Amazing support, went out of his way to help try and get us back up and running
Paul Smith · May 2026 Trustpilot
New homeowner guide · UK-specific Just Bought a House
Just Bought a House
With Solar Panels?
No documentation, no monitoring access, no idea what brand it is or whether it's working properly. This is the starting point for most new solar homeowners. Here's exactly what to do — and in what order. Once you're set up, the new solar owner hub covers everything you need to know going forward.
- Works for systems with and without batteries
- Covers all major UK inverter and battery brands
- Health Check for £145 if you want this done for you
Want this done properly?
Our New Owner Health Check covers system identification, monitoring transfer (except GivEnergy), MCS documentation, performance review, and a written condition report — in a single remote session.
New Owner Health Check — £145Book a call to discussWe've helped hundreds of new solar homeowners understand what they've inherited. Most complete their onboarding in a single session.
Following an email enquiry i was able use Whatapp Chat to work with their online support agent who successfully solved my battery problem. Having been told that it had gone into sleep mode and would require a site visit Solar Tech successfully sorted the problem remotely. No hassle and no success no fee. Recommended Givenergy system support team.
Steve Spencer · Sep 2026 Google
STS installed/commissioned an extra Givenergy battery for me. Communication was great and the engineer did a great job and even tidied up the existing wiring which made it look a great deal nicer than it did. Very happy so far and grateful to the team for their professionalism.
Garry Hewett · Oct 2026 Google
Absolutely fantastic customer service. The team were incredibly helpful, responsive and genuinely willing to do everything they could to help get things sorted. With all the uncertainty surrounding the future of GivEnergy at the moment, it was particularly reassuring to have people who were knowledgeable, approachable and prepared to step in when needed. After a glitch with my firmware update caused problems with my system, these guys really did come in and save the day. They took the time to investigate the issue, explain what was happening and work towards getting everything back up and running. It’s refreshing to deal with a company that genuinely seems to care about its customers and is willing to go the extra mile when something goes wrong. Superb service from start to finish. Many thanks for all the help and support — it’s very much appreciated. Highly recommended.
robert lee · Sep 2026 Google
Super support. Delighted I found them. System battery was down for quite a while and no one would try to fix it as GivEnergy out of business. A few hours later and I’m up and running again. Brilliant service!!! Highly recommend them.
Ed Place · Sep 2026 Google
A really big thank you to Ron and his team, he has vast amounts of knowledge and got my system back up and running, also good to get on with. I was absolutely lost as to know what to do, no help from installer and somehow came across Ron and am I glad I did. I would definitely definitely recommend him to anyone who has faults with there solar system, any make I would say. Thanks again Ron a pleasure meeting you.
D R · Jun 2026 Google
Start Here
The 4 things to do in your first week
You don't need to understand every detail of the system to take these steps. They establish what you have, whether it's working, and give you the foundation to deal with anything that comes later.
1
Locate the inverter and note the make and model
The inverter is usually mounted on a wall in the garage, utility room, or loft. Find the label on the front or side and note the brand name and model number. Take a photo. This single piece of information unlocks everything — monitoring setup, warranty registration, fault code lookup, and configuration guides are all brand-specific.
2
Check the inverter display to confirm the system is generating
During daylight hours, look at the inverter display. A number with "W" or "kW" means the system is generating. A blank display (before sunrise or after sunset) is normal. A fault code, red light, or completely unresponsive unit needs investigation. Do not rely on the monitoring app — it will almost always show "offline" because access is linked to the previous owner's account, not yours.
3
Locate or request the MCS certificate and installation documentation
This should have been provided to you at completion. Check your property documents pack. If it wasn't included, contact your solicitor — they should have received it. If it's missing entirely, we can usually retrieve it from the MCS database using the installation postcode and approximate date. Without it, warranty claims and SEG tariff registration are blocked.
