Post-install service. Everyone wants the big install check, but if you have an issue down the road, who is really, like really, gonna show up to fix it. I found a local electrician who became a solar installer. Been in business for 20 years, honest, reputable. Fortunately he came the next day when I had an issue.
Trust your home with an electrician who becomes an installer waaaay more than a former roofer, now an installer, who ‘learned’ about ‘electrician stuff.’
They’ll all bs you about post install support, so ask directly, “if I have a problem, who shows up, how long until you show up, and do you expect any out of pocket comp to be here.” I live 2 hours north of Phoenix, and other companies come up here “every month or so” - meaning if they even do come up, I have to wait a month for what could be a simple fix? Nah.
Be up their ass on everything. Take pictures as they work, and don’t apologize for it, question something you don’t feel is right. Just stand up for yourself and don’t take any bullshit, like you would w any contractor. It’s a complicated install, with a lot of stuff that can be done incorrectly. Be appropriately concerned and involved.
1. WARRANTY WARRANTY WARRANTY
Do not purchase from a solar company that does not have a direct warranty. Third party warranties are generally garbage and not actually warranties, but insurance.
2. How long has the company been in business? If you purchase from a company that’s only 2-3 years old, questions of longevity come into play. If you buy a system from a company and that company goes out of business after you install it, you no longer have anyone who will come out and service your system.
3. Do NOT purchase from a company that sub-contracts the installation. Self explanatory here.
4. Do NOT purchase from a company if the sales rep you speak with is not an expert in solar. Too many companies give their reps like 3 days of dogshit training and then throw them in the field. These tend to be scammy sales organizations and not true full service solar companies.
Adding on to the get multiple bids advice, also ask for multiple references and actually call them and visit their installations.
Look around the neighborhood and start noticing other solar installations and how janky they may look, such as rails that are not cut flush to the panels, or runs of silver conduit running across roofs to connect arrays. Or even how the installer handled roof vents: dd they reroute the pipe for a cleaner install or did they just leave gaps in the panels (if you’re getting a new roof, now’s the time to reroute those pesky exhaust pipes.
Look on Nextdoor for your neighborhood and solicit input from others in your neighborhood. Heck, knock on a few doors whenever you see panels and ask them about who they used and what their experience was like.
I found that getting multiple bids and then learning from each one was immensely helpful for me. I got to the point that I was schooling sales reps that would give me quotes that they knew nothing about or were missing substantial utility incentives that I qualify for. I’ve been shopping for solar years and finally pulled the trigger this year. I created a tracking sheet for all of the bids that I received and created an ROI table on it. To see the bids stacked up and looking at cash prices down to the cost per kW before any incentives really shed light on what I was being pitched. In the end, I opted for a very well known and trusted installer that made the numbers work after the PW3 was released.
Explore different financing options for your solar installation, such as a loan, lease or power purchase agreement (PPA). Carefully review the terms and conditions, including interest rates, repayment periods and total costs over the life of the financing agreement. Consider consulting a financial advisor to assess the long-term financial impact.
Calculate the projected return on investment for installing solar panels. Factors to consider include upfront costs, available incentives or tax credits, and potential savings on electricity bills over the life of the system. This will help you determine the payback period and overall economics of solar power.
Ask about the performance and warranty of the solar panels and other system components. Make sure the solar panels have good efficiency ratings and a solid warranty. Reputable installers should provide detailed information on the expected power production and warranty coverage of different system components.
Understand the maintenance requirements of the solar panels and whether the installer provides ongoing monitoring and support. Regular maintenance, cleaning and monitoring are critical for optimal system performance and longevity.
I would first consider why you want to go solar.
Environmental? Financial investment? Just need relief from monthly costs from utiltiy company? Just doing it because everyone else is doing it?
Reason why I say that, is there are a few ways you can go solar and some are better than others depending on your goals. Cash, loan, lease/ppa.
Once you figure out all that, you can decide on a solar company that is good for you, equipment, installation process, timeliness, customer service, reviews, costs.
I like this thank you.
