Marine resellers and distributors who supply anti-glare blinds to commercial vessels are operating in a sector with specific and non-negotiable compliance requirements. Unlike general window covering products, marine anti-glare blinds for navigation bridge and control room windows must meet international maritime safety standards, and the reseller who supplies them is part of the chain of responsibility that ensures those standards are met.
Before committing to a supplier or a product, a marine blind reseller needs to understand four things: whether the product is Type Approved, what documentation the customer will require, how to measure and specify correctly, and what support the manufacturer provides after the sale. Getting any one of these wrong creates problems for the customer, risk for the reseller, and damage to the reseller’s professional reputation in a market where reputation is everything.
This guide covers each of these areas in practical terms, specifically for resellers and distributors who supply or intend to supply SOLASOLV® anti-glare screens by Solar Solve, a British manufacturer based in South Shields that has been supplying the global marine industry since 1987.
Understanding Type Approval — Why It Matters for Resellers
Type Approval is the single most important compliance credential for any product specified at navigation bridge or control room windows on a commercial vessel. It is not a marketing term. It is a formal certification issued by a recognised marine classification society confirming that the product has been independently tested and assessed to meet the standards required for use on commercial vessels.
For a reseller, this distinction is commercially and legally significant. If you supply a non-Type Approved product to a customer for installation on a commercial vessel navigation bridge, and that product subsequently fails a port state control inspection or a flag state audit, the consequences affect your customer directly and your professional standing indirectly. A customer who has a compliance problem because of a product you supplied will not order from you again.
What Type Approval Means in Practice for Your Customers
Your customers in the commercial marine sector will typically be:
- Ship managers and technical superintendents responsible for maintaining vessel compliance
- Shipbuilders and outfitters specifying products for vessels under construction or refit
- Procurement teams sourcing approved products for fleet maintenance programmes
- Installation contractors responsible for fitting products that meet the vessel’s classification society requirements
All of these customers need to know that the product you are supplying holds Type Approval from the classification society that covers their vessel. A ship manager whose vessel is classed by Lloyd’s Register needs a Lloyd’s Type Approved product. A procurement team sourcing for a DNV-classed vessel needs DNV Type Approval.
SOLASOLV® screens hold Type Approval from Lloyd’s Register, DNV, ABS, and RINA simultaneously. This means that regardless of which classification society covers your customer’s vessel, you can supply SOLASOLV® with confidence that the Type Approval requirement is met. No other marine anti-glare blind product holds all four of these approvals at the same time.
What Documentation Your Customers Will Ask For
Commercial marine procurement is a documentation-intensive process. When a ship manager, fleet procurement officer, or technical superintendent orders navigation bridge window fittings, they need a documentation package that satisfies their classification society, their flag state authority, and their own internal procurement governance requirements.
As a reseller, you need to be able to provide or facilitate access to the following documentation for every order:
Type Approval Certificates
The Type Approval certificate from the relevant classification society is the primary compliance document. Solar Solve’s Type Approval certificates from Lloyd’s Register, DNV, ABS, and RINA are all available for download from the Solar Solve website and can be provided to customers directly. These are the documents that satisfy a port state control inspector or a flag state audit requirement.
Product Data Sheets
Customers will also ask for product data sheets confirming the performance specifications of the product being supplied. For SOLASOLV® screens, the key figures are up to 93% glare reduction, up to 87% heat rejection, and up to 99% UV light rejection. These figures, alongside visible light transmission data for different film colour options, are available in the Solar Solve technical documentation.
Installation Guides
Whoever is fitting the screens on the vessel needs clear, professional installation guidance. Solar Solve provides separate installation guides for cassette mounted blinds and non-cassette blinds. These guides are written for installation by ships’ staff and professional fitters alike and are supplied with every order. Making these available proactively demonstrates professional competence and reduces post-installation queries.
Quality and Compliance Evidence
Some customers, particularly those in larger fleet management organisations or those working under formal procurement frameworks, will also ask for evidence of the manufacturer’s quality management system. Solar Solve holds ISO 9001 quality management certification and operates the independently managed Solar Solve Marine Quality Assured system, which has been in continuous operation since 1991. This documentation is available on request.
Choosing the Right Product — SOLASAFE® or SOLAROLA®
Solar Solve produces two Type Approved anti-glare screen formats for navigation bridge and control room window applications. As a reseller, understanding the difference between these two products and matching the right product to the customer’s application is an important part of the specification process.
| SOLASAFE® (with cassette) | SOLAROLA® (without cassette) | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Cassette-mounted roller screen | Non-cassette roller screen |
| Best for | Newbuild specification and professional retrofit | Retrofit installations and simpler applications |
| Finish | Clean, enclosed cassette housing | Compact direct-fit profile |
| Screen protection | Screen material enclosed when retracted | Screen exposed when retracted |
| Type Approval | Lloyd’s, DNV, ABS, RINA | Lloyd’s, DNV, ABS, RINA |
| Screen material | SOLASOLV® Type Approved film | SOLASOLV® Type Approved film |
Both products use the same SOLASOLV® Type Approved screen material and deliver the same core performance figures. The decision between them is driven by the nature of the installation. For a new vessel build or a professionally managed refit where the customer wants the cleanest possible finish, SOLASAFE® is the appropriate specification. For a retrofit on a vessel already in service where speed and simplicity of installation are the priority, SOLAROLA® is the natural choice.
Measuring and Specifying Correctly
One of the most common sources of problems in marine blind supply is incorrect measurement. Navigation bridge windows on commercial vessels come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and configurations, and a screen supplied to the wrong dimensions cannot be installed without modification or replacement.
