Step 3. Solar Installers
The full treatment of how to decide which dealer or installer to use, once you've decided on what equipment you want, is found in the Solar Buying Guide - Step 3. This section of the website doesn't take the place of that Guide. It only provides additional help in the form of
In particular, the Buying Guide is important for its information on Problems in Choosing an Installer, The Sales Process, and Installation Issues. It's important for shoppers not to skip that material.
However, there's a much easier and more reliable way to find the best installer. That is to take advantage of my free service by phone or email to all SCE customers.
I have winnowed the 1,300 solar installers in SCE's service territory down to the few top ones, using my contacts in the solar industry. I then researched those few down to the ground and chose just a single one for each part of SCE's territory. These are the only ones I refer shoppers to.
Reasurrances: I'm not selling anything; no pressure. I don't reveal any contact information unless you specifically ask me to, and even then only to a single installer. And I'm not connected in any way to any solar dealer, installer, or company. I am completely unbiased and independent. If any that I recommend stop doing high-quality work, I'll replace them in a heartbeat.
For details about this service and notes about me in video or text, please visit Home Page.
- The complete checklist for Solar Panel Installer Qualifications
- PV Watts Instructions to double-check forecasted annual energy on a quote.
In particular, the Buying Guide is important for its information on Problems in Choosing an Installer, The Sales Process, and Installation Issues. It's important for shoppers not to skip that material.
However, there's a much easier and more reliable way to find the best installer. That is to take advantage of my free service by phone or email to all SCE customers.
I have winnowed the 1,300 solar installers in SCE's service territory down to the few top ones, using my contacts in the solar industry. I then researched those few down to the ground and chose just a single one for each part of SCE's territory. These are the only ones I refer shoppers to.
Reasurrances: I'm not selling anything; no pressure. I don't reveal any contact information unless you specifically ask me to, and even then only to a single installer. And I'm not connected in any way to any solar dealer, installer, or company. I am completely unbiased and independent. If any that I recommend stop doing high-quality work, I'll replace them in a heartbeat.
For details about this service and notes about me in video or text, please visit Home Page.
Terminology
Let's start by trying to clarify the terminology used for companies you deal with in getting solar. First comes the tasks that go into making the products and providing the services you are shopping for:
Next, what are the types of companies that do this work:
The term "vendor" is often used to encompass any or all of these types of companies.
However, there is not a consistent relationship between the players and the work. That is, some manufacturers get involved in any or all of the other work. More often, dealers do the selling, but often combine that with design, permitting, installation, and service. Other times a separate installation company will be used by a manufacturer or dealer to do some or all of the steps following manufacture. Sometimes one company will prepare your roof and another one install the PV system.
These inconsistencies are what make the terminology confusing.
Section 2 of this website and Solar Buying Guide - Step 2 focus on the manufacture of equipment and picking the right size, brand, models, and prices. So this Section 3 picks up where that leaves off, beginning with Design, and continuing with Sales, Permitting, Installing, and Service. Those are the tasks or functions we're concerned with here.
At present, most people seem to associate the word "Installer" with the type of company that performs these services, so that's the term used from here on. Just please understand that the word "Installer" may refer to a manufacturer who also sells and installs, or to a dealer who sells equipment from one or more manufacturers and also installs or outsources installation work.
- Manufacturing some or all components: panels, inverters, monitors, racks, and misc.
- Designing the right system for you, based on a site inspection & shading study
- Selling the system as a whole to you, the customer
- Getting the required permits from city or county to install the system on your house
- Gathering all the components and installing them on your roof, plus electrical work
- Follow up service as needed, whether under warranty or not
Next, what are the types of companies that do this work:
- Manufacturers of one or more components of a PV system
- Dealers representing one or more manufacturers and sell/lease/PPA their equipment
- Installers who put up the system on your roof
The term "vendor" is often used to encompass any or all of these types of companies.
However, there is not a consistent relationship between the players and the work. That is, some manufacturers get involved in any or all of the other work. More often, dealers do the selling, but often combine that with design, permitting, installation, and service. Other times a separate installation company will be used by a manufacturer or dealer to do some or all of the steps following manufacture. Sometimes one company will prepare your roof and another one install the PV system.
These inconsistencies are what make the terminology confusing.
Section 2 of this website and Solar Buying Guide - Step 2 focus on the manufacture of equipment and picking the right size, brand, models, and prices. So this Section 3 picks up where that leaves off, beginning with Design, and continuing with Sales, Permitting, Installing, and Service. Those are the tasks or functions we're concerned with here.
At present, most people seem to associate the word "Installer" with the type of company that performs these services, so that's the term used from here on. Just please understand that the word "Installer" may refer to a manufacturer who also sells and installs, or to a dealer who sells equipment from one or more manufacturers and also installs or outsources installation work.
The Installer's Responsibilities
The reason a careful treatment of "Installers" and "installation" services is needed for solar shoppers is that so much of their ultimate costs and savings depend on the five tasks listed above: design, sales, permitting, installing, and service.
System design includes sizing, choosing components that match physically and electrically, roof layout, wiring diagrams, and any other electrical or construction work needed (often roofing). If this is done badly, the system's performance will necessarily suffer. And it's not just anyone who can do a good design. They need to be quite expert in all these areas to get it right. This is not up to the manufacturers, unless they have departments that go beyond the manufacturing step. It is up to what are called the "Installers."
The sales process itself is a job for people knowledgeable about all aspects of solar. It is not just the task of talking someone into signing a contract. It's a complicated process by which the homeowner and the installation company come to a mutual understanding of what is desired and how to accomplish it.
Permitting requires knowledge of all relevant regulations and good relationships with the city or county's permitting agencies. It is not at all routine. It can take much longer or much less time, depending partly on who does it and how well. It can hold a project up for quite a while, cause things to have to be redone, and be a source of considerable headaches if not done right.
Installation is a big topic, more fully covered in the Buying Guide. Suffice it to say here that there's a wide range of quality in installations. If done even only moderately well, you can expect roof leaks. This is the main service for which you need the best installer you can find, or you are very likely to regret it.
Finally service after installation should not be much of an issue if you got everything right to this point. But nothing's perfect, and if something does go wrong, even years later, you'll be very glad you can turn to a manufacturer and installer who are still around and care enough to take good care of you. Needless to say, this doesn't apply to all.
System design includes sizing, choosing components that match physically and electrically, roof layout, wiring diagrams, and any other electrical or construction work needed (often roofing). If this is done badly, the system's performance will necessarily suffer. And it's not just anyone who can do a good design. They need to be quite expert in all these areas to get it right. This is not up to the manufacturers, unless they have departments that go beyond the manufacturing step. It is up to what are called the "Installers."
The sales process itself is a job for people knowledgeable about all aspects of solar. It is not just the task of talking someone into signing a contract. It's a complicated process by which the homeowner and the installation company come to a mutual understanding of what is desired and how to accomplish it.
Permitting requires knowledge of all relevant regulations and good relationships with the city or county's permitting agencies. It is not at all routine. It can take much longer or much less time, depending partly on who does it and how well. It can hold a project up for quite a while, cause things to have to be redone, and be a source of considerable headaches if not done right.
Installation is a big topic, more fully covered in the Buying Guide. Suffice it to say here that there's a wide range of quality in installations. If done even only moderately well, you can expect roof leaks. This is the main service for which you need the best installer you can find, or you are very likely to regret it.
Finally service after installation should not be much of an issue if you got everything right to this point. But nothing's perfect, and if something does go wrong, even years later, you'll be very glad you can turn to a manufacturer and installer who are still around and care enough to take good care of you. Needless to say, this doesn't apply to all.
