[RE-wrenches] Distributors versus manufacturers providing support

[Jason Szumlanski]

I'm trying to get my head wrapped around distributors providing technical
support services for manufacturers. I first noticed it with Signature Solar
and others providing support for EG4. I thought it was strange that I
needed to go through the distributor to establish an installer monitoring
account for EG4. I just found out that the same thing applies to Midnite
AIO.

What makes it even more confusing is that you can get support from both the
distributor and the manufacturer. And sometimes you get different answers.
I have experienced this with battery integration questions. I think the
manufacturer wants to claim maximum compatibility while the distributor may
have a more realistic and practical understanding. In that respect, hearing
it from a distributor, AKA salesperson, seems like a good idea. But when
you are looking for raw technical information, it seems reasonable to go
directly to the manufacturer.

Admittedly, there has always been a little bit of overlap, but mostly it
was technical advice geared toward the system design and component
compatibility that you would receive from the distributor. When it came to
technical support, fault resolution, and monitoring issues, the
manufacturer was always the primary source. That seems to be changing in
some cases.

It seems like there is some end user risk here for both installers and
system owners.

What if you purchase products from multiple vendors? Do you need multiple
installer monitoring accounts? How would a distributor know if they
supplied a product for which you are seeking support? It would be hard
enough keeping track myself. And what happens if that distributor goes out
of business?

Fun times...

Jason Szumlanski
Florida Solar Design Group
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