<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation methods</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>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. There’s definitely a win-win way of looking at this.<BR>
<BR>
(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 “worst PV install” 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 didn’t blow away or fall off the roof!)<BR>
<BR>
David Brearley, Senior Technical Editor<BR>
<I>SolarPro</I> magazine <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
On 1/28/11 11:57 AM, "Keith Cronin" <<a href="electrichi01@yahoo.com">electrichi01@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>Andrew<BR>
<BR>
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.<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>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.<BR>
<BR>
The work we do, in the grid tied arena falls into two generally accepted categories:<BR>
Mechanical work<BR>
Electrical work<BR>
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.<BR>
<BR>
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.<BR>
<BR>
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.<BR>
<BR>
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?<BR>
<BR>
Aloha<BR>
<BR>
Keith<BR>
</SPAN><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="1" WIDTH="100%"><B>From:</B></SPAN><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'> Solar Energy Solutions <<a href="solarenergysolutions@yahoo.com">solarenergysolutions@yahoo.com</a>><BR>
<B>To:</B> RE-wrenches <<a href="re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>><BR>
<B>Sent:</B> Fri, January 28, 2011 6:41:29 AM<BR>
<B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation methods<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><BR>
Joel,<BR>
<BR>
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.<BR>
<BR>
Respectfully, <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"><B>Andrew Koyaanisqatsi<BR>
</B>President<BR>
<B>Solar Energy Solutions, Inc.<BR>
</B>Since 1987,<BR>
Moving Portland and Beyond <BR>
to an Environmentally Sustainable Future.<BR>
<B>503-238-4502<BR>
</B></FONT><B><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">www.solarenergyoregon.com <<a href="http://www.solarenergyoregon.com/">http://www.solarenergyoregon.com/</a>> <BR>
</FONT></B><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> <BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Comic Sans MS"><B>"Better one's House too little one day<BR>
than too big all the Year after."<BR>
</B></FONT><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><BR>
<BR>
--- On <B>Fri, 1/28/11, Joel Davidson <I><<a href="joel.davidson@sbcglobal.net">joel.davidson@sbcglobal.net</a>></I></B> wrote:<BR>
</FONT></SPAN><BLOCKQUOTE><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><BR>
From: Joel Davidson <<a href="joel.davidson@sbcglobal.net">joel.davidson@sbcglobal.net</a>><BR>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation methods<BR>
To: "RE-wrenches" <<a href="re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>><BR>
Date: Friday, January 28, 2011, 7:06 AM<BR>
<BR>
</FONT></SPAN><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>Guys,<BR>
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).<BR>
Joel Davidson<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'>----- Original Message ----- <BR>
<B>From:</B> Warren Lauzon <<a href="http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=warren@wind-sun.com">http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=warren@wind-sun.com</a>> <BR>
<B>To:</B> RE-wrenches <<a href="http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>> <BR>
<B>Sent:</B> Friday, January 28, 2011 3:35 AM<BR>
<B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative,new installation methods<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">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.<BR>
<BR>
</FONT></SPAN><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'> <BR>
<B>From:</B> Nick Soleil <<a href="http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=nicksoleilsolar@yahoo.com">http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=nicksoleilsolar@yahoo.com</a>> <BR>
<B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 27, 2011 8:11 PM<BR>
<B>To:</B> <a href="re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a> <<a href="http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">http://us.mc318.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>> <BR>
<B>Subject:</B> [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative,new installation methods<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'>Hi wrenches:<BR>
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.<BR>
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! <BR>
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. <BR>
<BR>
Nick Soleil<BR>
Project Manager<BR>
Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, LLC<BR>
PO Box 657<BR>
Petaluma, CA 94953<BR>
Cell: 707-321-2937<BR>
Office: 707-789-9537<BR>
Fax: 707-769-9037 <BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><BR>
<HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="100%">_______________________________________________<BR>
List sponsored by Home Power magazine<BR>
<BR>
List Address: <a href="RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><BR>
<BR>
Options & settings:<BR>
<a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><BR>
<BR>
List-Archive: <a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><BR>
<BR>
List rules & etiquette:<BR>
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm <<a href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm">http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a>> <BR>
<BR>
Check out participant bios:<BR>
www.members.re-wrenches.org <<a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org">http://www.members.re-wrenches.org</a>> <BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'>Northern Arizona Wind & Sun - Electricity from the sun since 1979<BR>
--------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
Online Solar Store <<a href="http://store.solar-electric.com/">http://store.solar-electric.com/</a>> <BR>
Free Solar Discussion Forum <<a href="http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/">http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/</a>> <BR>
--------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="100%">_______________________________________________<BR>
List sponsored by Home Power magazine<BR>
<BR>
List Address: <a href="RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><BR>
<BR>
Options & settings:<BR>
<a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><BR>
<BR>
List-Archive: <a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><BR>
<BR>
List rules & etiquette:<BR>
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm<BR>
<BR>
Check out participant bios:<BR>
www.members.re-wrenches.org <<a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org">http://www.members.re-wrenches.org</a>> <BR>
<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Consolas, Courier New, Courier"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Consolas, Courier New, Courier"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT>
</BODY>
</HTML>