Solar Panel Installer Warrington (an independent guide) › Homes
After the installation: paperwork, checks and the first year
The day the scaffolding comes down is not the end of the job. A few things done in the first weeks make sure you are paid for what you export, can claim on a warranty and spot a fault early.
The handover pack
Before the installer leaves, make sure you have each of these. File them together, paper or digital; you will need them for export payments, insurance, warranty claims and, one day, selling the house.
| Document | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| MCS certificate | Proves the installation is certified; needed for a Smart Export Guarantee tariff |
| Electrical installation certificate | Shows the electrical work was done and tested to the wiring regulations |
| Network notification or approval | G98 notification or G99 approval for the system's connection |
| Datasheets | Panels, inverter, mounting kit (with its MCS 012 certificate) and any battery |
| Warranties | Panel product and performance, inverter, workmanship (insurance-backed?), battery |
| Monitoring set-up | App login and instructions, so you can see what the system makes |
Getting paid for exports
Under the Smart Export Guarantee every large electricity supplier must offer a tariff above zero for electricity you export from an MCS-certified installation of up to 50 kW. You need a meter that records exports separately, normally a smart meter. Rates vary a lot between suppliers: the better fixed rates were around 12 to 13p per kWh in autumn 2026, while some pay only a few pence. You can export to a different supplier from the one you buy from, although some of the best rates are only for their own customers. Apply as soon as you have your MCS certificate; payments usually start from the date the supplier accepts you, not the date of installation.
The first year: watch the numbers
Open the monitoring app once a month and note the total. Compare it with the PVGIS figure for your roof from our roof output page, multiplied by your system's size. On a south-facing Warrington roof expect about 117 kWh per kW in June and 28 in December. Months within roughly 10 to 15% of those figures are normal; weather varies. A month far below, or a day of zero output in good light, usually points to a tripped inverter, an isolator left off or a fault, not dirty panels.
Cleaning
Rain keeps tilted panels in Warrington reasonably clean. Look at them from the ground now and then; bird droppings, moss on low-pitched panels and leaves in the corners are the usual culprits. If they need cleaning, use soft brushes and clean water, preferably from the ground with a water-fed pole, or a cleaner who works that way. No pressure washers, detergents or scrapers, and never climb onto the roof yourself.
Birds
Pigeons like the sheltered space under panels. Nests block gutters, droppings stain the roof and birds can chew cables. Mesh round the edge of the array keeps them out; it is cheapest fitted at installation. If birds are already nesting, wait until the nest is empty before it is cleared, because active nests of wild birds are protected by law.
If something goes wrong
- Check the inverter's display or app for an error, and that the isolators are on.
- Contact the installer in writing, with dates and the output figures.
- If it is not resolved, use the complaints process of the installer's consumer code, RECC or HIES.
- If the installer has closed, claim on the insurance-backed workmanship warranty and contact the manufacturer for equipment faults.
Insurance and the roof
Tell your home insurer about the panels; most simply note them. If the roof needs work later, the panels will have to come off and go back on. Use an MCS installer for that so the system remains certified, and file the new paperwork with the old.
Changes later
- Adding a battery: easiest with a hybrid inverter; see adding a battery.
- Adding panels: may push the system over the G98 limit and need G99 approval.
- Replacing the inverter: keep the original datasheets; the replacement must suit the panels and any battery, and the network operator may need to be told.
Where to go next
Where these figures come from
Questions after installation
What paperwork should I get after a solar installation?
The MCS certificate, the electrical installation certificate, proof that the network operator was notified (G98) or approved the system (G99), the panel, inverter and mounting kit datasheets, every warranty document, and instructions for the monitoring app.
How do I get paid for the electricity I export?
Apply to an electricity supplier for a Smart Export Guarantee tariff once the system is installed. You will need the MCS certificate and a meter that records exports, which in practice means a smart meter. You do not have to use your import supplier.
How can I tell if my panels are working properly?
Compare each month's output in the monitoring app with the same month last year, or with the PVGIS figure for your roof. A south roof in Warrington should make roughly 117 kWh per kW in June and 28 in December.
Got a solar quote you are not sure about?
Send us the figures, or the question on your mind, with your Warrington postcode. The message comes to SEO-DONS LTD, the company behind this independent guide, and we answer by email. There is no charge and no obligation of any kind.
What happens next
- Fill in the form; a full postcode tells us which part of the borough you are in.
- We look at what you sent and answer by email, with the figures and sources that apply.
- What you do next, and which firm you choose, is entirely up to you.