Solar Solve manufactures every screen to the specific dimensions provided at the point of order. There is no standard catalogue size. Every SOLASOLV® screen is made to measure for the exact window it is being supplied to. This is one of the reasons the product fits so reliably when dimensions are provided accurately.
As a reseller, you need to be confident that the measurements you receive from your customer are correct before placing the order. Solar Solve provides a clear measurement guide to support this process, covering how to measure for both cassette and non-cassette formats, how to account for recess and face-fit installations, and how to handle non-rectangular window shapes such as tapered or angled windows.
Taking the time to confirm measurements with your customer before placing the order is one of the most effective ways to avoid returns, delays, and customer dissatisfaction.
Ordering from Solar Solve and the Support Available to Resellers
Solar Solve has worked with resellers and distributors since the early years of the business and understands what resellers need to represent a specialist marine manufacturer’s products effectively. The ordering process is designed to be straightforward, and the support available to resellers extends well beyond the point of purchase.
The Ordering Process
Orders can be placed directly through the Solar Solve team by contacting the sales office at sales@solasolv.com or by telephone on +44 191 454 8595. Solar Solve’s team will confirm product specifications, check measurements, and advise on the most appropriate product format for the application before the order is processed.
All SOLASOLV® screens are manufactured to order at the South Shields factory and dispatched in purpose-built packing cases that protect the screens during international shipping. Every order includes a feedback form allowing the installer and the end customer to report on the quality of the product and the service received.
Technical and Documentation Support
Solar Solve provides resellers with access to the full documentation package for every product:
- Type Approval certificates for all four classification societies
- Product data sheets covering performance specifications by film colour and type
- Installation guides for cassette and non-cassette products in multiple languages including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean for resellers serving Asian markets
- Technical guidance on window shapes, measurement, and product selection
- IMPA catalogue references for procurement teams using the IMPA numbering system
Aftersales Support
The relationship between Solar Solve and its resellers does not end at the point of dispatch. The Solar Solve team is available to support resellers with aftersales queries, installation questions, and replacement screen requirements. Solar Solve’s 285 published customer commendations consistently cite fast response, reliable service, and genuine technical expertise as the reasons customers and resellers return.
Solar Solve gives marine resellers and project partners more than a product. It gives them technical support, approved documentation, reliable UK manufacturing, and a proven solution they can confidently recommend to any commercial marine customer.
Why SOLASOLV® Is the Safest Marine Blind to Resell
For a reseller making a supplier commitment in the commercial marine sector, the risk profile of the product you supply matters as much as the margin. Supplying a non-approved product that creates compliance problems for your customer is commercially damaging in a way that a slightly lower margin on the right product never is.
SOLASOLV® gives resellers the strongest possible position with their customers because:
- It is the only marine anti-glare blind with Type Approval from all four leading classification societies simultaneously
- It has a 37-year track record in continuous production since 1987 with over 200,000 screens supplied to more than 20,000 vessels across 108 countries
- It is manufactured in the UK to ISO 9001 quality standards with a consistent, documented manufacturing process
- The full documentation package is available and can be passed directly to the end customer
- Solar Solve has more than 285 published customer commendations from vessel operators, ship managers, and installation partners worldwide
- Technical support and aftersales assistance are available from the South Shields team throughout the customer relationship
When a ship manager, technical superintendent, or procurement officer asks a reseller why they are recommending SOLASOLV® over an alternative, the answer is simple: it is the most independently certified, most widely proven, and most comprehensively supported marine anti-glare blind available anywhere in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do marine anti-glare blinds need to be Type Approved to be sold to commercial vessels?
Yes, in practice. IMO regulations require that window fittings on commercial vessel navigation bridges do not impair outward visibility. Type Approval from a recognised classification society such as Lloyd’s Register, DNV, ABS, or RINA confirms that a product meets this requirement independently. Resellers who supply non-Type Approved products to commercial vessels expose their customers to compliance risk and themselves to potential liability if the product fails a port state control or flag state inspection.
What documentation should a marine blind reseller be able to provide to customers?
A marine blind reseller should be able to provide Type Approval certificates from recognised classification societies, product data sheets including glare reduction, heat rejection, and UV rejection figures, installation guides, and evidence of the manufacturer’s quality management system. Solar Solve provides all of this documentation to its authorised resellers and distributors.
What is the difference between SOLASAFE® and SOLAROLA® for resellers?
Both products use the same Type Approved SOLASOLV® anti-glare screen material. SOLASAFE® is the cassette-mounted version, preferred for newbuild specification and installations where a clean, integrated finish is required. SOLAROLA® is the non-cassette version, suited to retrofit installations where simplicity and speed of installation are priorities. Both hold Type Approval from Lloyd’s Register, DNV, ABS, and RINA.
How do resellers order SOLASOLV® products from Solar Solve?
Resellers can place orders by contacting the Solar Solve sales team directly at sales@solasolv.com or by telephone on +44 191 454 8595. Solar Solve provides support at every stage of the ordering process, from specification and measurement through to dispatch and aftersales.
Does Solar Solve support resellers with installation guidance?
Yes. Solar Solve provides installation guides for all its products, including separate guides for cassette mounted blinds and non-cassette blinds. These are available to download from the Solar Solve website and are supplied with every order. The Solar Solve technical team is also available to support resellers with any installation questions.
What makes SOLASOLV® the safest marine blind to resell?
SOLASOLV® is the only marine anti-glare blind in the world to hold simultaneous Type Approval from Lloyd’s Register, DNV, ABS, and RINA. It has been in continuous production since 1987, supplied to over 20,000 vessels across 108 countries, and is manufactured in the UK to ISO 9001 quality standards. For a reseller, this means the product they are recommending has the strongest possible compliance credentials and the longest proven track record in the market.
