´óÏó´«Ã½

PV Solar Solutions has been described as one of the UK's fastest growing solar energy companies - and they've just started sponsoring the weather on S4C.

But the Cardiff-based firm didn't bring much sunshine into the lives of Bryan and Lynne Lewis from Bridgend.

The retired teachers were keen to go green - and save some money - so they signed up for a system costing £10,900. They paid a deposit of £2,725 at the beginning of August.

But they were concerned about the surveyor when he turned up two weeks later. Bryan told X-Ray: "When he came in he didn't know where north, south, east and west were - which I thought was pretty critical with solar panels."

Lynne added: "In the end he sorted himself out and worked out where north, south, east and west were, but he was just a bit bumbly and made us think, what are we doing here?"

Solar panels and equipment

Experts who have seen the survey, and the calculations made by the salesman, have told X-Ray they were not detailed enough for the complex system the company had sold to the couple.

Bryan and Lynne were also concerned at apparent delays in installing the panels. They say they were told verbally that the system would be in place by the end of August. But by then the company had not even applied for the permissions necessary to carry out the work.

It took them nine weeks to put in a valid application - although they claim an earlier application had gone astray. They also say they never gave the couple a time scale for installing the system, even though the industry's customer code insists they should have done this.

The couple say they lost faith in the company and they wanted their money back - so they rang managing director Paul Hughes.

Bryan said: "He flatly refused and said you are not having your deposit back, which we were very angry about."

After X-Ray got in touch with the company they said they agreed to return the deposit, but insist they had done nothing wrong. In a statement issued through their lawyers they say this was a "gesture of goodwill."

When X-Ray asked them about the quality of the survey the they said they had intended to visit the house for third time to make a full assessment of how the system would work.

They say the surveyor was never unprofessional, but they do say that the legacy of heavy industry in south Wales means that compasses are not always accurate.

They also say they pride themselves on the service they provide and are striving to be a market leader.