With Washington State’s updating of its Solar Production Incentives, and with accelerated efficiencies in the solar panel and solar installation industry, Spokane and Eastern Washington’s Residential Solar Marketplace is beginning to spawn increased competitiveness. Northwest Renewables welcomes this competition and embraces the opportunity to differentiate our high-quality, affordable solar installs from our peers’. This blog post is intended to highlight those differences:
Bait-and-Switch Predatory Solar Salesmanship: Are you in communication with a Solar Installer offering a Free Year of Solar, or free cash in the form of a big rebate or money back? This old as the hills tactic is a simple bait-and-switch leaving you with a costlier bill for your Solar Array. Adding a Free Year of Solar simply adds to your purchase price. Should you on your good credit be financing your installation, this pushes your Solar Array’s Return-On-Investment out 4-5 years!
These installers will produce Contracts for you, the Homeowner, to sign and agree to WITHOUT EVEN VISITING YOUR HOME. They can be confident that they are not losing money on your particular Solar Installation given that they have deliberately elevated their prices, but their overpricing significantly depletes the value of your net-metered Solar Electricity.
Recently Northwest Renewables learned of a Homeowner who had signed such a contract believing they were simply scheduling a site visit. This Homeowner then confronted the Predator who would not explain why its price was so much higher and would not allow the homeowner to cancel.
Do not sign anything with Predatory Installers offering a Free Year of Solar, free cash, big rebates or money back without first contacting Northwest Renewables to receive a professional quote from a local Solar Installer who does not lure homeowners with such unsavory practices.
Regarding Electrical Contractors Learning a New Craft: Electrical Contractors now plying their trade in Solar have a lot to learn as the installation of Solar is truly a blend of three trades, Roofing, Carpentry and Electrical, while Solar Design is a new craft all to itself.
Ask yourself: Do you want your Solar Installation built by an Electrical Contractor who is an expert in only one of these categories, but is missing the design tools, and the skill in roofing and disciplined carpentry necessary to produce a high-quality Solar Installation?
The fact is that the Electrical trade on its own simply does not prepare an Electrical Trainee for the Solar Industry. Solar is a fast-moving industry, and Solar Specialists are keeping current on changes to incentive structures and new products, while maintaining sharp Solar-Specific skills.
Before signing up for a Solar Installation with an Electrical Contractor who does some solar on the side, contact Northwest Renewables and receive a professional quote from a Solar Installer specializing in the design and installation of Solar Energy Systems.
We at Northwest Renewables are committed to installing high-quality Solar Arrays for a fair price. Our quotes are simple to understand, and clearly explain the pay-back-period for your investment in Solar Energy. The Solar Installers working here are professionals in this new and growing industry, not Electricians cross-training in something outside their comfort zone. Contact us today to schedule a site visit and receive your quote from Spokane and Eastern Washington’s local Solar Expert.
-Gavin Tenold