Literally Amazing Café & Staithes Café Solar PV Installation & System Repair

9.38kW Solar PV System with Remedial Works (2020 – 2025)

The owner of Literally Amazing Café, Suzanne Hutton, approached Sustainable Energy after being approved for funding under the B.E.S.T scheme. Our competitive quotation secured the contract, and we installed a 9.38kW solar PV system on the café’s flat roof in Gateshead. The system featured 28 × 335W JA Solar JAM60S10-335/PR panels, paired with a Solax X3-MIC 9kW 3-phase inverter, designed for high performance and long-term energy savings.

To suit the flat roof, the system was mounted using a robust A-frame Renusol ballasted design, ideal for commercial buildings without roof penetration. This installation provided the café with an estimated 7,729 kWh annual output and projected energy savings of £1,237.51 per year, making it an excellent investment for a high-energy-usage site.

By 2025, following roof work carried out by another contractor, the system was found to be non-operational. We were called in to inspect and repair the installation, which had been left in a poor state due to improper reinstallation. Key issues included missing rubber pads, missing rail interconnectors, missing panel clamps, incorrect fixings causing roof perforation, and leftover rubbish and plywood under and around the array. One panel had also suffered shattered glass.

Our remedial work included supplying and installing a replacement solar panel (best match available), fitting an optimizer to minimise mismatch losses, replacing up to six missing rubber pads, rail interconnectors and panel clamps, as well as removing rubbish and re-commissioning the entire system. We ensured the array was safely restored to full working order, protecting the client’s investment and energy savings for the future.