties are not affected when another professional solar company works on your system: the manufacturer still stands behind the panels, the inverter and the battery. The installer’s own warranty on its workmanship is different and might be voided, so check its terms before anyone else touches the system. That is one more reason to call the original installer first if the work is still covered. We cannot handle factory warranty claims for products we do not sell, but we can help you through the process.
If something looks dangerous, such as a burning smell, water getting in or a system that has stopped completely, switch it off at the AC isolator if it is safe to reach and call +351 914 460 215. Outside office hours, call anyway if it is urgent.
