Thamessolarelectric Avis 6

Having lived aboard Solar 5, the first Thames Solar narrowboat, for coming up for 4 years, thought it about time to give a balanced view. NB BowerBird has met our expectations and in cases exceeded them. As a 65ft narrowboat, we knew that we would not be able to generate enough power from our solar array to be self sufficient all year round, but have been pleasantly surprised to manage 8-9 months off-grid. The electric propulsion is quiet and efficient, but we may be a little under propped, which is not an issue for general canal cruising. The all electric cooking fit, triple glazing, effective insulation and mechanical waste heat recovery unit result in a warm, dry boat free of condensation and easy to keep warm. As a part fit out (we chose to install the galley units and 2nd fit electrics) we had to have a BSS inspection after one year and passed with only a couple of minor points to be corrected. Any issues that have been beyond my capability to deal with have been swiftly resolved by Thames Solar Electric Boats to my entire satisfaction. Would thoroughly recommend TSEB, but remember that this is the forefront of sustainable Narrowboat design and issues may arise.

We have lived on our narrowboat The Ace of Spades - Solar 16 for a year now, and could not be happier. Thank you ( Thames Solar Electric Ltd ). If your looking for a 100% electric boat, we would recommen Ryan and his team; they made the whole journey from start until handover easy. Thank you Thames Solar Electric Ltd.

If I could have rated this zero I would have.
My husband and I commissioned an all electric canal boat from Thame Solar Electric in 2018. We should have seen the red flags when the start date in 2019 was changed more than once, boat builders were blamed. Once it had started, on a visit we discovered the owner had told the boat builders not to put weed hatches in, a must for a boat! It was fortunate we were there that day to correct that. Very long story short, we had five years of problem after problem. I can't think of one aspect of the fit out that was done properly. We have had four independent qualified marine electricians tell us that the electrical installation was very poorly done and was dangerous. We had to move off because of concerns for our safety. He used technology that did not live up to his claims of having enough domestic supply during the winter to live aboard. Despite admitting to us that the technology was flawed, he continued to make the claim on his website. Twice we were promised a refund under the Consumer Act 2015, and twice he reneged on his agreement. In desperation we finally accepted a sum of money from him to rectify the dangerous electrical installation. It has by no means covered the amount of money we have lost during this period, renting a house, utility bills, towing the broken boat and other expenditure. This company is not fit to fit out boats safely or indeed to an acceptable standard. We have been misled and lied to, not to mention the sexism!! Please do not buy a boat from this company. Trading Standards next.

We own Solar 6. Launched in 2021 with inadequate heating, no hot water, hazardous electrical issues and no valid certificate of conformity to the recreational craft directive. After arguing with Ryan of Thames Solar Electric for a year, our solicitor advised us that taking him to court would cost £50k+ and then he’d declare bankruptcy so we decided to rebuild the boat ourselves. Throughout the strip out we found underrated cables, overrated fuses, a live wire pierced by a nail, rotten underfloor, badly installed appliances… the list is endless. It has cost us a fortune to rebuild but at least now everything works! We do not under any circumstance recommend this company. Keep your life savings out of this man’s hands - he will use them to experiment and has no skills or knowledge in the fields he is claiming to be expert.

I’ve lived on “Harriet”, a wide beam fitted out by Thames Solar Electric, for 19 months now having known nothing about canal boats. It’s been amazing! Incredibly comfortable and economical, I’m a “continuous cruiser” .

In the main it has been very easy and trouble free but the few times I’ve had problems Ryan has been incredibly helpful and knowledgeable and very generous with his time.I couldn’t recommend TSE enough.

Thanks Ryan!

Thames Solar Electric , we’re extremely helpful and couldn’t have done more to assist