4
Register for monitoring access under your own account
Most monitoring platforms have a process for transferring accounts to new homeowners, usually with proof of ownership (a completion letter or Land Registry document). GivEnergy is different: the current owner transfers it in the app. Start this process early — some brands take 1–2 weeks to process account transfers, and without it you have no visibility into how the system is performing. See the monitoring transfer section below for brand-specific instructions.
Note: If the system appears to have a battery (a separate unit, usually floor-standing or wall-mounted near the inverter), its setup and configuration are almost always locked to the previous owner's account and app. This is separate from inverter monitoring — see the battery setup section for what to do.
Identify your system
System ID
Don't know what brand or model you have?
The brand name is almost always on a label on the inverter itself. If you can't find it — or the system looks unfamiliar — these guides walk you through identification by appearance, wiring colour, and display type.
Start Here
Find your inverter brand and model
Not sure what brand you have? Three identification routes — label, monitoring app, MCS certificate — plus how to read the label, check for a battery unit, and a visual reference for all 10+ major UK brands.
Identify my system →How your solar system works
What each part of your system does, how the panels, inverter, battery, and grid work together, and what the numbers in the monitoring app actually mean.
Understand your system →How to find out when the system was installed
The installation date affects warranty status, FiT eligibility, panel degradation estimates, and expected performance. How to find it from the MCS certificate, inverter label, or MCS public register.
Find installation date →Know your brand? Go to the right hub
SolarEdge — black inverter, HD-Wave or StorEdge
→
GivEnergy — full new-owner guide
→
Sunsynk — white Sunsynk hybrid
→
Growatt — green logo, SPH or MOD series
→
Solis — orange/white Solis inverter
→
Huawei — SUN2000 with Luna battery
→
Enphase — microinverters under each panel
→
Fronius — blue/white Symo or Primo
→
All brands →
→
Monitoring access
Monitoring
Monitoring is locked to the previous owner — here's how to get it back
Solar monitoring accounts are registered to individuals, not properties. When you buy a house, the monitoring app will show "offline", "no device found", or simply never load — because the data link still points to an account you don't have access to. For most brands you need to request a transfer from the manufacturer, and each brand has a different process. GivEnergy transfers are now done between customers in the app. The current owner updates the GivEnergy app, logs in, taps the account button at the top right of the home page, chooses Transfer Hardware and enters the new owner's email address. The new owner accepts from the email they receive. Read the transfer guide. If you have moved into a home with a GivEnergy system, ask the previous owner or the estate agent to do this for you. GivEnergy Software says it is working on a way for the new owner to request the transfer themselves. The free tier of the GivEnergy app needs no login: it finds the inverter on your home network, so you can monitor and control it locally before any transfer. That needs the dongle on your WiFi: if it is still set to the previous owner's, connect it to yours, and if it won't connect, we can set it up on site, from £195.
Most Common
No monitoring access as a new owner
What "offline" actually means on an inherited system, and the full process for claiming monitoring access — including what documentation manufacturers require and typical timescales for each brand.
Get monitoring access →We Handle This
Monitoring account transfer service
We contact the manufacturer on your behalf, provide the required ownership proof, and complete the transfer into your account. Faster, fewer rejections, and we know exactly what each brand needs. GivEnergy is not included: the owner does that in the app.
Use transfer service →Blocked
Previous owner isn't responding or won't help
Some manufacturers require the original account holder to approve a transfer. If the previous owner is uncontactable, some brands have other routes, including manufacturer escalation and account reset processes. On GivEnergy, ask the estate agent, then email premium@givenergy.co.uk with Log In as the subject.
See your options →Brand-specific monitoring transfer guides
We handle monitoring transfers across the major UK brands, except GivEnergy
Included as part of the New Owner Health Check. Or book as a standalone service — typically resolved in 2–5 working days.
Documentation
Docs
MCS certificate, warranties, and what should have been handed over
Solar installations generate a paper trail that's essential for warranty claims, export tariff registration, and future sale. Most of it should have transferred with the property. A lot of it doesn't. Here's what to look for and what to do if it's missing.
