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What Questions Should I Ask My Solar Installer?

Jul 24, 2023

Switching to solar energy can reduce your spending and ensure you're doing what's best for our planet. Once you decide to change, you'll likely encounter hundreds of installers. According to the Department of Energy, there are more than 250,000 solar workers nationwide in fields including development, installation, trade, and more. Before hiring a solar installer, ask them these questions.


How Long Have You Been in Business?


Installing solar panels takes a certain level of both education and experience. Hiring someone without experience can spell disaster for the entire project. Ask the installer how long they've been in business to ensure they know what they are doing. It's equally important to ask how much experience the crew has before hiring them.


What Solar Panel Brands Do You Use?


There are hundreds of companies that produce the materials used in solar panels and several companies that offer the panels themselves. Using a low-quality brand can instantly result in your panels not functioning as they should. Take the time to research the brands your installer uses to ensure they are trustworthy brands.


What Type of Warranty Do You Offer?


Most solar panel installers will offer a limited warranty on the labor of the job. That means they'll return to fix something for free if they mess something up. It's also essential to ask about a warranty on the products used. For example, will the company handle a warranty relating to the solar panels or batteries, or will the homeowner be expected to deal with that? Make sure you understand all the fine print.


Do You Offer Maintenance Services?


Solar panels require regular maintenance and monitoring. This ensures that the system is operating the best that it possibly can. Some homeowners can learn how to monitor their system to determine when there is a change. However, you'll need a professional to make repairs as necessary. It's best to work with a company offering all your needed services.


How Long Will Solar Installation Take?


The timeline tends to vary depending on the company you work with. Solar installations are becoming increasingly popular, so many installers are backed up for weeks or months. You'll also want to ask how long the project will take once they are on site. This ensures that you can start enjoying solar power as soon as possible.


We are a team of professionals that stand behind our work. Contact us at Northwind Solar when you're ready to speak with a
solar installer about upgrading your home.


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Northwind Solar will Transition Forward Note: This communication from Northwind Solar CEO Josh Stolzenburg is a message to our stakeholders, clients, and friends about an exciting new development at Northwind. I’ve been consumed, for nearly two decades now, leading a passion project called Northwind Solar. Originally conceived to provide meaningful work for those who wanted to advance climate and energy solutions, we’ve grown into one of Wisconsin’s most effective and respected solar companies. Thirty committed employees (of whom 16 share ownership) now work out of our Amherst office. The time has come for me to step out of the role of CEO, shift my Northwind work to new priorities, and cultivate next generation leadership. As a company, we have matured over the years and come a long way from the conceptual white boards I scrawled on the walls of a friend’s basement in 2007, My crude “business plan” evolved from educational work (with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association) which fueled my desire to put meaningful green kilowatt hours on the Wisconsin grid to offset fossil fuel use. I engaged a couple of technically proficient business partners in 2008 and we began to offer wind, solar heating, and solar electric to suit the needs of a growing customer base. In the mid-teens we shifted our exclusive focus to solar electric (including battery systems and, now, smart electrification). From the beginning, community involvement was an important corollary to our professional work. My early involvement with the development of the Central Rivers Farmshed and work with the WI Farmer’s Union led to compelling work with and support for local small farms. Until recently, I’ve advised Mid-State Technical College’s renewable energy program since it’s inception in 2008 and we’ve been able to hire graduates of that program consistently since 2010. I’ve served on the Renew WI board of directors since 2019 and helped to create SolarShare WI, a thriving community solar investment cooperative. Part of the Northwind ethos has been distributed management and shared ownership. We formalized that in 2017 when we converted from a partnership to a worker owned cooperative. Employees could buy in, become owners, and share in the financial rewards and governance. In the seven years since there have been challenges, successes, and changes in personnel as we have learned to be a democratic company.
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