I got 60kwh in december
Once you get all the cagers off the road youâll have lovely clear skies and unlimited sunshine.
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Losing âŹ10,000 when solar power firm went bust was a real kick in the teeth,â says eco-conscious homeowner
A homeowner has told of how he lost almost âŹ10,000 when a solar panel company went into liquidation.
Alan Durkin (47), from Rathfarnham in south Dublin, described how he tried to do the âright thing for the environmentâ when he decided to buy solar panels from SolarShare Limited.
Mr Durkin, who is a computer programmer, told the Irish Independent he paid almost âŹ10,000 to the firm in Skerries, north county Dublin, to install the panels to make his home more eco-friendly.
However, when he learned last month that SolarShare Limited had gone into liquidation, he was shocked, with the slow realisation he and others had lost their money.
âItâs terrible,â Mr Durkin said. âItâs a lot of money, it was nearly âŹ10,000 we paid â itâs a lot of money.â
The companyâs accounts show a liquidator was appointed last December 19. The business was listed as a micro-firm on company records. One of its directors, Richard John OâRourke (76), resigned last December 7.
Richard Sean OâRourke (49), from Monasterevin, Co Kildare, was also listed as a director on the accounts.
Mr Durkin, whose solar panels were never installed, said that after trying to be an environmentally conscious citizen, losing such a vast amount was âa kick in the teethâ.
âWe moved into a new house last year,â he said. âI have an electric car and we wanted a charger and solar panels. I looked around for a company. But then I saw our new neighbours had solar panels fitted. They were delighted with them, so we went with the same company.
âWe also researched and saw SolarShare Limited was recommended on the SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) website, so we contacted the company and paid a deposit for the work to be carried out.
âBut pretty soon after, the company wanted another payment, which brought it up to 90pc of the price â which I thought at the time was a bit weird.
âHowever, you just kind of accept it. You donât buy solar panels every week and I thought they must need the money to buy the products.â
Mr Durkin said the company told him the work would be carried out in October 2023 and was later updated that the work would take place on December 11. It was never carried out.
Though he was concerned at the time, Mr Durkin said he kept âlooking at the work done next door and it was reassuringâ.
âThe company had lots of five-star reviews online,â he added. âPeople said they were great.
âOne or two wrote online that it was very hard to get in touch with the company, which I was to then find out.â
Eventually, Mr Durkin said he became so anxious that he could not get in touch with the company, he threatened to âlook for a refundâ.
Then his fears were calmed, after he claimed he was told he would âget better solar panels, by way of apologyâ.
âThe week before December 11, I got an email from the company, saying I had to apply for a grant (towards the total cost),â he said. âIt was all going fine, I was relieved,â he said.
A modern house with solar panels. Photo: Getty
Mr Durkin took the day of December 11 off and he waited for the company installers to arrive to fit the solar panels.
âI got in touch with the company (that morning) to confirm timings,â he said. âThey didnât get back to me. I kept ringing, but at 9.30am, the phones stopped ringing.â
Mr Durkin said he got in touch with staff at the company on Linkedin and was told the company had âshut downâ. It is understood staff lost their jobs just before Christmas.
Mr Durkin said company director Richard Sean OâRourke âeventually rang me back and said the company had stopped tradingâ.
Since the announcement, liquidator Anthony Glennon, from Friel Stafford, has been appointed and a creditorsâ meeting has taken place.
âI paid by bank transfer,â Mr Durkin said. âSo that money is basically gone, as far as I know.
I feel the Government must regulate the industry. We tried to do our own research, as much as we could
âEveryone is being encouraged to invest in solar panels and this company was listed on the SEAI website. After SolarShare Limited went into liquidation, I got an email from SEAI to say the company was no longer available â this was within a week of finding out myself. âWe now have to rethink the decision to get them.
âI feel the Government must regulate the industry. We tried to do our own research, as much as we could. The SEAI could probably look at company accounts and do due diligence on the companies they have listed online.â
A Form G2 â Ordinary Resolution to wind up â shows the company was placed into âvoluntaryâ liquidation after a meeting carried out by videocall.
