Name: Solarcrest
Rating: 4.85

“Julia has been great helping us navigate the maintenance of and supplies for our MVHR units.”

Posted 2 weeks ago

“Working with solarcrest has been a good exterience from the start to the finish. The people in the company comunicated well on site and in the office. alway returned call and actioned requests. Given my experience with other MVHR suppliers as a designer i feel that solarcrest was one of the best to work with and i wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to my clients.”

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Posted 2 months ago

“I had an MVHR system installed, and also the roof insulated, by Solarcrest nearly 4 years ago now. The system is still working perfectly. After service support has been excellent. I am planning to use Solarcrest again to do the same thing with my next home.”

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Posted 2 months ago

“I decided to engage with Solarcrest following initially seeing them at a show, doing more research and looking at alternative providers. The work they have already completed includes OpenCell foam insulation of both the roof and the floor, the work I have yet to be completed is for MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery). When consulting with Solarcrest and the Project Team, they have always been ready and available to discuss needs, offer advice and ensure the most effective product is delivered to match budget. The Project Team pride themselves (and rightly so) in engaging with the Builder, Building Control, and Trades to ensure all the ducks line up and all the necessary infrastructure is in place when it needs to be in place throughout the project. Contacting Solarcrest and The Project Team is always fast and efficient be it a telephone call or via email, they are always there ready to answer your concern or query. The installation of the MVHR is still ongoing and is approached on a build phase basis, I have zero doubt when the remaining phase and commissioning are complete I will not be disappointed with either the performance or outcome. As with this type of intallation, it is imprative all the necessary documentation and certification is evident for production to Building Control, Surveyors and postentially future lenders. As my installation is not yet complete, I do not have mine, but I know it will be forthcomming and on point following the project being complete. When you receive the documentation, it should be treated like gold and safely retained. In summary, albeit my project is still ongoing, I have every confidence in Solarcrest, the advice given (and ongoing), the communication, the Project Team, the installers (who are fantastic by the way), the products supplied (to date) and the warraanties / documentation that will be provided. I'm suree you will not be disappointed in choosing Solarcrest.”

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Posted 8 months ago

“This is the second house that i have had Solarcrest install their system, on both occasions i have been extreamly pleased with both the profesionalism of the company, and more than happy with their product. Definitely use them again if this was neccessary.”

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Posted 8 months ago

“Great service and connection overall happy thanks.”

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Posted 1 year ago

“Tom and Connor did a great job servicing my MVHR. Very knowledgeable, efficient, personable and tidy.”

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Posted 1 year ago

“Pleasure to deal with throughout the ownership of the system.”

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Posted 1 year ago

“Great service”

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Posted 1 year ago

“Excellect company, very helpful staff and post installation technical support couldnt be better”

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Posted 1 year ago

“Highly recommended, technical experts and quick to respond to queries.”

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Posted 1 year ago

“A responsive and professional company.”

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Posted 1 year ago

“Solar Crest are excellent. Eliot is a very knowledgeable guy and extremely helpfu. I would highly recommend.”

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Posted 1 year ago

Cheers Mark, see you again

Posted 1 year ago

“Professional, thorough, always available for assistance and absolutely invaluable for the inexperienced house builder looking for a complete design and installation service for home insulation and MVHR amongst other things. I've read a scary number of reviews that say 'not the cheapest, but...' for SolarCrest and whilst it's absolutely true they aren't the cheapest, the question has to be asked - why would you WANT to employ the cheapest? What discernible value do you get by bringing in the cheapest and having the cheapest done? You don't. The kind of service SolarCrest provide is NEVER going to compare well to a Google search and anecdotal nonsense on Facebook groups. It's not meant to. Solarcrest are a well-established service provider who command a higher going rate than most other outfits because they provide a higher quality service than most other outfits. Don't underestimate the number of hours required to reach even a basic level of understanding of the whole process of designing and installing a thermal envelope for your house that will perform the way it's been designed to, all the while interfacing with building control, contractors, and you the client. Everything has a cost - for every minute you spend with your head in the latest building control regulations or a product review for some machinery going into your house, for every page you turn of yet another case study, it all costs you time and time really is money. Divide your salary by 2000 to get your hourly rate and then count up how many hours and therefore much it costs you to achieve that basic level of understanding to give you confidence enough to start making decisions. It all adds up and these guys can provide added value by helping you make decisions faster. When installation time comes you will be relieved and impressed in equal measure - Solarcrest's guys get things done quickly, efficiently, and expertly. Feedback is prompt, niggles and snags sorted swiftly, the job left behind will do what you wanted it to and provide evidence you made a wise decision when you commissioned them.”

