Contacted Solar Tech Support when trying to understand what my Givenergy inverter problem might be and what might be my options. Received good/honest advise which backed up my thoughts.
Hugh Speirs · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
Solar Repair & Support in Darlington
Darlington is our gateway to the North East — about 70 minutes up the A1(M) from our Yorkshire base. The town and surrounding south Durham area have a steady concentration of FiT-era and government-scheme solar installations, many on 1950s–1970s housing stock. We cover Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Newton Aycliffe, Richmond, and the rural villages across Teesdale and Weardale.
from £295 free remote diagnostic first · no call-out fee
- On-site repair from £295
- Inverter replacement from £995
- Free remote diagnostic — written report within 24 hrs
Darlington solar engineer
Tell us what's happening with your system. We'll confirm whether it needs a remote diagnostic or an on-site visit, and give you a clear price before any work starts. Darlington is in our extended coverage area — two to three working days for urgent faults.
Book a visitFree remote diagnostic · no fix, no feeIndependent — not affiliated with any installer or manufacturer.
I reached on behalf of a friend, who had lost control of their battery following a storm. A couple giv energy “dealers” had attempted and said different fixes. None worked. Solar tech support solved it remotely on the first attempt almost instantly. Genuinely a 10/10 service.
Will Jay · Jun 2026 Google
We moved from BT to Vodafone recently. Unfortunately our GivEnergy AIO would no longer appear on the App. Additionally our GivEnergy EV charger stopped working. Vodafone insisted that their dual 2.4ghz and 5ghz compatibility mode would work with the 2.4ghz system. Unfortunately it doesn't. After nearly two weeks of trying to sort this, which also involved searching on various chat forums, I sent an email for help to STS. Within a very short time the same day I got a call from Ash, who is only 45 minutes away from us. He came and quickly got the AIO appearing on the app, so we could once again see the state of the battery. The EV charger presented more of a challenge as the QR code fixed on the side of the charger had worn away. Ash was able to find the necessary information to restore the EV charger to working order. I have a copy of the QR code and other information should we have an issue another time. I had bought a TP-Link TL-WA850RE that just works on 2.4ghz and this is linked permanently to the GivEnergy kit. STS are definitely the people to contact if you find yourself in a similar situation. We are very happy with the service STS provided.
Colin Niblock · Jul 2026 Google
We reached out to Solar Technical Support after our solar energy system stopped working. As GivEnergy 'solar orphans,' we have been extremely pleased with the service from STS - our system was back up and working within a day of us contacting them. We found other solar engineers reluctant or unable to help us, so it has been great to find this organisation. We would definitely use them again and would recommend them to anyone, especially GivEnergy orphans!
Fiona Ford · Aug 2026 Google
Ron was extremely helpful and tried his best to repair/reset our GivEnergy inverter remotely. In the event he was unsuccessful but he couldn’t have been more helpful. If you have problems with a GivEnergy system please contact him. Highly recommended
Neil Crichton · Jun 2026 Google
Amazing! I was having trouble with a flat GivEnergy battery and solar panels not working. I contacted through WhatsApp and we managed to get it all sorted within a couple of days! Super fast service. I can’t thank you enough for your help when my installer didn’t want to know and GivEnergy has gone in to administration! I know where to go if anything happens again!
Chrissy For · Oct 2026 Google
Local Knowledge
Solar in Darlington — steady FiT-era coverage across south Durham
Darlington and south County Durham don't have the sheer density of solar installations you see in West Yorkshire or the East Midlands, but there's a steady spread — mostly FiT-era systems on post-war housing estates and government-scheme installs on social housing. The area also includes the Catterick Garrison corridor, where military and ex-military housing saw a particular concentration of installations. Many of these systems are now 10+ years old, the original installers are gone, and the hardware is reaching the age where faults become common.
Post-war housing with ageing FiT-era systems
Darlington's residential solar is concentrated on the 1950s–1970s housing estates — Cockerton, Haughton, Mowden, Whinfield. These properties have large, unobstructed roof areas ideal for solar, and many took advantage of FiT incentives between 2011 and 2015. Typical installations are 3–4kW arrays with Solis or Growatt string inverters. The panels are still performing well, but the inverters are reaching end of life.
Catterick and military housing installations
The Catterick Garrison and Richmond area has a concentration of solar installations on military and ex-military housing estates. Some were installed through government energy efficiency programmes, others by private installers under FiT. The high turnover of military tenants means systems go unmonitored for years at a time, minor faults go unreported, and documentation gets lost between occupants.
Rural systems across Teesdale and Weardale
The rural areas west of Darlington — Barnard Castle, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Stanhope, and the Wear Valley — have scattered larger systems on farmhouses and rural properties. These tend to be 4–6kW installs, often with no monitoring and limited mobile signal making remote diagnostics harder. When they do develop faults, owners often don't notice for months because there's no monitoring in place.
