Vetting / screening solar installers

[MAF]

Hi guys,

I'm in Southern California and have been investigating getting a solar system going before the tax credit dips for the last 6 months or so. I started off getting an in home sales pitch from Sunrun, and had a couple other in home sales pitches from large regional installers before getting quotes from some of the local installers. At one point I attempted to accept a proposal from one installer, but they essentially ignored me for 3 weeks before sending a contract and at that point the ship had sailed as I was very uncomfortable with the terrible communication through that period.

Not surprisingly, the local installers are offering significantly better pricing. The lowest bid I've got is from a guy who's business is primarily solar panel cleaning and repair, but I've checked his license and he's insured and licensed for installation. He says he does about 2 installs a month. Good reviews for what it's worth on his cleaning and repair business. I have a good feeling about the guy and want to go with him at $2.50 /w preincentives w/ Panasonic 330w panels and Enphase IQ7+ microinverters my only real concern is doing my due diligence so if there's any problem with the install or roof I'm covered. I have a couple of more established installers willing to do Q-Cells panels at that price that I would choose between if I decide against going with the repair guy.

As to my choice of inverters, my roof has almost no shading issues and the only reason I was requesting Enphase is that my understanding is it would be easier to deal with a problem with a single panel with Enphase then with SolarEdge. I'd be very happy to hear opinions on the subject but from my internet research it's almost a Coke vs. Pepsi or McDonalds vs. BurgerKing debate where the adherents to either side are positive their product is better and there's no clear consensus. I'm looking at 7.5-8kw systems which should cover about 120% of my current usage, as we're planning on using the AC considerably more in the future.

Thanks for your input.

[SunEagle]

Hello MAF and welcome to Solar Panel Talk

There are a number of Installers that are listed in Solar Companies link at the top of our website. You might find out some information there.

[MAF]

Thanks SunEagle, my first choice is not listed on the site but some of my fall backs are and have good reviews if in varying numbers. I'm planning on asking my first choice for some pictures of his prior installs, and to discuss the details of the installation plan; I've seen concerns regarding flashing and where/how the conduit is routed, are there any other details I should discuss either to get a better end result or discover any red flags?

[SunEagle]

Thanks SunEagle, my first choice is not listed on the site but some of my fall backs are and have good reviews if in varying numbers. I'm planning on asking my first choice for some pictures of his prior installs, and to discuss the details of the installation plan; I've seen concerns regarding flashing and where/how the conduit is routed, are there any other details I should discuss either to get a better end result or discover any red flags?

There are a number of members in the Forum that I am sure will share their experiences with the installations and provide you with additional information. Unfortunately due to financial reasons I have yet to install a pv system.

[J.P.M.]

OP:

Opinion:
1.) Don't lease/PPA. Too many open lit. horror stories to recount here.
2.) Buying on low initial price is a fool's errand.
3.) Avoid the big national retailers.
4.) You sound like a neophype. Get informed about how PV works before you spend dime one. Read a copy of "Solar Power Your Home for Dummies" for starters.
5.) Get your roof inspected serviced before any PV installation. PV will last a long time on your roof. Give that roof the best chance of lasting as long. finding/fixing leaks under an array can be a nightmare. Inspection/service is cheap insurance you will not regret.

With no shade, you have little if any need for micros or optimizers. Simple string inverters have fewer things to go wrong and keep electronics off roofs, away from harsh environments, and so are probably more reliable. Simple designs fail less. KISS. Most residential PV does not need to be complicated. The more you learn about PV, the more you'll come to see that wisdom.

Who's the company you're talking to ? BTW, for several reasons, panel cleaning is mostly a rip off. People who engage in it ? Get more quotes after you read the book and get more knowledgeable.

Welcome to the neighborhood and the forum of few(er) illusions.

What's your zip ?

[MAF]

Thanks for responding JPM,

1. Yeah I'm paying out of pocket;
2. This is entirely possible / true - ROI is important from an investment standpoint but I do want a quality install & installer that will be around to provide support as necessary should a problem arise, more than saving a few bucks upfront;
3. Done;
4. No personal experience or background in electrical systems, but have been doing my homework to some extent. I Downloaded SPYHfD after reading your message on another persons post a couple weeks ago and have to admit haven't read yet, but I will get on it now;
5. This is new advice to me and I will definitely look into it. My wife inherited this home this year; I know her Dad had work done in the last couple of years which I suspect was done in an effort to prepare it for us but I do not know the details.