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Posted 1 year ago

Thanks for this Chris, it was a pleasure working with you. I'm so happy everything worked out exactly as planned. When you talk about costs you hit the nail on the head. Sadly many prospective clients underestimate their ancillary costs when working with quick, 'indicative' designs or budget kits that sound comprehensive but aren't. And by 'costs' I mean their time as much as their money like you say. It's hard to find the kind of 'added value' we offer, never mind put a price on it. Any problems at all Chris and you know who to call. Thanks again..

Posted 1 year ago

“Tom and his mate (apologies for not getting his name) were great. They were punctual, very pleasant and efficient.”

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Posted 1 year ago

Thanks Darlene, we'll pass your feedback along to Tom

Posted 1 year ago

“This company seemed to have all their ducks in a row. The sales pitch is very convincing. My worries about spray foam insulation eased because I was assured they did it correctly and were certified and weren't some cowboy installer that give the industry a bad name. I believed them. They have a bunch of accreditations on their website and email footers. I really thought I had found a company that would do a great job and would met industry requirements and in turn would mean not having problems with insurance or mortgaging. They bigged themselves up to be national and they had different 'staff' and technical people signing off emails as if they were Solarcrest when actually they were all outsourced. Firstly you get bamboozled with reams of information - lots and lots of technical stuff that may or may not be relevant to an individual homeowner doing a renovation - in any case it was too much and did not highlight in any particular order what was important. I thought I had the salient points but both me and my builder (who had only worked with conventional insulation) missed certain things that then caused changes and last minute panics to accommodate and created a lot of friction between my builder (whom I had to try and keep sweet and on board) and Solarcrest. Fast forward to post installation of the MVHR and spray foam insulation, and we were happy at first, but then it got cold and neighbours started lighting fires and our home was filling with smoke. Long story short, the intake was placed between two chimneys and the soil stack, hemmed in on 3 sides with a few meters spacing from both chimneys and barely a metre from the soil stack, but Solarcrest decided to put all the blame on the neighbours cowl, despite us ruling that out as the main problem and were quite happy to sign off on this and refused to make good on the issue with the intake. They didn't even do a site survey before commencing, or they would have seen these problems. Instead they sent in a third party installer who followed their plans, obviously without question. Then we had the issue of the spray foam insulation. Although the work was probably done properly and all the 'technical gumph' in their many documents makes it all seem totally sound and proper, Solarcrest are NOT ACTUALLY ACCREDITED!! Their insulation has not been accepted by my bank. Again, this was installed by a third party installer and between them they don't meet the requirements. They are not Trustmark registered for Foam despite this logo being on their paperwork. (Their Trustmark accreditation was actually for Aircon which was the closest segment to MVHR installation but they don't actually install aircon!). They don't meet the PAS2030 standard and thus don't meet lender guidance. I questioned the mortgaging issues with their sales guy before I signed up and he said it would be installed properly and this was only a problem with cowboy installers - I believed him - but Solarcrest were actually aware of this issue as became evident in a document they sent to us after installation when we started having trouble re-mortgaging, they knew that any spray foam installation, and thus their installation could be turned down and were going on about the industry lobbying the lenders, etc. But that doesn't help us now.. I want to prevent anyone else from making the same mistake with this review. Do not use these guys, they don't have the right accreditation and are quite happy to sign off and issue certification for building control on works that are well below par, perhaps even dangerous (MVHR Installation and mis-placement of intake). Find an installer who has the PAS 2030 Trustmark accreditation for spray foam insulation. I thought I'd done my research but it goes to show, all the logos in the world evidently don't mean anything.”

