Having readily I can both form the boxes and the company websites I was finally ready to begin installing the PV panels. The first job was to unpack one to check measurements and I was disappointed to find that one of them has been broken. Yet another frustration and delay but at least the supplier is responding quickly and with solutions.

They look OK and well made and are surprisingly light for their size but awkward to move around so the plasterboard carrier has come in handy. I now need to work out how the clamping system and rails work. Oh, and how the electrical connections are made. It seems that the rails are too short to enable me to fix the end panels so held up again while I get a solution (longer rails?) organised.

PV panels generate direct current (DC)electricity so it needs an inverter (not shown) to convert it to alternating current (AC) that is used in the home and through the electrical network. I have purchased one inverter per panel to maximise flexibility in case of breakdown and they are also three phase to match our installation on site. They need to be installed first and then the panels laid and connected one at a time.