Battery retrofits growing steadily
Homeowners across the Darlington area with existing FiT-era systems are increasingly adding battery storage — typically GivEnergy or Sunsynk. Rural properties with higher electricity consumption and off-peak tariff availability benefit most, but the battery needs proper configuration to deliver savings. We see a growing number of retrofit installs where the battery was fitted but never optimised for the household's actual usage pattern.
Services
What we do in Darlington
Darlington is our northern service hub — we cover the town and surrounding areas on a regular schedule. Most systems here are FiT-era installs now needing their first inverter replacement or professional maintenance. Remote diagnostic before every repair visit. No call-out fees. Pricing in writing.
Solar system not working
On-site fault diagnosis — inverter errors, low generation, grid relay faults, panel damage, battery issues. From £295.
Fault diagnosis →Inverter replacement
Full swap — old inverter removed, new unit fitted, configured, and tested. We cover all mainstream residential brands. From £995.
Inverter replacement →EPS & battery backup
County Durham sees more overhead-line outages than average. Adding an EPS circuit means your battery keeps lights, heating controls, and broadband running during cuts.
EPS installation →Annual maintenance
Annual maintenance visit — system health check, generation analysis, wiring inspection, firmware review, written condition report. From £195.
Annual maintenance →New homeowner walk-through
Bought a house with solar in the Darlington area? We survey everything, identify brands and installation date, set up monitoring, and deliver a written system report. From £295.
On-site walk-through →Remote diagnostic
Remote system review — monitoring data, generation history, fault logs, and firmware all checked without a visit. Written diagnostic report usually same-day. Free — £125 only if we fix it remotely.
Remote diagnostic →
Common Problems
What goes wrong with solar systems in Darlington
The Darlington area's solar install base is predominantly FiT-era systems from 2011–2015, now reaching the age where hardware failures become common. The rural spread and military housing turnover add complications unique to this part of the North East.
1
String inverter failures on 10+ year systems
The majority of solar systems across Darlington, Newton Aycliffe, and Bishop Auckland were installed between 2011 and 2014 under FiT incentives. They typically run Solis, Growatt, or Fronius string inverters that are now past the 10-year mark. Symptoms: blank display, no generation, intermittent fault codes, tripping the consumer unit. The panels are almost always fine. Replacement with a modern hybrid inverter restores full output and adds battery-ready capability. Inverter replacement →
2
Unmonitored rural systems running silently faulty
Rural properties across Teesdale, Weardale, and the Richmond corridor often have larger solar arrays that were never connected to monitoring. Without monitoring, a fault can reduce output by 30–50% and go unnoticed for months or even years — the homeowner just assumes winter generation is always low. We start with a remote diagnostic where possible, or an on-site performance check where mobile signal is too weak for remote access. To get the system onto monitoring, we can set it up on site, from £195. Monitoring offline guide →
3
Orphaned systems from closed installers
Several installers who operated across County Durham and North Yorkshire have since closed — Mark Group, Solarplicity, and a number of smaller regional firms. Homeowners are left with no support route, missing documentation, and locked monitoring accounts. The systems are usually still generating — they just have no one managing them. We handle full recovery: monitoring transfer (not GivEnergy), documentation rebuild, warranty verification, and ongoing maintenance. Installer gone bust guide →
4
Battery retrofit not saving money on Economy 7 or Octopus Go
A growing number of Darlington-area homeowners with existing FiT systems are adding GivEnergy or Sunsynk batteries to take advantage of off-peak tariffs. When the battery isn't delivering the expected savings, the cause is almost always configuration: charge schedule not aligned to the tariff window, CT clamp direction wrong, eco mode disabled, or a firmware update that has reset values. We diagnose and fix this remotely in most cases. Battery not discharging when needed →
Installer gone bust?
Your Darlington installer has closed — we take over from here
County Durham and North Yorkshire had a mix of national and regional solar installers operating during the FiT era. Several have since closed. If your installer has gone into liquidation or stopped trading, we handle the full recovery — monitoring transfer (not GivEnergy), documentation, warranty claims, fault diagnosis, and ongoing maintenance.
Most common
Mark Group
Administration 2015. Government scheme installs across County Durham and North Yorkshire. Fronius inverters now 10+ years old.
Mark Group guide →Solarplicity
Dissolved November 2023. Combined energy supplier and solar installer. Active across the North East — locked monitoring and missing documentation.
Solarplicity guide →All Seasons Energy
Sheffield-based. Voluntary liquidation January 2026. Operated across Yorkshire and into County Durham via ECO and government schemes.
All Seasons guide →Installer not listed? The recovery process is the same regardless of who installed your system. Full installer gone bust guide or book a call.