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Posted 1 year ago

Dear Coleen, we're sorry to hear you are struggling to refinance your property with Barclays because of their (new) 'no spray foam' policy. It's frustrating given there is no actual problem with your insulation. We've shown through modelling there are no interstitial condensation risks, we've used NVQ qualified, manufacturer approved installers, BBA/Kiwa certified products, and we've issued product and workmanship guarantees. You imply the reason you can't re-finance is because we don't have PAS2030 accreditation (yet), however this is an optional accreditation for those seeking government funding, it's not a legal requirement so there's no valid reason your lender should withhold funding. We've offered to speak to their surveyor directly to address their concerns, but if you'd rather we didn't we can only suggest you try a more reasonable lender. Nationwide for instance. Regarding your smoke ingress comment, rather than blaming the ventilation system we know is working perfectly well and in compliance with the regulations, I recommend you keep pressure on your neighbour to have their defective flue fixed. As we have said already, they are currently burning solid fuel in an open flue that has a gas vent instead of a chimney pot, and probably no proper flue liner either. Besides being a fire hazard connected to your property, this restriction is seriously affecting the draw from the flue, and that is causing smoke to roll down the roof instead of being lifted up and away. It's preventing their chimney from being professionally swept too, so it's likely there is a heavy build up of soot which adds to the risk. We have offered to reassess the situation when this dangerous flue has been repaired. Until then, we will endeavour to train our surveyors to recognise the difference between an artificial chimney pot and a real chimney pot. Good luck with the finance, it should be a temporary issue as fresh guidance is about to be issued to surveyors and lenders.

