Terms & Conditions 05-02-2024

Terms & Conditions: 05 2023

PARTIES AND CONDITIONS

“Sensible” means Sensible Solar (Pty) Ltd;

“Client” means any person, firm, company, corporation or other legal entity whose details appear on the quotation of which these Conditions form part;

“Goods and/or Services” means any goods provided and/or services rendered, whichever is applicable, by the Supplier to the Client in terms of the specifications required by the Client and as described in the quotation;

“Contract” means the contract for the sale and purchase of the Goods and/or Services, incorporating these Conditions.

PAYMENT TERMS

Sensible is grateful for the opportunity to quote.  An 80% payment is required on acceptance of quote and the balance upon handover of the completed installation.

We request that the deposit be paid on quotation, and the invoice will be provided on completion of the installation and handover to the Client. The electrical Certificate of Compliance (CoC) will be sent electronically on completion and the original couriered to the Client on receipt of payment in full.

 

*IMPORTANT*: Please ensure you verify banking details with us over WhatsApp before paying.

Sensible Solar (Pty) Ltd

Bank: First National Bank

Branch: 250655

Account: 62475709831

Swift: FIRNZAJJ

NB* Please use your quote number as the reference.

 

CONTRACT

The contractual relationship between Sensible and the Client shall be subject to the terms and conditions in this document read together with the terms, conditions and specifications listed on or with the quotation and no addition or variation shall apply unless agreed to in writing.

The quotation is deemed to have been accepted only upon receipt of the required deposit in the Sensible bank account.

Unless previously withdrawn, quotations are open for acceptance during the period of validity indicated on the quote. Where there is no period indicated, the quotation shall be deemed valid for 7 (seven) days from the date it was issued unless withdrawn by Sensible during that time.

Only on receipt of a deposit will a provisional installation date be scheduled and communicated. The provisional date is determined by numerous factors that include but are not limited to the current lead time on installations, equipment availability, and the prevailing weather conditions. Any delays resulting from the aforementioned factors will be discussed with the Client, and the provisional date amended.

 

CONDITIONS

1. Payment of your deposit indicates agreement with these conditions.  The Client is requested to take all necessary precautions to ensure the payment is made into the correct bank account.  Sensible cannot be held responsible for funds paid into the incorrect bank account.

2. The equipment and materials supplied to the Client in terms of the quotation remain the property of Sensible until the job is completed and the invoice is paid in full.

3. Cash payments will attract a 2% surcharge.  The surcharge will be added as a line item to the final invoice.

4. Sensible takes every precaution to not damage roof tiles, structure or underlay when mounting panels. Depending on the age, type and quality of the roof, Sensible may damage tiles which we will gladly replace on the day of installation provided that the Client supplies replacement tiles. Any concerns identified with the roof structure or underlay will be brought to the Client’s attention, and the Client must undertake to have such concerns referred to a roofing contractor or specialist in their field. The structural integrity of the roof is the Clients responsibility. 

5. Grid compliant solar inverter systems implement advanced tests on the wiring in the property that existing equipment (e.g. an oven or air conditioner) would not. The inverter may detect stray neutrals, cross polarities or other incorrectly wired circuits. This will manifest as tripping or inverter shutdown problems after the system is commissioned. Resolving any such problems related to the existing electrical installation will be discussed with the Client and billed separately as a variation in addition to the quoted job. Alternatively, the Client may choose to seek the services of an alternative and suitably qualified electrician to undertake the resolution of problems identified.

6. Sensible occasionally encounters circumstances where the earth leakage device (usually on the essential DB) trips on grid return or other grid disruption.  This is almost always caused by the interaction between the inverter, appliances and existing surge protection plugs, multiplugs or devices like alarm power supplies with built-in surge protection.  The two possible solutions in this case are (1) to remove all forms of surge protection plugs and replace them with standard plugs and multiplugs; or (2) to add more earth leakage devices to your essential DB to reduce the number of circuits per earth leakage (or a combination of the two solutions).  Alternatively, in the case of an appliance being found to cause the fault, it will need to be repaired or replaced.  Sensible strongly recommends the addition of AC surge protection in the main DB at the time of the installation, so additional surge protection throughout the house is less necessary.  Time and materials required to troubleshoot and resolve such earth leakage issues are not included in the cost of the install and are billable as a variation on the original quotation.

7. Prepaid meters can behave unpredictably in the presence of solar energy storage systems.  Occasionally, prepaid meters disconnect from the grid if they detect even a small amount of power being fed into the grid. The way our battery based energy storage systems (ESS) work, is they try to hold the grid at a very low level of import so that your self-generated solar power can be used instead. While Sensible will make every effort to ensure your solar system works with your prepaid meter, we need to advise you that there is a chance that an issue with your prepaid meter may exist outside our control which may necessitate the replacement of the meter at your expense.

