In May this year the BBC reported on a company from Poole in Dorset that were deliberately mis-selling Solar PV (in this instance to a Mr Catterall) projects by taking a deposits and then failing to deliver the products.

The article is a stark warning to anyone thinking about solar pv

, that the quality and reliability of the installer is paramount to the success of the performance of the system over its entire 25-year investment period.

The industry regulator, Real Assurance, which regulates the Office of Fair Trading-backed consumer code on selling solar panels, says it is worried by an increasing number of complaints.

Real Assurance produces a Code of Conduct, which is designed to prevent misleading or pressured selling. However, few consumers know the code exists. Not every seller is signed up to it and not all of them appear to follow it. As a result, the number of complaints is rising. Depending on the nature of the problem, complaints may go to the installer, electricity supplier, Real Assurance, Consumer direct, the Energy Ombudsmen or the body who certified their installer.

In the article, Real Assurance told the BBC it had received 70 complaints relating to renewable energy up top May 2011 - almost as many as during all of 2010! Additionally, the Energy Ombudsman says it has received 28 complaints

To install panels for the feed-in tariff, a supplier must be signed up to the government's MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) and, therefore, be a member of the code of conduct.

Our investigations have revealed that over a large proportion of installers registered on the MCS scheme have been in business less than 24 months, and are new start-ups looking to benefit from the boom in PV work. Nothing wrong with that, but a concern if you're handing over £6,750 like Mr Catterall did for a system that wasn't even wired up!

With this in mind, Alltask Ltd has made available a report which gives you the inside line on picking (and crucially checking with all the relevant authorities including Companies House and the Disqualified Directors List) a reputable company and safe-guarding any deposit that is asked for.

So, for Alltask's insiders tips to picking a reputable Solar PV Installation Company, Grab a free copy of the report at http://www.electricityforfree.co.uk