Bit of an odd one to raise here, but it got me thinking after seeing a similar thread elsewhere — finding a decent installer who actually understands off-grid systems is genuinely one of the hardest parts of this whole journey, isn't it?
When I was putting together the system on my boat — Victron Multiplus II, Fogstar Drift lithium bank, the works — I spent weeks trying to find someone local who wouldn't just stare blankly at me the moment I mentioned a Cerbo GX or proper DC bus wiring. Most electricians I contacted were brilliant at domestic stuff but completely out of their depth the moment things went off-grid.
Eventually found a guy through word of mouth who'd done a few narrowboat conversions and a couple of EV charging installs with solar backing. Absolute goldmine. Knew his Victron kit inside out, understood the nuances of marine cabling regs, and didn't try to upsell me on things I didn't need.
My point being — the installer network for off-grid is still pretty patchy across the UK, let alone further afield. Victron has their VictronConnect dealer/installer locator, which is worth a look, but honestly the best leads tend to come from communities exactly like this one.
Anyone here know of good off-grid-literate installers operating in the north of England? Or had similar struggles finding someone competent? Curious whether others have gone the route of doing commissioning themselves after a professional did the main install — that's something I'm considering for a future shore-power EV charging integration on the boat.
