With solar energy getting really popular and widespread in Pakistan, the skyline for solar now has many companies providing their services for solar energy. Among the crowd are some less wholesome elements; the unscrupulous parts of the solar energy segment in Pakistan that seeks to defraud people and cheat them out of their hard-earned money for the sake of solar energy that then fails to perform adequately or is a total and blatant rip-off, contributing to the minute segment of people who are still very sceptic about solar energy. In this blog post, we will look at the burgeoning industry of fake solar products in Pakistan, and how you can identify these fake solar products to steer clear of having yourself set up for financial fraud.
As always, trust the best and top solar companies in Pakistan, like Beacon Energy, whose state-of-the-art smart solar solutions are designed to combat Pakistan’s grid inefficiencies and to give you complete energy reliability and independence. Let’s now look at the issue at hand.
Fake Solar Products: An overview
Fake solar products go beyond just bootleg equipment like solar panels, or batteries. These also include solar inverters from brands that are supposed to have a great rep within the solar industry, or entire solar energy systems that promise ludicrous generation numbers and unheard of efficiency percentages. All of these entail the unfortunate issue that Pakistan faces: mushroom companies with fake solar products looking to get rich quick while leaving behind a trail of desperate owners looking for some semblance of efficiency from their middling solar energy systems.
However, that should not worry you, neither should it turn you off from the incredible efficiency that solar energy can provide in addition to all of its other benefits. Lets start by looking at how you can spot and identify fake solar energy products to steer clear of them.
Identifying, avoiding fake solar products These steps will teach you how you can identify products that may not seem what they offer. A good rule of thumb before we begin is ‘If its too good to be true, it probably is’, meaning that for outlandish claims, take them with a grain of salt. Now, onto identifying and avoiding fake solar products.
i. Poor packaging quality
We’re not asking you to test your solar energy equipment after installation, because by then, its usually too late. It is important that you pay close and careful attention to the packaging quality of equipment: things like panels, batteries, inverters etc. Trouble or fake products can be spotted by the way they are packaged: haphazardly and all over the place, without any care for the safety or the structural integrity of the product. That should be your first clue that a product isn’t trustworthy; packaging can be a tell-all sign when it comes to solar energy equipment.
ii. Lofty claims, promises
Solar energy is yet to break a certain level of efficiency, even in industrial or experimental forms. The efficiency for an exceptional solar panel will be around 28 per cent. If you get solar panels that promise ludicrous levels of efficiency, to the tune of 70 or 80 per cent, nine times out of ten the product is a fake one, and won’t be able to provide your home or office with energy at all. Therefore, stay clear of such lofty claims and promises that you can be certain won’t get backed up.
iii. Dubious, shady certifications
Solar energy certifications give you an idea of what to expect from the equipment and from the overall energy system. These certifications represent the quality of research and development that goes into each product. If a certification sounds shady or leaves you in doubt, it’s probably not what you should be looking for. Try to research what quality and generation certifications you are supposed to look out for, and then try and get them for your solar energy equipment.
iv. No/ limited warranty
Genuine and high-quality solar energy products and systems come with extensive warranties that communicate the longevity and robustness of solar energy equipment. They regularly exceed 20 years, and some go with 25 years of warranty. If your solar energy solution provider cannot guarantee performance for this period of time, chances are, you aren’t getting what you paid for.
v. Piggybacking established brands
Established brands like Soluna, CanadianSolar, Jinko and others affix their seal of approval on their products. If the product in front of you has a name that slightly resembles the original one, it will be a fake product.
These products tr to piggyback on the popularity of the original brands and can be dangerous if installed. Steer clear of them at all costs.
Beacon Energy: Purveyors of quality solar energy solutions in Pakistan
Beacon Energy, one of the best solar companies in Islamabad and Pakistan, offers state-of-the-art solar solutions designed to give you the best of solar, whether its in efficiency, savings or longevity. Experience the ultimate in smart solar solutions with INTRIX: Pakistan’s foremost smart solar energy solution that energises your home, or your office with the combined force of solar, battery and grid for an uninterrupted source of energy.