Posted 1 year ago

“I have had an MVHR and spray foam insulation in my property since August 2016. To echo the reviews of other satisfied customers I am delighted with the service and installation that the Solarcrest team provided. I am also delighted with the impact on my property both in terms of thermal efficiency ie cost but also comfort both in terms of warmth but also simply knowing that the air in my home is renewed every couple of hours without huge extra cost. At this point I will depart from issues of customer service, price, delivery and returns and refunds to other important matters which may affect future customers choices. Two issues are really bugging me. The first concerns MVHR. I have no doubt that every home in the U.K. should have one and yet there is no pressure from Government or any body else to achieve this either for new properties or retrofit into older properties. (Indeed if you install an MVHR you will be penalised in your EPC but more on that later). Yet I can sit in my home with my MVHR sure and certain that I am breathing fresh filtered air; I am not wasting energy and there is no risk of dangerous mould or damp anywhere in my property. Unfortunately as older properties are very sensibly rendered draughtproof to minimise energy consumption and cost they also become prey to damp issues because fresh air cannot get in and moist air from bathrooms and kitchens (and lack of dpc in some properties) cannot get out. Opening windows defeats totally the investment in eliminating cold draughts. Extraction fans in kitchens and bathrooms without also allowing air in will not work. Extraction fans in kitchens and bathrooms which also allow air in (sometimes with heat exchange) cannot be efficient. Whatever arguments may be used to convince you against MVHR if you can afford it have it and you will never regret it. Now back to the issue with MVHR and the EPC. If you install an MVHR you receive negative points in calculating the EPC value. This was in 2022 sufficient to take a C property down to a D. There was supposed to be a rethink towards the end of 2022 but I have not had time to research the outcome of this. Despite this drawback the MVHR is the right solution and the EPC rules will change. After all the decision to have fresh air and no mould in your home or mine has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with energy efficiency and therefore nothing whatsoever to do with an Energy Performance Certificate. Onto the second issue bugging me:- spray foam insulation. I can echo what Elliot says in his section on this topic. This type of insulation has been used in Canada since 1980 and before. Furthermore it has been used to provide insulation in mobile homes as well as lots of other buildings in temperatures down to -30 degrees centigrade successfully for 40 years. No damp problems. Yes there are two types of spray foam as described on this web site. Only one provides insulation. Yes there are cowboys about buyer beware. If you can afford it and want it spray foam insulation is an excellent investment. So why in December 2021 did the RPSA issue advice to their surveyors to tell property sellers to rip out the spray foam insulation or they will not be able to sell their homes to buyers who need a mortgage? The decision by the RPSA has been all over the media. But the RPSA is not the only Surveyors Association. What does the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors think on this issue? Or any of the others? So the RPSA was persuaded (by the Government amongst others) to withdraw their advice in October 2022 and a ‘group’ are examining evidence prior to issuing replacement guidance for surveyors in the Spring of 2023. Hopefully all surveyors. So far so interesting or indeed disturbing for those about to sell their home with spray foam roof insulation or remortgage in these tough times. And not forgetting the poor souls out of pocket because of a preposterous rule change. But what really bugs me about this sorry affair is what surveyors actually do when they survey a house and how ridiculous the advice postured by the RPSA actually is. In the good old days (and I really am old) the surveyor never went in the roof. (I have no idea which association of surveyors that comment refers to - as long as they had letters after their name I cared not about the letters or the order in which they appeared). Rather he assessed the condition of the roof from the outside. In my survey for my property in 2016 which was carried out by a member of the RICS it clearly states that during the survey the surveyor may only enter the roof space if it is less than 3 metres high and he will only put his head in. No mention of shoulders. The sentence repeated twice in my survey report reads as follows ‘The surveyor may inspect the roof space from the access hatch but will not go into the roof space itself.‘ No it does not say will it says the surveyor may inspect the roof space. I wonder what the RPSA survey reports require of the RPSA surveyors in respect of the roof space? Do they scramble over wooden rafters in expensive leather shoes and smart suits? Methinks not. So how is our smartly suited surveyor going to spot damp rafters by sticking his head and a light source through the access hatch to the loft? Well he isn’t - not an issue for a long debate either. Yet in their recommendation to the surveyors in respect of a roof with spray foam insulation they were instructed to tell the homeowner that the spray foam insulation caused all kinds of problems; should not be there at all; and if they wanted to sell their home they would need to rip it out. When challenged the surveyors were instructed to tell the homeowner that because they could not see the rafters they would have to have a survey costing several hundred pounds to check for damp in the rafters because they could not see the rafters and because the survey might be inconclusive it would be better to rip out the insulation. But in reality no surveyor has ever had to check rafters for damp. Remember it only says they may inspect the roof space. And the myriad of problems supposedly caused by spray foam insulation is at best misinformation and in any case completely wrong. I am personally speechless with anger that the supposed experts leading the RPSA would issue such ridiculous instructions. Further as part of the review the leaders of the RPSA should apologise to all homeowners and reimburse the people who are now out of pocket, preferably from the wage packets of those who wrote and approved the erroneous instructions before resigning. Author Norman Hiscock 17 February 2023”

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Posted 1 year ago

“So amazingly helpful and trust worthy. Pleasure to have them looking after us.”

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Posted 1 year ago

Thanks Ben you're very kind

Posted 1 year ago

“Solarcrest installed a MVHR system in our house together with foam insulation in the roof. The service has been faultless from installation and the servicing over the last 4 years. All the staff are very professional and we would highly recommend.”

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Posted 1 year ago

Thanks Trevor, we're glad you're happy with the package

Posted 1 year ago

“Solarcrest is the perfect solution for anyone looking to improve the air quality in their home and install MVHR units. Solarcrest has designed a working solution for my home: location of the units, room-by-room ventilation, giving special care to minimizing the noise impact throughout the house. After the system was commissioned, they remained a very reliable partner, answering all our questions on day to day, monitoring remotely the devices and making sure their thermal efficiency was at an appropriate level. I recommend them 100% for all MVHR installations!”

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Posted 1 year ago

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