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

Nick Soleil nicksoleilsolar at yahoo.com
Sat Jan 29 11:24:12 PST 2011


Hi Joel:
    For many years, when  Petersen Dean was Old Country Roofing, I would install 
the inverters and wiring for the Atlantis Sunslate roofs that they would sell.  
I liked that partnership.  Also, I recognize that solar is less and less of a 
specialty anymore.  Sooner than later, I would expect that solar installations 
will be installed largely by electricians, general contractors, and even roofing 
contractors (as long as they carry appropriate licensing.)
    However, many of my old partners, such as roofers who I have often referred, 
are now entering the solar industry.   So my partners are becoming my 
competitors.  They have that right.  

    My hope is that whoever is installing solar, will at least provide a quality 
installation.  What worries me about the system I serviced this week, where the 
modules were left sitting on a sloped roof without attachments, is that the 
roofing attachments is the aspect of the project that the roofer should be able 
to do best, but they skipped that step.  That gives me some concern for the 
safety of PV system owners and their neighbors.

 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




________________________________
From: Joel Davidson <joel.davidson at sbcglobal.net>
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Fri, January 28, 2011 6:55:21 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation 
methods

 
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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