So, you’re ready to leap into the solar energy world and bask in the glow of renewable power. But wait—before you start imagining those sweet, sweet savings on your electricity bill, you need to find the right solar installation contractor. Let’s dive into how you can make this process as smooth as a solar panel cranking out juice on a sunny day.
As more homeowners consider switching to solar energy, choosing the right solar contractor becomes crucial. This guide will help you navigate the process of finding a reputable solar installer, with a focus on using EnergySage.com and cross-referencing other review sites and resources.
Start with EnergySage
EnergySage was originally funded by a grant from the US Department of Energy. Their goal is to connect the consumer with reputable solar installers. They will help you initiate the install process by gathering bids from most of the major installers operating in your area. I say “most” because the installers I ended up using was not bidding/participating in the Energy Sage system, but they were still listed there, with reviews and general info. Even so, EnergySage is a great place to get the process going, and they provided me a handful of bids I could use to negotiate with other installers.
Another cool thing about EnergySage is that they assign you an advisor, who is someone not affiliated with the solar installers, who can answer questions and help guide you during your install.
I spoke with my advisor just to get more info about EnergySage. She said they are funded through partnerships with utilities and subscription fees from solar installers. Solar providers are screened for 4 to 6 months, and monitored over time. She was not far out of college and majored in environmental economics.
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From the EnergySage website, here are some of the advantages they give, with my thoughts in “()” brackets…
1. Pre-screened installers: EnergySage vets all solar installers on their platform, ensuring they meet high standards for experience, licensing, and customer service. (That said, some installers are way better than others.)
2. Competitive quotes: You can easily compare multiple quotes from different installers, potentially saving up to 20% on your solar installation. (Quotes vary widely, and the very low or very high bids should be viewed with skepticism.)
3. Unbiased information: EnergySage provides objective information about solar technology, pricing, and installers, helping you make an educated choice. (EnergySage is basically a conduit of info from the installer to you, some is objective, some not, but… by consolidating bids and other info, makes it easy to compare between companies.)
In practice, there are bids from some less reputable installers, however; the reviews section is not censored, so you can see what folks say about working with any particular company shown. “Less reputable” includes major installers that have poor practices, judging from reviews on the site.
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Another great feature is the chat function. They put you in touch with the installer’s internet sales rep, and you can start a back and forth to ask questions and get your bid changed/customized. You will get a lot of pressure and repeat emails in the portal, but it’s your choice whether or not to respond. The emails come to the EnergySage portal and not straight to your own email inbox.
Using the chat feature, I had a great back and forth with one of the companies, who eventually was my number two pick for me personally. Also, had a bunch of questions answered from other installers.
SUMMARY: EnergySage is a great place to start vetting solar companies and getting a ballpark estimate for your solar install!
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Solar Installer
When evaluating potential solar contractors, keep these important factors in mind:
1. Experience and Expertise
Look for installers with at least 3-5 years of experience in the solar industry. EnergySage requires their partner installers to have a minimum of 2-3 years of experience. A lot of installers you run into are the fly-by-night sort, who are trying to install as many systems as possible, but may not be around in a few years to support those systems; which makes getting any problems fixed that come up later a challenge.
2. Licensing and Certifications
Ensure the installer is properly licensed and insured for solar installations in your state. Most states have requirements for solar installers. The State of Texas requires installers to be licensed with the state.
Also, manufacturers have their own levels of certification for the companies that install their equipment. Solar panel manufacturer REC and inverter maker Enphase are two examples.
3. Quality of Equipment
Reputable installers should offer high-quality solar panels, inverters, and other components from well-known manufacturers. The truth is that most panels are pretty good. And a lot of them are made in the same factory and sold under different brands. Most panels are made in China, and they’re great, but there are also excellent manufacturers in other areas of Southeast Asia and also the United States. Here’s a great video discussing the pros and cons of different solar panel manufacturers.
REC produces some of the best solar panels, and they’re the ones I went with. They have a really good power production guarantee. A power production guarantee is a guarantee on the amount of power produced and the rate of degradation over time. Because solar panels have no moving parts, they tend to work for a very long time.
Probably the most widespread if not also the best microinverters, are made by Enphase. Microinverters convert power from DC at the solar panel, and send AC to the box that puts power into the electrical breaker panel for your house. Enphase makes the equipment that collects all the energy off your roof and puts it either into your house or back into the grid.
4. Customer Reviews and Ratings
Check customer reviews on EnergySage, the BBB, Yelp, and Google to get a sense of other homeowners’ experiences with installers you are interested in. Pay attention to both positive and negative feedback, and look for patterns in the reviews.
An important site to check is the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Check for problems reported and if they were resolved. Some installers are national with local franchises, so be sure you are looking at the correct location. For all the review sites, an important area to focus on is those people that had issues with their installs — how did the company handle it? Did they get it resolved?
Be sure to cross reference your initial impression with all the sources available to you, such as Google Reviews and Yelp. These reviews also give a better local perspective. Keep in mind that even if there are a few bad reviews, an overwhelming number of positive reviews is still encouraging.
For both Google and Yelp, I tend to ignore reviews from someone who only has a couple of reviews, yet 100 “friends”. They may be paid or otherwise shady. I also mostly ignore bad reviews from the same folks.
You can lend more weight on Google’s “Local Guide” and Yelp’s “Elite” reviewer badges, or a reviewer with a lot of reviews over a longer period. On Yelp, also you can drill down on any particular reviewer to see what the distribution of stars awarded are. If someone has nothing but 5 star reviews for everything, then they’re either Pollyanna or otherwise fake. I like to see a nice distribution of star ratings for other things that person has reviewed.
Reddit! Reddit is fast becoming one of my first “go to” sources for questions. I have almost never failed to find relevant information and good leads for further investigation.
