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Solar Power Installers, what to look for..

Given the money to be made from doing solar system installation, both for the installer and the final client. There are a lot of businesses doing solar power system installation. This, of course, means that some are better than others and some are rather worse than others.

So, given you want to have a system which will last for at least 20 years ideally, we provide some straight forward advice on how to find the best at a price point that works for you.

1. Shop around installers

Do not go with the first company you come across. As with most things in life, it will pay dividends to shop around. Not only will you get a better idea of what the price ranges and differences are between the systems being installed; you will also educate yourself on what goes into these system far quicker than just going with the first you find.

BTW you won't go far wrong read some of our articles in solar power anyways, plus they are free..

2. Know what you want before you shop around

Just leaving it to the business you contact to size and spec the system you want is just asking for trouble, its much better to have as good a picture of what you need.

Now, if you are totally new to this, I suggest you look at our online tools to help you size the system and if you use the online quotation tools quite a lot of installers have, you can use the Solar System Savings Calculator to work out when you will break even.

3. Ask what will break..

Things will break on the system, it is to be expected. Therefore ask what the cost could be if the following happens after 4 years:

• Solar panel fails, replacement & installation cost
• Inverter fails,replacement & installation cost

They should be able to give you a ballpark figure on this; if they don't walk away.

4. Ask for a fully itemized quote

You want to know how much goes into the following:

• solar panels themselves
• solar panel mountings
• inverter cost
• general wiring costs
• labour costs
• inspection costs
  

otherwise if they cannot break these costs down, then you are probably dealing with a reseller and not a direct installer.

5. Ask for recommendations

Basically ask to see a job they did previously, if they cannot or will not - walk away. You need to 'see' what they have done and if the person is still happy.

6. Check their certifications and qualifications

You need to make sure they know what they are doing and that they are capable of accurately reporting what the expected power generation should be. This is where understanding the maths and how things like angle of installation and Sun access come into play. No point putting up an expensive solar panel if it is at the wrong angle and does not have good Sun access - it will be a complete waste of money.

Conclusion

Remember, installing a solar system is often a big investment and you need to ensure as much as possible that you are getting quality and a properly installed system; otherwise it is likely it will not be profitable.