The price of not choosing a certified installer

Why It Matters for you

So, you own a home in the Portugal or Spain. Whether you live here year-round or rent it out as a holiday escape, one thing is certain: the sunshine is free, so why not make the most of it?

Solar panels are a no-brainer, helping you slash energy bills and make your home more sustainable. But before you start picturing yourself sipping sangria while your roof prints money, there’s one crucial thing to know: in Portugal and Spain, solar panels MUST be installed by a certified professional - or else, you might not get the savings you expect.

Let’s dive into why certification matters and how it benefits you as an international homeowner.

Why You Can’t Skip a Certified Installer (Even If You Wanted To)

Think of certified solar installers as the Michelin-star chefs of the solar world - except instead of making a fancy dish, they’re cooking up huge energy savings for your home.

Here’s why working with a certified installer is non-negotiable in Portugal:

🔥 It’s the Law – Portugal requires all solar systems to be installed by certified professionals and registered with the DGEG (Direção-Geral de Energia e Geologia). No certification = no legal registration = no savings on your energy bill. Ouch.

⚡ No Shocking Surprises – Solar panels involve high-voltage electricity and rooftop installations. Certified installers follow strict safety guidelines, meaning you won’t wake up to sparks flying from your roof.

🛡️ Manufacturer Warranty Protection
Most solar panel and inverter manufacturers require professional installation to honor their warranties.  A certified installer provides proper documentation and commissioning reports to protect your investment.

🏠 6. Insurance Coverage Depends on Certification
Most home insurance providers in Portugal (and across the EU) require that any structural or electrical modifications, including solar panel installations, are done by certified professionals. If installed by an uncertified person, your insurer may deny coverage. If installed by a certified installer, your system can be added to your property insurance.

📜 Paperwork? Handled. – Certified installers submit all the legal docs for you, so you don’t have to wrestle with Portuguese bureaucracy (trust us, it’s worse than a slow Wi-Fi connection).

💶 Savings That Actually Show Up – If your system isn’t properly installed and registered with the authorities, you could end up paying for excess electricity your panels generate instead of saving on your bill. That’s like running a marathon and tripping at the finish line.

Why Certified Installers Are Your Solar Superheroes

Sure, you could hire a random handyman to slap some panels on your roof, but that’s like trusting your cousin who “watched a YouTube tutorial” to fix your car. Here’s what you get with a pro:

🔧 Top-Tier Expertise – Certified installers know exactly how to design the perfect system for your home using brands like JaSolar, Trina, Jinko, Huawei, and Growatt.

☀️ Maximum Sunshine, Maximum Savings – Proper placement = more energy = more money saved. A certified installer will position your panels to get the most sun all year round.

📑 All the Right Paperwork – They handle every permit, form, and registration so you don’t have to. (Did we mention Portuguese bureaucracy is brutal?)

🛠️ Warranty & Support – Your solar system comes with warranties, and if anything goes wrong, you have a certified pro to fix it—even if you’re back home in London, Amsterdam, or Berlin.

🏡 Boosted Property Value – A professionally installed solar system makes your home more attractive to buyers and renters. Plus, it shows you did things the right way.

The Solar Installation Process (AKA: How We Make It Easy for You)

At Sol Viva, we make going solar ridiculously simple. Here’s how it works:

1️⃣ Pre-installation site visit – We assess your home’s roof, shade levels, and energy needs to design the perfect system. (Yes, we do all the math for you.)

2️⃣ Custom Solar Plan – We create a system designed specifically for your home, whether you live there full-time or rent it out seasonally.

3️⃣ Installation Day! – A certified team installs your panels, inverters, and battery storage (if needed) while you relax. No mess, no stress.

4️⃣ Testing & Approval – We make sure everything is working perfectly and submit all necessary documents to the DGEG for legal registration.

5️⃣ Ongoing Support – Need help? We’re here for you, whether it’s maintenance, upgrades, or just questions about your system.

The Heavy Price of Getting it Wrong

Brad moved to Cascais 8 years ago from Australia and purchased a new home for his family.  He quickly realised that with all the Portugues sunshine that installing solar was a must do in order to reduce his monthly electricity bills.

Not knowing much about solar, he got a couple of quotes and went with the cheapest from a guy and company that he liked.  They also seemed to know what they were talking about.  

His system at home was installed with no issues so much so that he contracted with the same company to install similar systems on his factory and office buildings.  

Seven years later, Brad contacted Sol Viva because he felt that the systems that he had were not big enough and maybe he needed to make them bigger.  Having evaluated Brad's energy bills on his home, we quickly realised that something was wrong.  Despite having a very large solar plant on his roof, he was still paying a lot for his electricity each month.  What could be wrong he asked.  We knew straight away.

We advised Brad that almost certainly his system had not been properly registered with the authorities.  In these situations, any excess power that the solar plant generates is not recognised by the energy meter as self consumption.  As such, the meter adds this power to actual power that you consume from the grid.  The net result is that you end up paying more for your power than less - the polar opposite of what you intend with solar.  

We further investigated Brad's other properties and they were the same - not registered.  In total, we esimate that Brad had overpaid on his electricity bills across the 3 sites by over €100 000! 

The heavy leason learned here is to ensure that you ensure that you work with advisors and installers that are not only certified but also are accountable for and take care of the end to end process of installation and registration.  If not, there can be a VERY HEAVY PRICE TO PAY!

Why Choose Sol Viva?

At Sol Vivo, we do more than just install solar panels - we make your life easier.

✅ We handle ALL paperwork and legal registration
✅ High-quality brands + expert installation
✅ Custom solutions for homeowners
✅ Ongoing support, even if you’re not in Portugal or Spain all year-round

Final Thought

If you’re thinking about solar, don’t cut corners - make sure it’s done right. Certified installers = savings, safety, and peace of mind.

Ready to power your home with the sun? Let’s chat! ☀️