Don’t forget this extra special resource! — Recommendations from family, friends and neighbors! Nothing beats talking to someone about their experience with a particular company.
5. Warranty and After-Installation Support
Look for installers offering comprehensive warranties on both equipment and workmanship. Manufacturer certification is also important. Installers with the highest level of certifications from a manufacturer usually are in the higher tier of installers. The manufacturer’s certification also gives you another avenue to pursue if there are issues with the install; go direct to the manufacturer.
Some companies make ridiculous promises, either because they are fly-by-night outfits or to justify jacking up the price. I had one installer claim to me that the extra 5 years above the standard 20 year warranty was why their bid was higher!
Most importantly, you want a reputable company that has been in business for a while, and is likely to *remain* in business for the long term so they will be around to help you expand your system and fix any issues.
6. Local vs. National Companies
Consider the benefits of choosing a local installer, which may include lower prices, better customer service, and more personalized attention. Also, local companies will want to protect their reputation and should be more likely to respond to customer issues. Keep in mind many national solar installation companies have local affiliates that can be excellent.
7. Get several realistic quotes from the companies you like
Once you’ve narrowed it down to a couple of installers you like, it’s time to get serious.
Don’t settle for the first quote you receive. Comparing multiple quotes will give you a better understanding of market rates and offerings. Also, if the company you like has a higher bid than maybe your second choice, ask them to match the bid. That’s what I did. The company I chose was pretty firm on the bid, but did offer to sweeten the deal with some extra services.
Also, if you have a couple of different TYPES of installs to consider, have the companies you like make you different bids. For example, you can get bids for with or without batteries, with more or less solar panels, and so forth.
Last, if you are getting other work done during your solar install to take advantage of the tax credits, be sure to have them add that to your bid. For example, I had the solar company I chose install a new breaker panel for my house as the old one was rusted out. They pretty much did that at cost, and it also allowed me to add it to my tax deduction.
8. Red Flags
While researching and talking to companies, be wary of these warning signs:
- Pressure Tactics: Beware of companies that push you to make quick decisions or use aggressive sales tactics. A reputable installer will give you time to consider your options without pressure. An example would be any deal that is only good for today! I always think that any deal that is good today should be good tomorrow, especially if they want your business. Anything on sale today will probably be on sale again tomorrow.
- Consistently Poor Reviews: If a company has numerous negative reviews across multiple platforms it’s best to steer clear.
- Lack of Transparency: Be cautious of contractors who are unwilling to provide clear, detailed quotes or explain their process thoroughly. I had one salesman who I was talking to on and off for a while. Nice guy, but he was a total salesman. After getting some bids from another company, I realized that their panels and inverters were older models, so I asked him about it and he got huffy about it and wouldn’t explain. So I finally knew to move on.
Also, some bids are written in a way to deduct the tax credit off the bottom line. Which is a little sneaky in that the price you actually pay does not include the Federal tax credit, which you are responsible for submitting when you file your taxes. Pretty much all the bids I saw were written this way. And we’ll see if the current administration in Washington keeps the solar panel tax credit or gets rid of it. - Unrealistic Promises: Be skeptical of any guarantees that seem too good to be true, especially regarding energy production or savings. Like the example above of a really long gurantee for a company that may not even be in business for long.
Also, be wary of power level promises. The output of your system is the theoretical maximum of each panel under ideal conditions, which almost never happens. So a 400 watt panel will put out 350 watts or less, under actual operating conditions. I have a 9,200 kW system, but it usually hovers near 7,000 kW of output on a bright, sunny day. - Way high or way low bids! As mentioned above, a company with low ball bids is either going for volume, or is making unrealistic promises with respect to quality or cost. Either way, they probably won’t be in business for long. On the other hand, way high bids means they may be selling you more than you need, or again, trying to milk the solar gold rush for all it’s worth before they bail. So listen to your gut on these, ask questions, and if the answers are not reasonable, then steer clear.
Important to Know
- Most salesmen will do anything to get you to sign. The one that lets you take your time and finds you the answers you need is probably a good fit for you.
- Don’t forget the racking system that holds your panels to your roof. Is it high quality? What is the wind rating? Also, does the company guarantee the install to be leak free for some period of time (usually the life of the system)?
- What kind of support do they provide? Who do you call AFTER the install if there is a problem?
- Are they okay with staged payments, with the final payment coming at Permission to Operate (the last step)?
- Do they hire their own employees (W-2) instead of contracting out (1099)? W-2 employees probably indicate the company is in it for the long run.
- The most important person you will deal with is their scheduler. Hopefully they are on the ball and easy to reach. The scheduler I worked with at Astrawatt was fabulous and worth her weight in gold! The scheduler is the one who submits your plans from the company’s electrical engineer, to your city or county, so you can get a permit to install. They may also work with your HOA, current gird operator, or power company. They are the center of the wheel, so they are key to your project moving along.
Summing It Up
Choosing the right solar installation contractor is a significant decision that can impact your long-term savings and satisfaction. By starting with a reputable platform like EnergySage, cross-referencing with other sources, you can make an informed choice that you’ll be happy with for years to come. Remember, the cheapest option isn’t always the best – consider factors like quality, experience, and customer service alongside price, to find the best overall value for your solar investment.
What did I do?
I narrowed it down to two contractors. One that my neighbor used, Affordable Roof and Solar, and the one I eventually went with, Astrawatt Solar. So please stay tuned! More posts to follow on my experience.
Does the advice in this post seem reasonable?
🌞 Did you face any unexpected challenges in your solar journey?
🔧 Have a clever tip for vetting installers?
💡 Discovered a game-changing resource we didn’t mention?
Please leave a comment below! Thank you.