Domestic Solar

While ROC readings are taken at the end of March each year, Ofgem begin to release ROCs around the middle of June each year. Clients whose ROCs are released in June can expect to be paid before the end of July. If a reading was submitted but ROCs are not released, then a station is likely to have been queried by Ofgem and Action Renewables will be in contact to resolve the query.

Upon payment you will also receive a self-billing invoice via email which will provide details of the payment. No further action is required by you on receipt of this.

This could be caused by Ofgem raising a query on your PV systems Ofgem application or Ofgem raising a query on your annual generation reading you have submitted. In either of these cases, Ofgem will withhold on issuing any ROCs until their queries are answered to their satisfaction.

Under OFGEMs legislation, a generating station does not start generating the 20 years of ROCs until the date it has been commissioned or submitted to OFGEM for accreditation – whichever date occurs later. This effective accreditation date is the official date OFGEM recognise the system as generating ROCs. Therefore, OFGEM do not acknowledge generation that occurred prior to this date. Payment can only be made for this eligible period. The eligible generation period for your annual ROC payment runs in line with the tax year (April-March).

The actual generation submitted to OFGEM is based on an OFGEM approved pro-rata method, pro-rating your generation from the commencement date of eligible generation to the end of March.

The ROC market is a live market in which there is fluctuation during the year. However, the market has been designed so that the ROC value is intended to increase by around 2% annually over the long term, until 2027. At 2027 Ofgem will set a fixed ROC value for the remainder of the scheme.

Whatever the ROC market does during the year, or over the longer time, Action Renewables have consistently delivered a ROC value higher than the alternative agent.

Energy suppliers buy ROCs from Action Renewables as they need to fill a certain quota of energy received from renewable energy generation.

There are a variety of reasons why you may not have received your remittance. Please send an email to annualmeterreadings@actionrenewables.co.uk requesting a remittance and your remittance will be emailed out to you.

An agent, as defined in the Renewables Obligation Order 2009, can be appointed only to act on behalf of the operator of a generating station with a declared net capacity of 50kW or less (a microgenerator). Once appointed, an agent carries out all the functions of the operator. See Ofgem website for more information.

An agent will make the Ofgem accreditation and ROC trading process much easier as our dedicated ROC Team have extensive experience dealing with OFGEM. Action Renewables has unrivalled knowledge of the OFGEM eligibility criteria and accreditation process and due to accrediting such large numbers of clients, we have established relationships with OFGEM to streamline our clients through the process.

As your agent for trading ROCs, Action Renewables will ensure that you receive the best price for your ROCs as we sell them as a collective product, therefore they can be sold at a higher price.

Ofgem is the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. They are a non-ministerial government department and an independent National Regulatory Authority, recognised by EU Directives. Your generating station must first be accredited with Ofgem in order to be able to receive ROCs for your solar panels’ electricity generation.

This means that at some point in the past you have signed a contract with a supplier for them to be your agent for your ROCs. You can switch your agent once your initial contract period with your agent is up. If you would like to switch to Action Renewables please get in touch with our team and we will advise and assist you through what you need to do.

The ROC scheme has a 20 year grandfathering period meaning that the scheme will continue to give ROCs for generation created for 20 years after the closure of the ROC scheme (31st March 2017).

Your payments will be lower if the generation of the PV system is low. If the generation is substantially and noticeably low, there could be a problem with the panels, therefore it is advisable to contact your installer. If you think you have been wrongly informed of the potential generation of your PV system, you should always discuss this with the installer in the first instance and if you are not satisfied with their response, contact the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). Your generation may also have been lower than expected due to poor weather conditions.

The amount of electricity you save will depend on the amount that you would normally use. A general rule of thumb is that you will use 55% of the annual PV generation. Therefore if you multiply 55% of the total amount you have generated from your PV by the electricity supplier’s unit rate, it will give you an idea of how much money you have saved. However, if you are in your property during the day (and generally using more of the electricity generated by your panels) then your savings may be more.

