Standard system (up to 12 panels, 1 inverter, 1 battery). Larger systems quoted on enquiry. Cardiff is our home base — same-day to next-day scheduling, plus a free same-day remote diagnostic.
Book maintenance visitRemote health check — £145STS were incredibly responsive and helpful In diagnosing an issue with my GivEnergy inverter. Although distance meant it was impractical for me to use them to fully solve the issue, I’m grateful for the help and detail they provided. Don is a real professional gent and a hero in my eyes.
Ron took me through a diagnostic to confirm my GivEnergy Inverter had a fault. A common one as it turns out with the AC Inverter. As GivEnergy is defunct there is no immediate fix, aside from sourcing 2nd hand replacement. It may be that a fix becomes available over the summer which would make a lot of GivEnergy customers happy (Again)
I’ve used Ron a couple of times regarding issues with my Givenergy inverter and batteries after Givenergy went bust. My system stopped working properly so it was a stressful time but Ron resolved the issues and got my system working properly again. He’s really helpful and knowledgeable and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him and to use him again if the need arose.
Amazing support, went out of his way to help try and get us back up and running
Ron is a super star. Two months ago my GivEnergy battery failed a firmware upgrade leaving it a brick. My installer couldn't/wouldn't fix it. GivEnergy couldn't/wouldn't fix it. Then they went into administration and all hope was lost. A flurry of emails later and Ron had diagnosed the fault (failed USB flash drive, something I'd suspected) and talked me through resolving it. Two months of nothing resolved in about 3 hours. It's great to work with someone who pays attention to the details, knows that they're doing (not just following a script) and gets stuff sorted without a fuss or up-charging.
Brilliant support to get my solar battery working again. I didn’t expect help on a Saturday but Ron answered the phone, listened and sent me the information I needed to get it going, answered questions etc. A brilliant service I’d happily recommend.
Cardiff and the surrounding Vale of Glamorgan saw a major wave of residential solar between 2011 and 2016, driven by the Feed-in Tariff alongside Welsh Government energy efficiency schemes. Systems were fitted across the city — from Victorian terraces in Cathays and Roath to inter-war semis in Llanishen and Whitchurch, and newer estates around Pontprennau and Pentwyn. When the original installers closed or moved on, regular servicing stopped entirely.
Most FiT-era systems in Cardiff were installed with a 10-year warranty on the inverter and 25 years on the panels. Homeowners assumed the system would look after itself. A decade later the inverters are approaching end of life, connectors are corroding, and cable clips have cracked — but the monitoring app still shows a green tick because it only measures data throughput, not physical condition.
Cardiff sits on the Severn estuary, and salt-laden coastal air reaches roofs across the city and out to Penarth and Barry. Salt accelerates corrosion on MC4 connectors, roof fixings, and DC isolator housings — degradation that's far advanced on coastal-facing arrays after ten years but never visible from the monitoring portal. We plan for it on every Cardiff visit.
Average age of Cardiff FiT-era installs
Typical on-site visit duration
Written report delivered after visit
Our Cardiff-based engineer follows a structured inspection protocol covering every component from the roof down. Here's what's checked on every visit.
Every panel checked for cracks, delamination, hotspots, soiling, and bird damage. Mounting frames and fixings inspected for corrosion — accelerated on Cardiff's coastal-facing roofs by salt-laden estuary air. Cable clips and trunking checked for UV degradation after a decade of South Wales weather. Light cleaning included where safe to do so.
DC isolator operation tested. AC isolator and consumer unit connections verified. Earth bond continuity confirmed. Cable entry points inspected for water ingress — particularly important on Cardiff's Victorian terraces where cable routing through loft spaces is common. Any signs of heat damage, arcing, or loose connections flagged immediately.
Inverter physically inspected for fan noise, heat discolouration, and error indicators. Generation output compared against expected yield for system size and roof orientation. If battery storage is present, cell balance is reviewed, charge cycles are analysed, and battery health percentage is recorded. Firmware versions noted with update recommendations where appropriate.
Export limit verified against your DNO agreement. Charge and discharge schedules reviewed for your current electricity tariff — we see a lot of GivEnergy systems in Cardiff still running default schedules that don't match Octopus Go or Agile rates. CT clamp orientation confirmed. Monitoring portal checked and reconnected if offline.
You receive a written maintenance report covering everything inspected, any issues found (with photos), and prioritised recommendations. If minor issues were fixed during the visit — a loose connection, an incorrect setting — that's noted too. If a separate repair is needed, we quote it in the report so you can decide at your own pace.
Up to 12 panels, 1 inverter, 1 battery. Full physical inspection, electrical checks, settings audit, and written report.
Multi-string arrays, battery stacks, or commercial-scale systems. Same thorough inspection — priced for the additional complexity.
Performance analysis, settings review, battery telemetry. No visit — ideal between annual on-site inspections. Details →
All prices include labour. One-off visit — no subscription or ongoing commitment. If a fault requiring repair is found, it's quoted separately in the report. Full maintenance service details →
These are the issues that appear most often on Cardiff systems during annual inspections. None of them show up in monitoring data — they can only be found on-site.
After a decade of Severn-estuary salt air, MC4 connectors develop water ingress and corrosion faster than inland systems. This creates resistance that reduces output and can eventually cause arcing — a common finding on coastal-facing roofs from Cardiff Bay out to Penarth and Barry.
Roof-mounted DC isolators are the most failure-prone component in the UK solar fleet. On Cardiff systems, exposure to moisture, salt, and thermal cycling over a decade causes internal contacts to degrade. Some models are already recalled. We check every isolator on every visit.
Firmware updates, router changes, and tariff switches all cause settings to drift. We regularly find GivEnergy batteries in Cardiff running charge schedules that don't match the homeowner's Octopus tariff — costing them money every night. A settings audit fixes this in minutes.
Ten years of tree growth has introduced new shading on panels that were originally in full sun. This is especially common on the leafy streets of Pontcanna, Llandaff, and Cyncoed where mature garden trees have grown significantly. We identify the affected panels and assess the generation impact.
Cardiff is our home base — every neighbourhood and the surrounding Vale of Glamorgan is within our immediate coverage. No additional travel charges anywhere in the Cardiff postcode area.
We also cover the wider region — Full Cardiff solar support hub · Free same-day remote diagnostic
On-site fault diagnosis and repair — inverter failures, battery problems, generation loss. From £245. Written quote before work starts.
Cardiff solar repair →If your maintenance visit reveals an end-of-life inverter, we can replace it. All brands, from £795 including commissioning.
Inverter replacement →A free same-day remote read on a specific concern before you book anything — no obligation. A fast first step for Cardiff homeowners unsure whether they need a visit.
Remote diagnostic →Full overview of solar support in Cardiff — all services, local context, coverage map, and brand support.
Cardiff hub →If the answer is "not since it was installed" — you're not alone. Most FiT-era and Welsh-scheme systems in Cardiff have never been serviced. Book a maintenance visit and our Cardiff-based engineer will inspect every component, check all settings, and give you a written report within 24 hours.
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