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CONCORD — When choosing a solar contractor, homeowners often focus on price, but given the unique nature of solar, there are far more important things to take into account. The first and foremost factor you should consider when hiring a solar contractor is stability. How long have they been in business? Do they know how to manage a company? Will they still be in business in 10 years? These are important questions because when you purchase a solar energy system, in a way, you’re also purchasing the installer.
Solar isn’t like construction. For example, if you’re having your kitchen remodeled, when the work is done, it’s done—you typically won’t need the contractor to return after the fact. In contrast, with solar, ongoing service is necessary for the life of the system. What’s more, you can’t just hire anyone to service your system—you’ll typically need the contractor who installed it. This is partly due to reasons of liability. Solar contractors generally won’t service or add onto another contractor’s work because if it fails, the liability will fall on them. For this reason, you want to be sure the solar contractor you hire is going to be there 10 or 20 years down the road to take care of your service needs.
Unfortunately, many solar companies end up being a flash in the pan, disappearing as quickly as they popped up. A lot of installers who start their own companies are proficient in installation, but they don’t really understand the business side of it. Additionally, as a contractor’s portfolio grows, so does the amount of service calls they receive. If contractors don’t know how to manage and grow their companies to keep up with these demands, they can find themselves out of business very quickly.
If this happens to the company you hire, you could be left in a tough spot. That’s why it’s crucial to look beyond price and assess the stability of the contractor’s business model and operations. That way, you’ll have greater assurance that they’ll be there for the duration of your system’s lifespan.