Contact Action Renewables by phone or by email and we will send you out the relative documents to confirm the switchover from the old owner to the new owner.
We will need you to complete the following documents: 

• An agent Appointment Form (AAF)
• A registration Form (Bank Details)
• Confirmation of of ownership of the property (e.g. Solicitor statement)
• Meter reading taken on the day of sale from previous owner (in order to split the ROCs for that year period)

You will be asked for a ROC meter reading from your ‘generation’ meter on 31^st March each year. This is the meter that was installed at the time your solar panel was installed. The following video will provide guidance Meter Readings

The ROC meter reading is used to submit your annual ROC claim in March each year. The ROC meter records the total units generated by the solar panel. The NIE meter will state ‘Property of NIE’ on the front and is the meter which NIE come to your property to read throughout the year. This also records your exported units which you have produced from solar but not been able to use on site.

You should look at your ROC meter frequently to ensure it is continuing to record the units your panel is generating and it is recommended that you take photos throughout the year in case your meter fails. You will be required to submit a reading in March each year to claim your ROCs and you should also take a photograph of the ROC meter, which clearly show the reading, the make and model and the serial number of the meter.

Ofgem require evidence to verify that submissions made to them are correct before they issue ROCs. A photograph of your meter reading at the point you took the reading is good proof that the reading supplied is accurate and reliable. If you submit the reading without the proof of a photograph, this can delay the issuance of ROCs for the reading submitted. We strongly advise all our clients to submit a supporting photograph in their submission.

No. NIE should visit your property at least once annually to take a reading from your NIE (owned) import meter. They do not and should not, try to read your ROC meter.

It is likely that your meter reading submission has been queried by OFGEM. OFGEM must verify each meter reading before they release the appropriate ROCs. It is normal practice for OFGEM to raise queries on some submissions as part of their quality assurance procedures. This quality assurance will ensure that each generator receives the correct number of ROCs for their eligible generation.

OFGEMs batch issuance process is largely determined by the accuracy of the meter reading information you provide. Action Renewables has no control over OFGEM’s issuance process.

The Action Renewables team are in the process of clearing any OFGEM queries that are causing a delay in ROC release and the subsequent payments. We will remove all queries possible in house, but if we require any additional information to remove the query the team will be in touch with you individually via email and/or by phone.

Action Renewables contacts every client in the run up to 31st March each year, via email (using the email address previously provided on your registration form) and/or by letter. If you have changed your email address, please ensure you contact us to update this.

Please remember that a meter reading is required every year on the 31st March – you may want to make a note of this date, particularly if you do not check your emails regularly.

If you haven’t received/cannot locate any such correspondence, we would advise you to contact Action Renewables as soon as possible on sspv@actionrenewables.co.uk and we will provide you with the guide on how to make your annual submission.

Please email sspv@actionrenewables.co.uk and we will advise you. You will be required to sign and complete a ‘Change of Details’ form and return it to Action Renewables via post before the new details can be updated.

Your meter may have nothing displayed on it or could be displaying an error message etc. If you believe there is a fault with your ROC meter we would advise you to get in touch with your PV installer as soon as possible. If you cannot contact them or they are not assisting you, please get in touch with Action Renewables and we will do our best to advise you of your next steps.

It might be possible that your ROC meter is malfunctioning. Or, it could be that you live in an area which is receiving increased levels of irradiation (close to a body of water/reflection etc) or and area of shading which is affecting your PV generation.

Yes, you can. Their contact details can be found on their website.

If the owner was an Action Renewables client, please contact us as soon as possible. We will advise you of the process to make sure the ownership and associated benefits of the PV system are transferred correctly to the appropriate person. You can read more about the steps you should take here: A family member who had solar panels has passed away – what should I do?

Please watch this Action Renewables video on how to take your export meter reading.  Meter reading video

You can also download this document to help with your export meter reading. 

