What to do? [RE-wrenches]

[Jeffrey Wolfe, Global Resources]

Chuck,

Take this job on with open arms, and use the open book method.

What I mean is, charge the guy per hour for consulting (not at your install 
rate, at your consulting rate, which should be about 1.5 times your install 
rate), and then charge him a flat percentage on equipment. You can work to 
get whatever deals you can get on equipment, and get paid for the time it 
takes you to arrange the buy. Set up an escrow account (ask your bank how), 
then have the customer deposit money into it prior to any purchase. Make 
all your purchase orders "for benefit of Mr. Client". Have a Master 
Purchase Order that Mr. Client signs, telling him approximately what 
everything will cost, and when he needs to pay it. Hold copies of all 
invoices and send them to him monthly for his information. Whenever the 
escrow account is getting low, figure out what the next months needs will 
be, and have him recharge it.

You still carry design liability with this method (as you should), and the 
advice to thoroughly document is excellent. This agreement provides you 
with a great deal of flexibility and leverage, both with your client and 
your suppliers. It has worked very well for us on this type of poorly 
defined project.

Why stop at 5 kW? Find a big flat roof and put in a PowerLight system! Tell 
him that the 5 kW is only a "teaser". Given the right financial incentives, 
I'm sure you can find a place to hide some panels in full sun!

Good luck.

Jeff

Jeffery D. Wolfe, P.E.
Global Resource Options, LLP
A Woman-Owned Limited Liability Partnership
4 Kibling Hill Road
P.O. Box 51
Strafford, VT 05072
800-374-4494 Toll Free
802-765-4632 Phone
802-765-9983 Fax
global at sover.net
http://www.GlobalResourceOptions.com



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From: 	Chuck Heath, SunPower[SMTP:sunpwr at jps.net]
Reply To: 	RE-wrenches at topica.com
Sent: 	Monday, August 13, 2001 1:14 PM
To: 	RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: 	What to do? [RE-wrenches]

Hello fellow Wrenches - Seriously, what do you tell an eccentric 60-year
old multi-millionaire who wants a grid tied system but doesn't want the
solar modules to "interfere" with the undetermined general landscaping
plan? He and his wife are building their retirement home here in N.
California.

Advice from his friendly general contractor of many years: tell him you
are a specialist, and will work as a consultant, with a written contract
at at least $85/hr. and a $1,000 retainer.
The Gen'l Contractor suggests he'll spend hours with me discussing before
deciding anything.

This potential clients' biggest concern is that solar modules are "ugly",
so he wants to hide them as much as possible. He's thinking of having us
put them _flat_ on a 150 ft. curved wall running roughly N-S, rather than
any conventional top of pole or A-frame mounts ("they're ugly too"). He
wants a graphic drawing of how it might look first.

He wants us to coordinate with his Landscape Architect on the final
design for this grid tie system using the California Buydown program. He
could care less about efficiency. He's already paid big $$ for 3/4 mile
of _underground_ PG&E primary (12 KV), and seems to want 5 kW of PV as
"window dressing" so he can brag about being a "a great steward of the
land" while reducing his PG&E bill.

Finding out what he likes and is acceptable will take many hours, let
alone developing a specific proposal.

This is a rare opportunity for us, and we don't want to lose it. How
would you handle it?

Cordially, Chuck (what a dilemma!)

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