Our Customer Service department is on a daily basis available to installers with answers to many types of questions. Questions about material use, questions about our calculator, questions about installation instructions, etc. We also sometimes receive reports regarding quality issues. For example, damage has occurred to a PV project and the installer asks for support. At Esdec, we take these types of reports very seriously. Because not only the problem has to be solved for our installer, it’s also important to find out what went wrong so we can learn from it.
In such a case, an Esdec engineer, sometimes together with an independent inspector, visits the project to investigate the cause of the damage. The design is examined: has the installation been carried out in accordance with the installation plan? Subsequently the various components are examined: has the correct combination of prescribed materials been used? Are the clamps tightened properly? And with flat roof projects, the ballasting is always extensively examined. If, in practice this does not correspond to the ballasting plan (from the Esdec calculator), this could, for example, be a cause of the damage.
After the investigation, the problem will of course be solved as soon as possible. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, it is determined who is responsible for, for example, replacing the material.
An example: at the end of last year we were made aware of a quality issue with regard to screws. A concerned homeowner reported this via LinkedIn. During the temporary removal of panels for a paint job, it turned out that the screws holding the clamps that hold the panels to the substructure were heavily corroded. The PV installation had been installed 10 years earlier with ClickFit Basic by an installer. Screws should of course not be so badly damaged in this situation. We immediately visited the project, examined it and made sure the installation was put back in order with the correct, new screws. The investigation showed that the screws used did not match the screws prescribed by Esdec. It seems that different screws were used in the installation of this project. At Esdec, we extensively test all our components for durability, wind and snow. We also regularly carry out corrosion tests on all our screws. So we can be sure that our installers can issue the 20-year warranty on our components to their clients.
Projects with an Esdec substructure always have to be calculated in the Esdec calculator. And after entering the various parameters of the project (including building height, wind zone, roof type, etc.), the calculator will then provide an overview of the materials to be used and an installation plan. And if there is a deviation from the use of prescribed materials (the Esdec screws in the example above), this can already cause problems and lead to damage.
The most important advice that we give to installers is that you always:
These 3 conditions are crucial for delivering a high-quality installation.
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