Yes, however, this should only be done by a qualified installer. Many installers employ roofers who will be able to complete the roof maintenance work required.

Yes, PV systems still generate in cold weather when there is sufficient sunlight.

Modern PV panels are incredibly durable and can withstand even the harshest elements. Refer to the manufacturer’s specification in your handover pack for more information.

Generally, solar modules are cleaned by the rain, but some manufacturers recommend a professional cleaning once a year. A qualified installer would be able to advise.

Yes, solar PV works well in NI and Ireland. It typically operates with a load factor of around 10-13% in NI.

PV panels do not generally require any maintenance aside from periodic cleaning. Refer to the manufacturer’s specification in your handover pack for more information.

This depends on the manufacturer of the panels, in general they should last at least 20 years. Some manufacturers give warranties for 20-25 years.

Using appliances when panels are generating, putting appliances on timers to use during the day if you are out etc. Battery storage of your unused generation is another way to maximise your generation. If you are interested in hearing about battery storage options please get in touch with Action Renewables.

PV panels only perform during daylight hours. The stronger the irradiance from the sun and the more of the panels which catch this irradiance the better the performance. Anything which reduces the amount of irradiance hitting the panels (dirt, shading etc.) will decrease performance. Anything which increases the amount of irradiation hitting the panels (for example, the orientation and pitch of the panels, or reflections from a local body of water) may increase performance. Obviously, some systems may have higher performance than other due to differences in the PV system components, but it would be best to assess this with your installer or the manufacturer.

Yes - as long as it has a suitable orientation (SW/S/SE), however, be aware that you will not receive any Government financial incentives for a new installation as the ROCs scheme has now closed to new entrants.

For maximum benefit your roof should be facing due south, however SW and SE will also be suitable. An installer can check the exact orientation of the roof and calculate an estimated energy yield.

Refer to the installer’s instructions (these should generally be located at or near the inverter) and should also include the contact details of the installer who should be contacted in the first instance.

The energy generated by your solar panels is known as direct current (DC) however, the appliances in your home use alternating current (AC). The DC energy gets sent to the inverter and converts it to AC. This means it can be used in the home and is also suitable to be fed back onto the grid if you are producing more than you need at that time.

While it may be technically possible, practically speaking, the time and money needed to achieve this means it is generally undesirable. Most people moving to a new house pass the ownership to the new house owner, with the value of the PV systems being included within the sale price.

Yes, you can. However, as the ROC system is now closed, these additional panels will be ineligible for ROCs. Your original ROC eligible PV capacity will remain eligible for the ROC rate they where commissioned under. You must inform us of the additional capacity, as this will increase your annual generation and cause Ofgem to delay your annual ROC issuance.

The average sized (3.68kW Net capacity) PV system on a house in NI generates approximately 3,230kWh/year.

The cost range is dependant on make and capacity. If you would like discuss batteries please get in touch with Action Renewables.

This will depend on your house insurance policy, or potentially for your PV system. We would advise that you speak to your insurer to see how your PV panels are covered.

Yes, your PV system can provide electricity to power your heat pump. This will be more cost effective than using grid electricity, but your PV system will only be able to supply electricity when it is generating (i.e. during daylight hours) and predominantly between spring and autumn.

If you have a complaint regarding an installer who has gone out of business, you may be able to get help from the NI Trading Standards service, however it is likely that you will have to contact another active PV installer.  The MCS website provides a list of the PV installers in NI who are still certified under this scheme, however there is no requirement that you use an MCS certified installer for repairs or maintenance.  If you do not use an MCS installer, ensure that you use a qualified electrician that has experience and training in PV systems.  The National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) also provides a search facility for approved electricians.

If the solar panels have become damaged, check the details of the panel warranty as these generally have 15-20 year cover.  Warranty details should be contained in the handover pack for your system.  It may also be worth checking your home insurance to ascertain whether any larger repairs are covered under your existing policy.