Selecting a solar installer amid a sea of proposals

Paul Levine watches from his front yard as Great Sky Solar, his solar installer, raises the first set of panels for his new system. He is ecstatic; his solar journey has been a long and overwhelming process, but it’s finally approaching the finish line. 

“We’ve been thinking a lot about the social good and environmental impact, and for us, it was less about the money and more about ‘what’s the right thing to do?’” Paul said. “Since we needed to replace the roof, we felt it was the right time to consider solar panels.” 

And so they did.

Paul’s "solar adventure” – as he calls it – began a year ago. It was put on hold when he realized that he would have to replace his roof before switching to a solar panel system. 

“I went to EnergySage and put in my address and a tiny bit of information, and within a couple of days, I had a zillion quotes from a lot of different installers, which would have been great – except I realized they had to replace the roof first before I could do anything,” he said. “I spent a long time dancing with roofers.”

Fast forward six months, and Paul was ready to re-engage with EnergySage. This time, Paul utilized the expertise of EnergySage’s Energy Advisors. These in-house experts provide unbiased information to EnergySage customers and are dedicated to helping them at any stage of their solar journey, especially when it comes to choosing the right installer.

“The first time, I didn't speak with anyone. I just entered my information on the website,” Paul said. “The second time I was connected with my Energy Advisor, Maria Kiley, and she was great.” 

Maria helped Paul sort through the initial list of installers, along with a few installers that neighbors had recommended.

“With a long term investment, like solar, I recommend comparing at least two options whenever possible to help confirm that the company you sign with best matches your preferences and goals,” Maria explained. “I’m really glad Paul decided to sign up for quotes on EnergySage and book a call to discuss his options further because he ended up finding a competitive solar offer through an outstanding local installer.”

In the end, Paul selected Great Sky Solar as his solar installer:

"I said, ‘Holy moly, Great Sky Solar! They just did an installation for an organization I’m on the board of, and they’re highly recommended,’” Paul recalled. “Maria put me directly in contact with Great Sky, and the process has been flawless since then.”

Every homeowner is different when it comes to defining the best solar panel system for their needs. Paul, for example, was focused on finding a system that was durable and could capture the most sun, considering his roof’s unique shape.

“I looked at the list of proposals I got from some of the installers. Everything was great, except so much of it seems like it was based on price without clarity,” he explained. 

Great Sky Solar stood out from the other proposals because of their transparency. They even explained that his neighbors' trees and the angle of his roof might prohibit 100% utilization of his solar panels. 

"Some people want 100% utilization. Great Sky explained I might not achieve that, but I told them I’d be happy either way,” he said. “I’m just trying to do the best I can with what I’ve got.”

Darren Chan, the Manager of Residential Sales at Great Sky Solar, explained that their job involves combining each customer’s specific needs with their long-standing expertise in the industry as an objective educational resource.

“It's really about taking our time and listening to the customer,” Darren explained. “At the end of the day, the only thing that customers should be evaluating is the installer themselves and whether or not they have the customers' best interests in mind. Everything else is secondary. The system size, equipment, and aesthetics should always be up to the customer."

"It's our job to advise accordingly and be the experts in the industry in terms of knowing what's reliable and qualitatively the best for each customer's unique needs", Darren continued. "The industry has access to all the data needed to know roof details and accurate production numbers but displaying that information in a transparent way is what makes responsible installers like us stand out.”  

Paul selected a 13.8kW solar panel system:

• Size of system: 13.8kW

• Solar panels: Qcells DUO BLK ML-G10+ 400 Q.PEAK 400 watt 

• Inverter: Enphase IQ8+ micro inverters

Paul’s new solar panel system is the latest addition to his year-long home electrification project. In fact, he purchased a heat pump system just last year:

"We had two gas-fired furnaces from 1989 when the house was built, and they were nearing the end of their practical life,” he said. “Rather than replace them with gas — which, by the way, would have been the least expensive option — we agreed it was time to make both a social and ecological investment. So we ended up with two heat pump systems.”

Today, Paul feels peace of mind knowing that his home is environmentally friendly. “It was not about the money. It was about cutting back our natural gas consumption. And now, with the solar panels, I’m looking forward to using less grid electricity.”