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

Fri Jan 28 12:46:52 PST 2011

Good points. Also, adding a PV system is in concert with a new roof is
generally a best case scenario for the building owner. In terms of lead
generation, it can also go both ways. Solar companies help generate business
for the roofing contractors they recommend to customers or partner with on
projects. There¹s definitely a win-win way of looking at this.

(While roofing contractors are hardly the first solar installers to make
rookie mistakes, failing to attach a system to a sloped roof is particularly
egregious. The best ³worst PV install² story I heard involved
first-generation Uni-solar shingles installed on a north facing roof without
enough modules in series to actually reach the inverter start voltage. At
least it didn¹t blow away or fall off the roof!)

David Brearley, Senior Technical Editor
SolarPro magazine 

On 1/28/11 11:57 AM, "Keith Cronin" <electrichi01 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> 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 <http://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
>>> <http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=warren@wind-sun.com>
>>> To: RE-wrenches
>>> <http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.
>>> org>  
>>> 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
>>> <http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=nicksoleilsolar@yahoo.com>
>>> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 8:11 PM
>>> To: re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>>> <http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=re-wrenches@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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