Brands
Solis, Growatt, GivEnergy — we fix them all in Darlington
The Darlington area's install base leans toward Solis and Growatt on older FiT-era systems, with GivEnergy and Sunsynk growing on battery retrofits. Fronius appears on Mark Group installs. Each brand has different diagnostic methods, firmware management, and warranty processes — we know them all. GivEnergy Ltd entered administration in April 2026, so a manufacturer warranty claim is no longer possible. Depending on how the system was bought, cover may still come from your installer's workmanship guarantee, an insurance-backed guarantee, Section 75 if you paid by credit card, or the MCS Consumer Code. We help you work out which route may still apply, and we supply and fit replacement GivEnergy hardware at fixed prices.
Solis — string inverter faults, monitoring setup, firmware updates
Growatt — inverter replacement, error codes, WiFi dongle issues
GivEnergy — battery diagnostics, configuration, firmware, replacement hardware supplied and fitted
Fronius, SolarEdge, Sunsynk, Fox ESS, Huawei — all supported
Warranty claims for manufacturers still trading: Sunsynk, SolarEdge, Growatt, Solis, Enphase
Fox ESS installer gone bust? We can be your Local Installer
19+ brands — independent, no manufacturer bias
Local Coverage
Areas around Darlington we cover
Darlington and the wider south Durham and North Yorkshire area. All at the same pricing — the only difference from our core Yorkshire coverage is a slightly longer booking window.
Bishop Auckland
Newton Aycliffe
Richmond
Catterick
Barnard Castle
Shildon
Spennymoor
Sedgefield
Ferryhill
Middleton-in-Teesdale
Stanhope
Crook
Not listed? If you're in south Durham or North Yorkshire, we likely cover you. Get in touch and we'll confirm availability. We also cover nearby Middlesbrough and Harrogate.
New homeowner
Just bought a house in Darlington with solar panels?
The Darlington area has a steady number of homes with solar panels from the FiT era and government schemes. When these properties change hands, the new owner rarely receives the MCS certificate, FiT registration details, monitoring login, or warranty information. Military housing around Catterick changes hands particularly frequently. We visit, identify every component, check performance, set up monitoring in your name, and hand over a written report.
System identification — panels, inverter, battery, wiring
Monitoring transfer into your name (not GivEnergy)
MCS certificate and warranty status check
FiT registration verification and transfer guidance
Written condition report and recommendations
GivEnergy
GivEnergy battery systems in Darlington
GivEnergy battery retrofits are increasingly common across Darlington and south Durham — added to existing FiT-era solar systems on the 1960s–1980s housing stock. If your GivEnergy battery isn't delivering the tariff savings you expected, or the monitoring has never been properly set up, we provide specialist diagnostics, configuration, and ongoing support. Darlington is covered by our Teesside GivEnergy hub.
GivEnergy support on Teesside → · All GivEnergy guides → · Bought a house with GivEnergy? →
Solar repair in Darlington — common questions
Straight up the A1(M), Darlington is about 70 minutes from our Yorkshire base. Urgent faults are typically attended within two to three working days, and planned jobs such as inverter replacements and annual maintenance usually go in within the same week. A free remote diagnostic can identify most faults the same day, so waiting for the visit does not mean waiting for answers.
Yes. We cover all of Darlington and the wider south Durham and North Yorkshire area including Bishop Auckland, Newton Aycliffe, Richmond, Catterick, Barnard Castle, Shildon, Spennymoor, Sedgefield, Ferryhill, and surrounding villages. All at the same pricing — the only difference from our core Yorkshire coverage is a slightly longer lead time for on-site visits.
Around Darlington the typical job is swapping an original Solis or Growatt unit from the FiT era, and it costs from £995 with the new inverter, removal of the old one, installation, configuration, and commissioning all in. Because these are usually like-for-like swaps, the quote rarely holds surprises: brand, model, and system size are what set the final price. A free remote diagnostic confirms exactly what's needed before we quote. Inverter replacement service →
Yes. The Catterick and Richmond area saw a wave of solar installations on military and ex-military housing, some through government energy efficiency programmes and others through private installers who have since stopped trading. We handle these regularly — the process is the same regardless of who installed the system. We recover monitoring access, verify warranty status, diagnose any faults, and set up ongoing maintenance. A free remote diagnostic is a good starting point if you're unsure what state the system is in.
Solar panels not working in Darlington? Tell us what's happening.
Describe the fault — what you're seeing (or not seeing), the brand if you know it, when it started. We'll come back with a clear plan and price, usually same day. Darlington is extended coverage — same pricing, about 70 minutes from our Yorkshire base.
- On-site repair from £295 · inverter replacement from £995
- Solar panel maintenance from £195
- Free remote diagnostic — written report within 24 hours
Service notice
We’re busier than ever. Thank you for your patience.
Due to unprecedented demand we’re currently only carrying out on-site work in Yorkshire, and replies are taking up to 7 days. Remote diagnostics continue for the whole UK as normal.
Every message is read and answered, so please don’t send it twice; that only slows the queue.
Ronald Director, Solar Tech Support
On-site: Yorkshire only, for now
Remote: UK-wide, as usual
Remote fix: £125 if we fix it, no charge if we don’t
Replies: within 7 days
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