[RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation methods
Warren Lauzon
warren at wind-sun.com
Mon Jan 31 10:18:56 PST 2011
I just got a similar call last Friday, from someone who had bought their “complete offgrid system” from that same “cheapestsolar” outfit
Somehow they managed to sell them a 6000 watt panel system for off grid along with enough battery to last them about 3 hours. Along with the 24 225 watt panels, they had also purchased a complete dual Outback VFX 48 volt 6000 watt+ inverter setup. And 400 amp-hours of golf car batteries...
It is déjà vu all over again. It has gotten so bad in the past couple of years that we stopped publishing our 800 tech support number. At least when they call us for help with what they bought from a competitor they have to pay for the phone call.
From: toddcory at finestplanet.com
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 6:09 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation methods
I had a potential customer call me last week saying he had just bought a "bunch of panels and those micro chip things (enphase inverters) so he could get a end of the year tax break". He wanted me to come and install it for him. I told him my work includes a comprehensive energy audit to gather the low hanging fruit first. I also said I do not touch equipment I do not sell or install systems I do not design and that I was sorry but I could not help him. I wished him good luck in getting someone to touch that gear. Too bad the cheapestsolar.com folks don't warn their customers about these kinds of situations.
Just like the Carter gold rush days is correct.
Todd
On Friday, January 28, 2011 2:52pm, "Darryl Thayer" <daryl_solar at yahoo.com> said:
I installed a system provides by another, it failed, because of defective equipment, I am being sued to replace the defective equipment
DT
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From: boB Gudgel <boB at midnitesolar.com>
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Fri, January 28, 2011 11:25:34 AM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation methods
On 1/28/2011 8:41 AM, Solar Energy Solutions wrote:
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,
I just hope that the solar installers' industry doesn't have to start installing roofs, too !!
boB
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 mailto:joel.davidson at sbcglobal.net wrote:
From: Joel Davidson mailto:joel.davidson at sbcglobal.net
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation methods
To: "RE-wrenches" mailto: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
Sent from Finest Planet WebMail.
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