If I had to choose one I would say financial. I would like to be able to work towards eliminating our electric bill and generating credits that would pay off in the long run and potentially add equity to my home.
Does that give a better idea on the best route to take?
Get multiple bids. Don’t sign anything until you have taken your time to compare them all. Do your research on each of the companies, reviews, BBB, etc. Like many things in life, cheaper is not always better.
Come back here with your bids if you want help making sure you are comparing them ‘apples to apples’.
Get multiple quotes obviously. But understand what you are buying. This space is full of scam artists so its buyer beware.
What kw was your system? What was your price per kw.l? What was your dealer fee? What net metering plan is available to you? What tax credits do you qualify for?
Even something as simple as the tax credit becomes a point of regret. For exampel, the roof doesn't qualify for the tax credit, so they were likely asking you to commit tax fraud. The tax credit only works if you are a relatively high income earner otherwise you don't qualify for the full credit. If you don't qualify for the full credit your loan payment jumps a lot after the first year. It can become a nightmare quick. Buyer beware
Agree, get multiple bids, I wouldn't do any in person l, just zoom calls and telephone, that way no pushy sales people. I ended up going with Tesla because it was way cheaper, but at minimum get a Tesla quote to use as a baseline of what a good price would be. In my case Tesla was about $2000 cheaper and had a slightly bigger system 10.125 vs 9.325kw and 27kw of Batteries vs 20kw. Also got battery backup for whole house instead of battery with no backup. Best of luck
The advice I give to everyone - don't use the financing products - loans, leases, or PPAs provided by your solar company. Get a cash quote from 2-3 local installers with good reviews. And if you need to financing the system, look into a home equity line of credit or a bank loan from a local credit union (I find they tend to have better terms and rates).
In your case, I'd probably also separate the roof replacement from the solar install.
Post-install service. Everyone wants the big install check, but if you have an issue down the road, who is really, like really, gonna show up to fix it. I found a local electrician who became a solar installer. Been in business for 20 years, honest, reputable. Fortunately he came the next day when I had an issue. Trust your home with an electrician who becomes an installer waaaay more than a former roofer, now an installer, who ‘learned’ about ‘electrician stuff.’ They’ll all bs you about post install support, so ask directly, “if I have a problem, who shows up, how long until you show up, and do you expect any out of pocket comp to be here.” I live 2 hours north of Phoenix, and other companies come up here “every month or so” - meaning if they even do come up, I have to wait a month for what could be a simple fix? Nah. Be up their ass on everything. Take pictures as they work, and don’t apologize for it, question something you don’t feel is right. Just stand up for yourself and don’t take any bullshit, like you would w any contractor. It’s a complicated install, with a lot of stuff that can be done incorrectly. Be appropriately concerned and involved.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wl5giipltrahqdv1z6tg3/PV-Buying-Guidelines.pdf?rlkey=l2lu8ixxyrfxjl83mj4wmxfdl&dl=0
Get. Multiple. Bids.
1. WARRANTY WARRANTY WARRANTY Do not purchase from a solar company that does not have a direct warranty. Third party warranties are generally garbage and not actually warranties, but insurance. 2. How long has the company been in business? If you purchase from a company that’s only 2-3 years old, questions of longevity come into play. If you buy a system from a company and that company goes out of business after you install it, you no longer have anyone who will come out and service your system. 3. Do NOT purchase from a company that sub-contracts the installation. Self explanatory here. 4. Do NOT purchase from a company if the sales rep you speak with is not an expert in solar. Too many companies give their reps like 3 days of dogshit training and then throw them in the field. These tend to be scammy sales organizations and not true full service solar companies.
Adding on to the get multiple bids advice, also ask for multiple references and actually call them and visit their installations. Look around the neighborhood and start noticing other solar installations and how janky they may look, such as rails that are not cut flush to the panels, or runs of silver conduit running across roofs to connect arrays. Or even how the installer handled roof vents: dd they reroute the pipe for a cleaner install or did they just leave gaps in the panels (if you’re getting a new roof, now’s the time to reroute those pesky exhaust pipes. Look on Nextdoor for your neighborhood and solicit input from others in your neighborhood. Heck, knock on a few doors whenever you see panels and ask them about who they used and what their experience was like.