Important
MCS certificate, warranty status, and installation records
The MCS certificate proves your system was installed to standard. Inverter warranties run 5–12 years, batteries 5–10, panels 10–25. How to search the MCS database, find out what warranty remains, check whether it transfers to a new owner, and what to do if records are missing.
Check documentation & warranty →Money
SEG and FiT — are you getting paid for export?
If the previous owner was on the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) or Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), those payments don't transfer automatically. What to do to register your own SEG contract and whether the previous FiT payments can be continued.
Sort export payments →Documents that should have been provided at completion
MCS certificate (or HIES/RECC equivalent)
Confirms system was installed to standard
DNO notification / G98 / G99 application
Grid connection notice to your Distribution Network Operator
Inverter and battery warranty documents
Check if warranty is registered to the property or previous owner
FiT / SEG contract or payment history
Required to understand if export payments are being made and to whom
Panel specification sheet
Panel make, model, and rated output — needed for performance assessment
Monitoring account login or transfer details
Often not provided — usually needs a separate transfer request
Faults & performance
Faults
Found something wrong — or not sure if it's working correctly?
Inherited systems sometimes have faults that were never reported or diagnosed by the previous owner — either because they didn't notice, or because the fault appeared gradually. A Health Check identifies these. But if you've already found something specific, these pages are the right starting point.
Urgent
Inherited system not generating at all
System is on but showing zero output, or inverter is showing an error and won't start. Common causes on inherited systems include long-dormant fault codes, tripped breakers, and failed components that were unreported by the previous owner.
Diagnose this →Investigate
System seems too low output for its size
If the system was installed 5+ years ago or has panels in a compromised position, output may be significantly below what its rated capacity suggests. How to compare current output to expected output and what to do if there's a meaningful gap.
Assess performance →Full Guide
Full solar fault triage guide
Covers every fault type — inverter faults, battery problems, monitoring offline, grid overvoltage, and export issues. If you've already identified the fault category, go here for detailed diagnosis steps.
Go to full fault guide →Not sure if there's actually a fault — or just no visibility yet?
A New Owner Health Check reviews the system systematically — generation data, fault history, settings, and hardware — and produces a written condition report. It costs £145.
Battery setup
Battery
Inherited a battery? It needs to be reconfigured for you
Battery storage systems are configured around the previous owner's energy tariff, usage patterns, and preferences. Those settings are almost certainly wrong for you. Charge and discharge schedules, tariff integration, and emergency power settings all need to be reviewed and updated before the battery will work correctly in your situation.
Priority
Battery configuration for new homeowners
What settings need to change when you take over a property with a battery: charge windows, discharge targets, tariff integration, minimum SoC, and emergency power (EPS) settings. We review and reconfigure all of this as part of the New Owner Health Check.
Book battery setup →Common Issue
Battery not charging or discharging correctly
Battery appears to charge or discharge at the wrong times, or not at all. Almost always a configuration issue tied to the previous owner's settings — specifically charge windows, tariff schedules, or minimum SoC levels that no longer match your situation.
Diagnose battery fault →How battery storage works — explained
If you've never had a battery before, this guide explains charge/discharge logic, BMS behaviour, SoC thresholds, and tariff integration — so you can understand what your battery is actually doing and why.
Read guide →Battery configuration is included in the New Owner Health Check
We review and update charge/discharge schedules, tariff integration, and emergency power settings as part of the onboarding session. Available as a standalone service too.
New Owner Health Check
Health Check
The New Owner Health Check covers everything in a single session
Rather than working through each step manually, the Health Check brings everything together: system identification, monitoring transfer, MCS documentation check, current performance review, battery configuration, and a written condition report that you own and can use for future warranty or sale purposes.
System identification — make, model, installation date, panel count
Monitoring transfer — we handle the account request, except on GivEnergy, where the current owner does it in the app
MCS documentation check and recovery if missing
Performance review vs expected output for your location and system size
Battery reconfiguration for your tariff and usage (if battery present)
Written condition report — fault summary, warranty status, action plan
Solar System Health Check
£145
For properties with solar only (no battery). Covers system ID, monitoring transfer (except GivEnergy), MCS check, and performance review.
