The global solar business is developing rapidly. As new markets open up – such as in the UK - both long-established brands and new businesses are offering their technology and products. Encouraged by incentives such as long-term feed-in tariffs, private individuals and enterprises are confidently making substantial investments in photovoltaic installations.

But is their confidence misplaced? Some investors have certainly had a rude awakening when they have discovered that poor decisions when selecting equipment mean their investments have lost value after just a few years.  If lack of information and transparency at the purchasing stage means that poor quality modules are chosen, then heavy losses can result. And the malfunctioning of a single component can lead to the failure of an entire PV system.

However, by understanding the issues and knowing what to look out for, private individuals, project developers, building professionals, purchasing managers, installers, investors, financiers and other stakeholders can ensure that potential problems of this kind are avoided.