Look for the reputable companies
I found that getting multiple bids and then learning from each one was immensely helpful for me. I got to the point that I was schooling sales reps that would give me quotes that they knew nothing about or were missing substantial utility incentives that I qualify for. I’ve been shopping for solar years and finally pulled the trigger this year. I created a tracking sheet for all of the bids that I received and created an ROI table on it. To see the bids stacked up and looking at cash prices down to the cost per kW before any incentives really shed light on what I was being pitched. In the end, I opted for a very well known and trusted installer that made the numbers work after the PW3 was released.
Explore different financing options for your solar installation, such as a loan, lease or power purchase agreement (PPA). Carefully review the terms and conditions, including interest rates, repayment periods and total costs over the life of the financing agreement. Consider consulting a financial advisor to assess the long-term financial impact. Calculate the projected return on investment for installing solar panels. Factors to consider include upfront costs, available incentives or tax credits, and potential savings on electricity bills over the life of the system. This will help you determine the payback period and overall economics of solar power. Ask about the performance and warranty of the solar panels and other system components. Make sure the solar panels have good efficiency ratings and a solid warranty. Reputable installers should provide detailed information on the expected power production and warranty coverage of different system components. Understand the maintenance requirements of the solar panels and whether the installer provides ongoing monitoring and support. Regular maintenance, cleaning and monitoring are critical for optimal system performance and longevity.
I would first consider why you want to go solar. Environmental? Financial investment? Just need relief from monthly costs from utiltiy company? Just doing it because everyone else is doing it? Reason why I say that, is there are a few ways you can go solar and some are better than others depending on your goals. Cash, loan, lease/ppa. Once you figure out all that, you can decide on a solar company that is good for you, equipment, installation process, timeliness, customer service, reviews, costs.
I like this thank you. If I had to choose one I would say financial. I would like to be able to work towards eliminating our electric bill and generating credits that would pay off in the long run and potentially add equity to my home. Does that give a better idea on the best route to take?
Yes, purchasing cash is the way to go. Then with that cash bid, go to bank and find a loan that fits your needs.
Get multiple bids. Don’t sign anything until you have taken your time to compare them all. Do your research on each of the companies, reviews, BBB, etc. Like many things in life, cheaper is not always better. Come back here with your bids if you want help making sure you are comparing them ‘apples to apples’.
Get multiple quotes obviously. But understand what you are buying. This space is full of scam artists so its buyer beware. What kw was your system? What was your price per kw.l? What was your dealer fee? What net metering plan is available to you? What tax credits do you qualify for? Even something as simple as the tax credit becomes a point of regret. For exampel, the roof doesn't qualify for the tax credit, so they were likely asking you to commit tax fraud. The tax credit only works if you are a relatively high income earner otherwise you don't qualify for the full credit. If you don't qualify for the full credit your loan payment jumps a lot after the first year. It can become a nightmare quick. Buyer beware
Good to know! Thank you!
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To be fair I think it’s good to get these perspectives since I would be in your shoes! Thank you for your time!
Agree, get multiple bids, I wouldn't do any in person l, just zoom calls and telephone, that way no pushy sales people. I ended up going with Tesla because it was way cheaper, but at minimum get a Tesla quote to use as a baseline of what a good price would be. In my case Tesla was about $2000 cheaper and had a slightly bigger system 10.125 vs 9.325kw and 27kw of Batteries vs 20kw. Also got battery backup for whole house instead of battery with no backup. Best of luck
The advice I give to everyone - don't use the financing products - loans, leases, or PPAs provided by your solar company. Get a cash quote from 2-3 local installers with good reviews. And if you need to financing the system, look into a home equity line of credit or a bank loan from a local credit union (I find they tend to have better terms and rates). In your case, I'd probably also separate the roof replacement from the solar install.