5 Tips To Pick The Best Solar Panel Installer

Mohidul Saad

Mohidul Saad is a co-founder of SOLARINSTALLGURU.COM, author and renewable energy benefit educator. He provides FREE online and offline training to home and business owners who are interested in reducing their electricity bills by 90 percent while slashing solar panel installation cost by 30-80 percent. DOWNLOAD this FREE renewable energy benefit education guide "101 ways to install solar system with little or no out of pocket cost" and start saving today.

5 Tips To Pick The Best Solar Panel Installer

updated at : Saturday, January 14th, 2017

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You have decided to install solar panels for your home to reduce your electricity bill. You are also determined to do your part to save the planet by reducing your carbon footprint. Although, you are not sure what steps you need to take in choosing the best solar panel installer. This article will help you be an expert in picking the best solar panel installer.

Solar panel installers and solar panels for homes

There is a difference between solar panel installers and solar panel installer wannabes. Your goal is to pick the winner who can make your solar energy system installation a success. Pick someone who will do a fantastic job with your solar energy system installation, that will make you cash for years to come. There are 5 things you need to keep in mind when choosing an installer and I will cover each in detail.

Make a Solar Panel Installer List

Let’s talk about the first thing to keep in mind, which is “creating a list of 3-5 solar panel installers”. The number of solar panel installers that are available to you depends on the city you reside in. Large cities have access to larger pools of solar panel installers. However, smaller cities may have fewer options but sufficient numbers of certified solar panel installation companies. First, create a list of 3-5 of these solar panel installation companies. Then start your selection process by getting answers to the questions we are going to discuss. When you do get the answers, keep a record of the answers each solar panel installation company provides.

Check Solar Panel Installer Certification

You want to find a certified solar panel installer who will do a fantastic job with your solar panel installation. To ensure quality, ask the solar panel installation companies about their certifications. If the installer is NABCEP certified, expect high-quality workmanship. Furthermore, NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certification guarantees that the installers are professionals who were tested for knowledge, skills, and abilities typically required of certified solar panel installers. You have verified their qualification but are they applying what they learned? You can be certain of the quality of work by checking the references.

Check References

Reference checking is one of the best ways to verify the claims against actual deeds. Any solar panel installation company you talk to will claim to be the best company in the business but the references will verify if the claims match the actual deeds. Ask for a minimum of 3 references and make sure to contact the references. Ask the reference about their experience working with the solar panel installation company. Don’t forget to ask if they would recommend this company to their friends. Depending on how satisfied you are with what the references said about the company, you will keep or scratch the solar panel installation company from the list. Even if you just follow the steps we talked about so far, you will be way ahead of the game.

Get a Detailed Quote

A detailed quote will have money and time estimates. It will outline how much money the solar panel installation company is going to charge you and how long it will take for them to complete the solar energy system. When you have collected detail quotes from 3-5 solar panel installers, you will feel empowered with a lot of valuable information. This will help you make a solid decision in picking not only the best but also the most affordable company who is capable of completing the job in the shortest period of time. The last step in choosing the best solar panel installation company would be to check for a state-approved contractor’s license.

Check State Approved Contractor License

Each state has its own licensing requirements for the solar panel installers. Ask if the solar panel installation company meets all the licensing requirements of the state to work on a solar energy system installation project. States with their own rebates might have stricter requirements when it comes to the eligibility of the solar panel installers. You will not be eligible for state solar rebates if the solar panel installer you use does not meet state’s licensing requirements. If that happens, you will lose thousands of dollars in free money as state solar rebates. That is why a very important step in the process of choosing a certified solar panel installation company is making sure that the company and their installers meet the state licensing requirements.