Alan Durkin, who lost money he paid for the installation of solar panels to his Rathfarnham home. Photo: Gerry Mooney
The paperwork read: âAt an extraordinary general meeting duly convened via Zoom, it had been agreed that it has been proved to the satisfaction of this meeting that the company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and that it is advisable to wind up same and, accordingly, that the company be wound up voluntarily.â
An October 2022 balance sheet showed the company had just âŹ52,191 assets less liabilities at that time and fixed assets of just âŹ4,147. However, according to Mr Durkinâs account, the firm was still recommended on the SEAI website months later.
The Irish Independent attempted without success to contact the current and former director of the company.
Friel Stafford confirmed the liquidation but would not comment further.
A spokesperson for the SEAI said it would not comment on individual cases but added: âThe solar PV scheme supports homeowners wishing to increase the proportion of renewable electricity they consume by installing solar panels on their property.
âSimilar to other schemes, homeowners receive grant payment for works completed by registered companies and in accordance with published terms and conditions. SEAI isnât a party to the contract for works, which is solely between the homeowner and the companies.
âRegistration with SEAI does not guarantee or warranty a company or their works and we actively encourage applicants to shop around, check references and carry out appropriate due diligence on their chosen solar PV company. SEAI doesnât undertake a financial assessment of companies as this is beyond SEAIâs remit.
âScheme applicants are required to have a contract in place with their chosen solar PV company, which provides appropriate levels of consumer protection. Among other things, this generally provides applicants with a mechanism to resolve issues with their company in accordance with their rights under that contract.
âPayment schedules, agreed to by the applicant with their chosen solar PV company, is a contractual matter between those two parties and one in which SEAI is unable to intervene. Nor can SEAI offer any reimbursement for monies which may be lost.
âThe homeownerâs protection, and right to recourse, is provided under consumer law.
âSEAI remains available to process grant applications for any homeowners affected by a company going into liquidation, should the applicant choose to proceed with a different registered solar PV company and where no works have been completed, all subject to the normal scheme terms and conditions.â
He fairly mugged himself off
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Would wonder why there has been a spate of recent closures âŚmost just sub out the instal so not carrying that costâŚI doubt they have a huge inventory of panels on site Iâd say just ordered as needs beâŚ
In general or just panels. An increasing amount of small traders with seemingly profitable businesses changing hands suddenly⌠And the original owner running. Not encouraging
Just in relation to solar companies reallyâŚthey shouldnât have a huge labour bill if they are subbing the work out
Yer man there was just stupid, nothing to do with solar panels or not. Paying 90% before install? mug. And the SEAI dont recommend them, the SEAI just show registered companies who comply with the servicing. Any company can be a shower of cowboys and liquidate, Iâm not sure what regulation he wants if he is going to hand over 90% of the money before any work is done. Consumer law is the issue here.
Big plans outside Cashel for Solar Farms on 4 tranches of land.
Local community gonna be split nicely over it.
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A community is only as strong as its weakest link.
What a waste putting solar farms on good land like that?
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Itâs funny alright.
You imagine theyâd have no problem getting top dollar selling up.
One of the landowners involved is a strange one tbh.
The other three have no interest in the day to day side of it but again youâd imagine renting for farm use wouldnât be an issue.
It will cause ructions in a small community.
Why will it cause ructions? Genuine question. What odds is it to anyone else what people do with their farms? Solar farms are fairly unobtrusive. Could understand if it was windmills maybe
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How do you reckon the power will go from the panels outwards?
Nimbyism
Happy for their air and water to be pollutted by farming but disgusted by clean energy.
Worse than the anti metro nimbys
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These are located for substations. One near Limerick junction is put together on a lease and right on the sub station line
Well thereâs these things called
Never mind
Fire up an aul substation there, Shur be grand
Listen pal, I donât know what nimbyism is, I just donât want it near me
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Itâs cashel ffs