[RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation methods

Keith Cronin electrichi01 at yahoo.com
Fri Jan 28 09:57:17 PST 2011 

Andrew

Perhaps another approach could be warranted? Joint venture relationships can 
serve each party well, as long as their structured in a way that benefits the 
companies involved.
Roofers are a good source of leads for us and visa versa. Its worked for me and 
I know of others that also see value in this across the country.

The work we do, in the grid tied arena falls into two generally accepted 
categories:
Mechanical work
Electrical work
Yes, some jurisdictions may say it is all electrical work and finding a 
demarcation point is open to discussion, but this is how its being performed 
across the globe now.

If we like it or not, its going to continue. Here in our market there are over 
150 companies (that I can count) doing PV. When I started, there where about 6. 
General contractors and the like. They need electrical contractors to perform 
the electrical portion of the work. In many ways, many of these other types of 
contracting companies are far better at lead generation, marketing and sales 
than the top electrical contractors and here is why- historically, electrical 
contractors have subordinated themselves to general contractors and are 
"bidders". Even today, many of my electrical contractor competitors are ok, with 
just doing the installation work for the general contractors or sales and 
marketing companies, as they want to focus on doing the work only and don't have 
the temperament for running a sales force.

Lastly, I believe you can offer other ancillary services to your customers, 
increasing the value of the relationship that have higher margins than the 
commoditized residential pv markets today.

So, I think we all need to do like Darwin mentioned and adapt to the market 
conditions, so we can not just survive, but thrive in our gold rush. How about a 
residential PPA for your customers to differentiate?

Aloha

Keith



________________________________
From: Solar Energy Solutions <solarenergysolutions at yahoo.com>
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Fri, January 28, 2011 6:41:29 AM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation 
methods


Joel,
 
Our company cannot survive without selling an entire system.  When we help the 
unqualified and untrained we legitimize unsubstantiated pv businesses.  We get  
a dozen phone calls a month from folks wanting us to install their systems.  It 
is a rat hole and we have learned that not only are such ventures unprofitable, 
they are fraught with poor designs and a plethora of other hassles.  This whole 
thing reminds me of the Carter solar Gold Rush where, sure, a bunch of systems 
were installed, but look at the damage it did to the industry.
 
Respectfully, 



Andrew Koyaanisqatsi
President
Solar Energy Solutions, Inc.
Since 1987,
Moving Portland and Beyond 
to an Environmentally Sustainable Future.
503-238-4502
www.solarenergyoregon.com 
 
"Better one's House too little one day
than too big all the Year after."

--- On Fri, 1/28/11, Joel Davidson <joel.davidson at sbcglobal.net> wrote:


>From: Joel Davidson <joel.davidson at sbcglobal.net>
>Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation 
>methods
>To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
>Date: Friday, January 28, 2011, 7:06 AM
>
>
> 
>Guys,
>You're missing a business opportunity. Instead of complaining about roofers' bad 
>work and competition, show the company owners photos of their screw-ups and your 
>quality work. Tell him that he is a risk. Then offer to do their design and 
>electrical installation (let them do the sales, roofing, and grunt work).
>Joel Davidson
>----- Original Message ----- 
>>From: Warren Lauzon 
>>To: RE-wrenches 
>>Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 3:35 AM
>>Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative,new installation 
>>methods
>>
>>
>>We have seen a lot of the roofing companies nibbling around the edges of solar 
>>installs lately. I have only seen a couple of installs personally, and they were 
>>far from what I would call professional or reliable. Not quite as bad as your 
>>example, but in one case they had used Romex to run the wiring down to the 
>>inverter, and not in conduit.
>>  
>>From: Nick Soleil 
>>Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 8:11 PM
>>To: re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org 
>>Subject: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative,new installation 
>>methods
>>  Hi wrenches:
>>   Have you noticed that roofing companies have recently been trying to sell 
>>solar?  One company thought of something that I had never considered.  Listen to 
>>this neat story.
>>   I was servicing a job today, where a roofing company recently removed and 
>>re-installed a PV array on a 12 degree sloped roof.  The funny thing is that the 
>>roofer didn't want to penetrate his new roof, so he and the customer decided to 
>>leave the panels sitting on the composition roof without any attachments to the 
>>structure.  They didn't think it was necessary!  
>>
>>    Shortly afterward, the array slid down the roof, and a MultiContact 
>>connector came unplugged.  The customer noticed that his system was not 
>>operating, and called us to the site.  
>>
>>
>> Nick Soleil
>>Project Manager
>>Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, LLC
>>PO Box 657
>>Petaluma, CA 94953
>>Cell: 707-321-2937
>>Office: 707-789-9537
>>Fax: 707-769-9037 
>> 
>>
>>
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