8. The quoted solar panel and charge controller layout and design may require adjustment once the mounting process begins. Even a detailed inspection and measurement of the roof will not reveal the underlying structure of the roof and occasionally changes are necessary to complete the installation. These can include different combinations of charge controllers, different mounting systems, and different densities of rails and mounting brackets. Any required changes will be discussed with the Client and costs confirmed prior to changes being implemented.

9. The electrical Certificate of Compliance (CoC) issued by Sensible is a Supplementary certificate and requires the existing original household CoC to be supplied. Sensible does not issue CoCs for the entire property as this would require a complete inspection of all wiring and electrical installations. In the event this is required, Sensible will refer a specialist wireman to the Client.

10. In the unlikely event that a Supplier delay affects installation timing, the Client will be informed.

11. Sensible has insurance in place to cover loss of materials or damage to property during the installation. Our insurance is maintained by the Holburn group. They can be contacted at 031 764 3870 or info@holburn.co.za.

12. In everything Sensible does, we strive to ensure an installation should last 15-20 years. Wherever possible, Sensible uses high quality materials and equipment for performance, reliability and longevity.  During the course of the installation, should we discover any existing equipment or materials on the property which we believe may negatively impact the reliability of the system, we will raise it with the Client for rectification.

13. Annual solar/inverter system maintenance is not covered by or included in the quotation. Sensible will schedule reminders on or near the anniversary date of the installation. The pricing will be dependent on factors specific to a client’s solar system size and geographic location. The maintenance visit includes but is not limited to the inverter, charger controllers, battery, solar panels, cabling, distribution board and software.  Where applicable, all items are checked, cleaned, tightened, or have software updated and configuration checked. A maintenance record is provided and kept on file. Sensible’s 10 year best effort support and installation workmanship guarantee is contingent on a client’s annual maintenance being undertaken. After sales remote support is provided on a best effort basis at no additional charge.

14. The system requires a stable internet connection for remote support and maintenance.  Sensible prefers that the equipment is connected to the Internet via a physical ethernet cable.  In the event that a physical connection is not possible, the Client is responsible for ensuring a high quality, stable WiFi connection to the equipment. In the event of a disruption to connectivity that cannot be resolved remotely a fee will apply:

• Within a 50km radius, R850.00 will apply for the first hour, 
• R650.00 per hour thereafter. 
• Beyond the 50km radius, an additional R6.50/km surcharge will apply.

15. Most installations require that the circuits on the existing distribution board are physically split into an essential and non-essential DB. During the sales consultation, the Client will indicate the circuits that are required on the essential DB.  However, during the process of performing the split, it may not be possible to achieve the desired separation as our electrician may discover circuits which are mixed or it may not be possible or practical to test all circuits without the Client present.  In the event that the split can be completed by making adjustments in the DB, the rectification will be included within the scope of the original quotation.  However, should it be discovered that additional cables need to be run to split existing circuits, the work will be handled as a variation on the original quotation.

16. Sensible strongly recommends the installation of a Type 2 Surge Protection Device in the main DB.  The Client is advised that Type 2 Surge protection is not to be confused with a lightning protection system.  Lightning Protection requires the services of a specialist contractor to perform a risk assessment, design a lightning protection system and perform the installation.  The Client is best placed to know whether a separate lighting protection system is warranted and in such cases we will refer the Client to a recommended specialist. Whilst we try to ensure every installation is protected from surges by installing a surge protection device, they are not a guarantee of protection.  Further, should a surge occur and a surge protection device be activated as a result, one or more modules in the device will be consumed in the process.  The Client is required to regularly inspect the Surge Protection Device and advise Sensible in the event the modules indicate that replacement is needed.

17. Sensible has strong preferences for equipment produced by trusted and reliable manufacturers.  Specifically, the vast majority of the solutions we provide are based on a combination of Victron, Fronius, ABB/Fimer, Freedom Won and BYD.  Sensible likewise has strong opinions about equipment which it has found to be problematic or difficult to support.  Sensible reserves the right to decline to supply installation or service to a Client who insists on using equipment that Sensible does not recommend.  Further, while Sensible will always try to assist Clients with such equipment, the client bears responsibility for the choice of non-recommended equipment and Sensible will consider all support rendered to be billable.

18. Should final completion and commissioning of the solar system fall on a Friday but not be accomplished by 15h00, the installation team will be required to leave and return for commissioning the following week for completion. 

19. The Client is responsible to ensure their insurance cover is in place for loss or damage to their installation following handover to the Client. 

20. This document read with the quotation contains the entire agreement between Sensible and Client and no party shall be bound by any undertakings, representations, warranties, promises or the like not recorded herein.

21. Although Sensible Solar has implemented measures to inform our customers of the limitations and capabilities of their chosen system, we encourage our customers to familiarize and research Solar systems to better understand solar equipment and ensure their expectations are met.

For any queries, please call Sensible Solar on 072 952 9212 or email sales@sensible.co.za