Creating Your Personal Power Plant
Part 3
Solar Installation: Seeing Solar Done Right
Follow along as President Greg Garrison goes solar in this mini-blog series.
In my last post, I talked about the steps I took to prepare my house and property for this one moment — installing a solar power plant on the roof of my house. As the big day neared, I was excited to step out of my role as a solar provider into one as a solar client.
My first steps are the same as every other client — review designs, select components, consider installation priorities, and execute contracts. I signed the same contracts that our clients do. I made the same payments and waited my turn in the installation queue. I wanted my experience to mirror the experience of NES’s clients as much as possible, so I could learn first-hand how the experience, from start to finish, might feel — and what we might do better as a company.
My purchase was going to be a cash purchase. Northeast Solar offers lending through UMassFive Credit Union’s My Solar Loan product for clients who opt to finance. We do not offer other “low interest” lending or lease products currently offered by other solar installers. Why? IMO — those products are predatory and misleading. Our team will not offer a product to our clients that we would not use ourselves. Please call us if you want more information about why we feel this way.
Time to start the installation.
On the day the components were delivered, I sipped my coffee while looking expectantly for the truck to drive down my road. It was drizzling — not much of a solar day — but I was excited. It felt like a big deal; as I wrote about in the first two blog posts, I had waited a long time for this and had done work beforehand to ensure that my house would more gracefully welcome this addition. I had made sure to put our company lawn sign, “This House had Solar Done Right!” next to the driveway so the driver would not miss my house.
Our company works with Greentech Renewables to source our products and deliver the products on the day of or the day before the installation. As a client, I was told what day the product would arrive, what to expect, and to select a location where everything would be stored. I decided to have the product stored in the garage — it was secure, and I could park my vehicle outside for the duration of the installation. My delivery arrived on two pallets, roughly six feet long and four feet wide, and with it, a dozen black aluminum rails, 12 feet long. Those pallets held my entire solar installation — panels, inverters, storage, control systems, nuts, bolts — everything. The drivers just needed a signature, and they were off.
Shortly after the delivery, the racking crew pulled up in front of the house, the first of two crews from NES to complete the installation. This first crew, which included Bob, Jacob, Roy, and Cris, the electrician, would install the racking, followed a few days later by the electrical component crew. Using two crews is efficient and more customer-centric, allowing for necessary inspections to be completed. After the racking crew arrived, we engaged in the expected banter about how it's about time I went solar, ha, and the crew got to work.
It was raining when they arrived — ‘liquid sunshine,'' to them — and after donning rain gear, they got straight to work. The racking crew was practiced and efficient. The precision and care with which they worked filled me with pride. They installed and leveled the flashings, L feet, and rails, sealing each connection point to the roof against the elements. I was so glad I had put in a new roof! I knew I would have good water protection, with no opportunities for leaks. I had some initial anxiety about listening to the sounds of their work to make sure each hole they drilled in the roof actually hit a rafter, but they used a hammer to verify each position, and didn’t miss a single one. This, too, will help prevent leaks. And — not every company does it this way. Most use a four-screw attachment, which gets drilled into the sheeting rather than into the rafters, creating more chances for leaking if the sheeting gets loose. With our winters, particularly within the context of climate change, the freezing and thawing, the ongoing expansion and contraction, can create havoc — and the flashing prevents water from going back under the shingles. The fact that we secure them to the rafters as tightly as possible so they can take the wind and snow load is only added insurance. Northeast Solar warranties all our installations for 15 years; we install to exceed that warranty.
Once the components were installed, the racking crew straightened and leveled the rails. To assist, Cris and his apprentice, the racking team’s electrical crew, installed all the microinverters and bonded the rails. In less than five hours, the racking was ready for the electrical and storage crew to start strategizing where components might go and assessing the work ahead.
Experiencing the racking crew in their flow, not only as a homeowner but also as the owner of the company, was amazing. It felt so good to simply watch them — and to realize something I’ve always known but not on this level — they are really good at this.
The primary solar and storage team, Jeff Vatore and Farlin Black, arrived the following day. Like the racking crew, Jeff and Farlin were all business. We discussed the placement of all the required disconnects, backup load center, battery location, and electrical conduit runs. The placement of all these components needs to meet both functional and aesthetic considerations. It is an important conversation that all homeowners going solar should be prepared to have.
I would like to acknowledge this aesthetic aspect.
My solar array needed to be installed on the backside of my house in order to maximize solar gain. This means that none of the electrical runs and connections will be visible from the street, nor will the disconnects, batteries, and control boxes be noticeable from the curb. Jeff and Farlin understood the aesthetic consideration when planning the electrical connections and conduit runs. I appreciated that. Because of the orientation of my house and the need for the solar panels to be installed on the back of the roof, my curb view would not be changed — and anyone walking by the house would not know I have solar installed. But I want people to know I have installed solar — for many reasons.
Everyone is different in terms of how they want their solar array to look, and each house has its own unique considerations and constraints. If I could have, I would have had my solar installed on the front of my house, like many of my neighbors. Going solar is an important social signal of my commitment to safe renewable energy and self-reliance — a recognition that changes need to be made, and that time is running out. It is also my hope that I might inspire neighbors — and you — to do the same. Whether a solar array is curb-facing or not, a Northeast Solar installation always considers the aesthetic consideration of the homeowner.
Now that all the component placements were worked out, the electrical crew, Jeff and Farlin, got to work. Over the next few days, they would be drilling holes through my walls, fastening electrical components to my home, and turning on and off the power. The noise (of which there was little) and the additional decisions to be considered were minor distractions from my work at home. This is a big system to be installed. Given its complexity, it is less disruptive than a home addition or remodeling project. Unlike home construction, my solar project, when completed, generates measurable revenue from the day it is turned on.
They are the BEST team in solar.
I regularly receive emails from clients that say how wonderful the crews are. Two days in, I have experienced firsthand the professionalism and high level of competency that we have become known for. I know these people well; I hired them, and we have worked side by side for many years, but as a client, I can see how awesome they really are.