ZIP is 94724. The installer I mentioned in the post is "The Solar Panel Doctors" https://solarpaneldoctors.com/ , some of the other installers I was considering were Pell Solar and LA Solar Group. I've got about 20 quotes since I started this endeavor. So Cal is expensive compared to some of the deals I've seen for people in the midwest / east coast.

I agree that KISS is a good basic methodology

[J.P.M.]

Thanks for responding JPM,

1. Yeah I'm paying out of pocket;
2. This is entirely possible / true - ROI is important from an investment standpoint but I do want a quality install & installer that will be around to provide support as necessary should a problem arise, more than saving a few bucks upfront;
3. Done;
4. No personal experience or background in electrical systems, but have been doing my homework to some extent. I Downloaded SPYHfD after reading your message on another persons post a couple weeks ago and have to admit haven't read yet, but I will get on it now;
5. This is new advice to me and I will definitely look into it. My wife inherited this home this year; I know her Dad had work done in the last couple of years which I suspect was done in an effort to prepare it for us but I do not know the details.

ZIP is 94724. The installer I mentioned in the post is "The Solar Panel Doctors" https://solarpaneldoctors.com/ , some of the other installers I was considering were Pell Solar and LA Solar Group. I've got about 20 quotes since I started this endeavor. So Cal is expensive compared to some of the deals I've seen for people in the midwest / east coast.

I agree that KISS is a good basic methodology

Understood. The reason I asked for your zip is because I've got some experience w/ more than a few No. County San Diego installers. If you were close by, I might have had some opinion based on experience to offer. Saw your referenced vendor's website. IMO, Usual stuff. I would take issue w/some of their implied claims about how much benefit can be derived from cleaning.

FWIW, my array and it would seem those in my neighborhood in zip 92026 seems to foul at a rate such that performance rolls off about 0.75 - 1.0 % per week if it doesn't rain, with that rate becoming somewhat asymptotic at ~ 8-10 % or so after 10-12 weeks of no rain. Very difficult to quantify much more than that. A decent rain or simple hosing seems to restore ~ 2/3 - 3/4 of the lost performance due to fouling. Your results will be different but maybe similar. Array fouling is very site dependent.

Good Luck.

[oregon_phil]

We bought our system from a small local company that had been in business for over 10 years. Reflecting upon this, I think the company was too small and the turn over rate was too high. I can't quote any specifics, but I get the feeling that turn over is fairly high at the installer level. This can impact service and response time.

Lessons learned:
1) How many employees? A one or two person shop can't be installing a job 50 miles away and handle your service call at the same time. Maybe I'm wrong, but this is my experience.
2) Who handles service issues?
3) What is their technical knowledge of the equipment and installation techniques? In short, how good are they at troubleshooting?

4) Is any structural engineering required for the roof? On my brand new pole barn, I had to reinforce my rafters for the 20#/sq ft snow load that never happens. The other big thing was wind load, so the county required structural.

5) I have no experience with SoCal roof materials and SoCal solar panel fouling since we get free panel washing in Oregon during the winter. Even so, I cleaned our panels after the spring farm planting season and saw a 3 to 5% improvement in power. In my case, paying somebody to clean my panels was way too expensive, but for the cost of a long handle scrubber and squeegee, it was worth it.

There was also a post about "roofing noises after installation". This didn't even cross my mind since my install was on an outbuilding, but it would bug the crap out of me if this was happening in my house.

6) I have an SMA inverter and it takes me 2 to 4 hours of hold time to even talk to a live person. I haven't had to do that for six months now. What's tech support like at Enphase? I have no clue.

7) What is the proposed layout? The installer can think of the layout in advance for servicing potential microinverter failures.


I also wish you good luck and suggest that you read all the posts you can before signing a contract.

[Markyrocks69]

Only thing I can add about the string inverter vs micro is that with the new rapid shutdown requirements you almost need to have micros or additional equipment to meet the requirements. Just my 2c. But ya definitely get your roof checked out.

[khanh dam]

whatever you decide I would decide quickly, you got about 7 weeks to get it done. Have you even applied for net metering from your local PoCo? That can take 2 weeks and most PoCo wont' guarantee a final approval unless you get your project done before dec 1st. Its only 5% but 5% is about $1000 for a 8kw array.