Solar Contractors - How To Find A Reliable Solar Power Installer
It's not difficult to see the appeal of using solar power to meet our domestic energy needs: it utilizes a natural energy source (the sun) and thereby avoids any environmental damage that can result from the energy being generated via traditional means. The use of solar power for the home has become increasingly prevalent in recent years and particularly in dry landscapes that have an abundance of sunshine such as Australia or the state of California. For the majority of home owners however, installing a solar heating system without professional assistance is not a viable option. There are a number of things to consider such as adequate cable size, correct fusing (every circuit should be protected by a fuse or circuit breaker), the positioning of batteries and the correct positioning of the solar panels. Attempting to do all this by yourself and not getting it exactly right will result in a less than optimum performance of your solar power system. As such, it is prudent to call on the assistance of a solar power installer or solar contractor.
The question that then arises is: "How do I go about finding a reliable solar power installer?" There is help at hand depending on where you happen to be located. The California Energy Commission maintains a list of registered installers on its Web site. California's solar rebates are available only to homeowners who use installers registered with the state, and all those contractors listed on the commission's Web site will qualify. You could also check the membership roster of the California Solar Energy Industries Association, the trade organization representing solar power installers. Similarly, homeowners in Oregon wishing to receive Energy Trust's incentives must have their system installed by an Energy Trust approved contractor. The Oregon Department of Energy maintains a list of tax credit-certified solar technicians. Many state-certified solar technicians are also Energy Trust trade ally contractors.
In Australia, in order to qualify for the solar power rebate, the person who carries out the installation of the solar panels must be accredited for design and installation of photovoltaic systems by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE). A list of BCSE accredited designers and installers is available from the Clean Energy Council - or alternately you could contact a designer/installer and ask for proof of their accreditation.
As is always the case when dealing with any type of contractor, personal attention and responsiveness are important. If you find that one solar contractor seems to be able to communicate more clearly and is more responsive than others, you will probably want to take this into consideration when making your choice. Ultimately you want to be able to deal with a contractor that can design a system for your home, sell you the solar modules and install them. To do this you will need to find a contractor that has a good track record and a load of good references. The longevity of their business is also important as you'd want to be able to go back to the same installer in the future, should you experience any problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
QUESTION:
What solar installers would you recommend for Southern California?
I'm wondering about the available solar power installers in So Cal. I'm curious to know whether or not there are some more that I haven't heard of.Thanks for your time.
-
ANSWER:
Here is a link to a solar power professional search database. Just type in the ZIP code and the radius.
-
-
QUESTION:
Who are the best solar power installers in the Bay Area, CA?
we are looking to install solar panels on our home and have no idea who to trust in terms of installation or systems.-
ANSWER:
I would get several bids, and evaluate from there. For me, the criteria would be how thorough and considerate they were. High-pressure sales tactics would be a deal breaker, such as an installer that said a price or discount was only valid on the spot.I have seen a number of installs, and not seen one that was shabby, so would have to go with business practices and price, rather than quality.
My neighbor's brother got a fantastic deal, but I don't have the installer's name on hand. If you email me through my profile information, I could get the name for you. I don't know if you would get the same deal, though - it could have been because the installer felt guilty for all the delays.
-
-
QUESTION:
could someone direct me to a solar power installer for my home i mean a total systemtrying to get off the grid?-
ANSWER:
You must be awfully rich....
-
-
QUESTION:
Solar power for hot water??
what do u need to set up hot water via solar power? ive seen so much on websites and im getting confussed! boilers, panels, pv's, im lost!!!! i dont want advice on installers it is for research, what would i need?-
ANSWER:
There are 2 different systems used in solar thermal. 1st is having collectors on the roof and pumping glycol through the lines into a heat exchanger in the solar tank. The heat exchanger heats the water inside the solar tank, and then the existing hot water heater draws the hot water from the solar tank. The other way is with a strapon heat exchanger that is attached to the existing tank, utilizing a confined space. So if your just doing domestic hot water (water for shower, dishes etc...) you will need 2 thermal panels, a storage tank (80 gallon) copper pipe to pipe the glycol, pump, controller, expansion tank, ball valves, and a check valve. don't get to complicated, forget about boilers and pv. boilers are used in radiant floors only (residential of course). Some old houses may have old gas or oil boilers which you can tie the thermal panels into using the same method as a hot water heater. hope this helps.
-