[RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation methods
Joel Davidson
joel.davidson at sbcglobal.net
Fri Jan 28 18:55:21 PST 2011
Andrew,
Carter era contractors did not kneecap alternative energy industry in the 1970s, but that's not a wrenches subject.
Sure, everyone has stories about bad customers, GCs, subs, equipment, etc. Some of us are honest enough to admit that we have made a mistake or two. You don't have to work for or with people you don't like or buy equipment you don't like. But I don't know anyone in the building or energy industry who does not work with others.
Few contractors nowadays do all the trades in-house. Do you sub out structural engineering, surveying, roofing, arborist, concrete cutting, crane, etc.? Then what's wrong with you being a sub if you like the other guy's work and can control design and electrical installation or whatever you need to control? There are plenty of decent contractors in your service area who would like to have a good go-to PV company just as you like to have good go-to roofer. You know your design and electrical costs and what margin you need for that portion of your work. So what's the hassle?
Joel Davidson
----- Original Message -----
From: Solar Energy Solutions
To: RE-wrenches
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 8:41 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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