How to Choose A Solar Installer
(Page 2 of 2)
August/September 2003
By Laurie Guevara-Stone
Variety and quality of products. The more brands an installer carries, the more likely he or she will have one that fits your application. However, if the installer only carries a couple of brands and those brands work for your system, variety is not as important as the quality of the products. Research the inverter, controller and other components that an installer suggests to determine if the products meet industry standards. Many products undergo rigorous testing by the Underwriters Laboratory (UL), a nonprofit product-safety testing and certification organization. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) also provides a similar approval. Checking products to make sure they are UL — or CSA-approved is one way to gauge if the products are reliable and safe. Home Power magazine also frequently reviews products. (You can access back issues of the magazine on their Web site.) Last but not least, check out the products' warranties.
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Service agreements and performance guarantees. Installers should provide some kind of optional service agreement to you. Make sure you discuss what services they will provide — and how long they will provide service — if problems arise with your system. Will they be readily available to troubleshoot a problem? For what portion of the repair costs will they be accountable?
Determine who will be responsible for maintaining the system. (Off-grid systems require more maintenance than panels connected to the grid.) If you will be the one responsible, what kind of training will the installer provide to you? Although there are no standard service or maintenance agreements, many installers will agree to a site visit at least once a year to check the system's performance. Most homeowners benefit from a service maintenance contract in the early years of a system's performance to help ensure the system runs smoothly.
The bottom line: While the installer is sizing up the system, you should be sizing up the installer. Online and mail-order suppliers who never visit the installation site may have difficulty recommending the most appropriate equipment. A comprehensive on-site, solar and load analysis and two-way interview can help ensure a thoughtfully designed and well-planned installation.
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