Book Solar Health Check — £145Health Check + Battery Setup
£145
For properties with solar and a battery. Adds battery reconfiguration, tariff integration, and EPS settings review.
Book with Battery Setup — £145Remote session. Written report delivered within 24 hours. All brands supported.
On-site in Yorkshire
Prefer an engineer to come to your home?
Our on-site walk-through (from £295) covers everything in the remote health check — plus a physical inspection of your panels, inverter, isolators, and cabling, WiFi and monitoring setup on your phone, and a face-to-face controls walk-through so you actually understand how the system works.
The engineer checks for visible faults, confirms the system is generating correctly, sets up your monitoring account, walks you through the app, and provides a written condition report. Currently available across Yorkshire — Barnsley, Sheffield, Leeds, Wakefield, Doncaster, Rotherham, Bradford, Huddersfield, York, Harrogate, and Hull. Remote health check (£145) available nationwide.
On-site walk-through — from £295
Related situations
The original installer has gone bust
Monitoring access locked, no warranty support, orphaned system with no documentation — we handle the full recovery: access transfer (except GivEnergy), documentation rebuild, warranty claims, and getting you back in control.
Get installer-gone-bust recovery →The system isn't working
Full fault triage guide covering every common solar fault type — inverter problems, battery issues, monitoring offline, grid faults, and export problems. The complete diagnostic starting point.
Go to fault guide →Common questions from new solar homeowners
Solar panels are largely maintenance-free — there are no moving parts. However, inverters and batteries benefit from periodic checks: firmware updates, settings reviews, and performance monitoring. Most faults are identified through monitoring data, so getting monitoring access in your name is the most important ongoing maintenance action. An annual health check is recommended for systems with batteries.
Yes — through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). You need to apply for a SEG contract with your energy supplier. If the previous owner was on the Feed-in Tariff (FiT), that can be transferred to you via the FiT licensee's change-of-ownership process — it does not move automatically, so notify the supplier with proof of purchase. SEG is the current scheme for new registrations. You'll need the MCS certificate to register. SEG and FiT registration guide →
Almost certainly not. "No device found" means the monitoring account is registered to the previous owner's email address — and you're logged in as yourself (or not logged in at all). Check the inverter display directly: if it shows a kW output figure during daylight, the system is working. You just need the monitoring account moved to you; on a GivEnergy system the current owner can transfer it in the app. Monitoring access guide →
It depends on the brand and warranty type: GivEnergy Ltd entered administration on 9 April 2026 and no further hardware warranties will be honoured, and Fox ESS claims go through a Local Installer. Manufacturer warranties (inverter and battery hardware) typically transfer with the property, but you usually need to register the transfer to make warranty claims. Installer workmanship warranties may not transfer — they were between the installer and the original customer. Check the warranty documentation provided at completion, or let us verify it as part of a health check. Warranty check guide →
The remote review session takes around 60 minutes. Monitoring transfer requests (other than GivEnergy, which the current owner does in the app) are submitted during the session but typically take 2–5 working days to process on the manufacturer's side. The written condition report is delivered within 24 hours of the session. For systems where monitoring is inaccessible, we work from the inverter display, any available data, and system specification to complete as much as possible in the first session.
A Solar System Health Check for a property with solar only costs £145. The Health Check with Battery Setup for homes with a battery is £145 and adds battery reconfiguration, tariff integration, and an EPS settings review. Both are remote sessions, and the written condition report is delivered within 24 hours.
Get help
Unsure where to start with your inherited system?
Tell us what you know — brand if you can spot it, whether there's a battery, any fault lights or issues. We'll work out the rest and come back with a clear plan.
- Independent — not tied to any installer or manufacturer
- Remote and on-site support available
- Usually same or next day
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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