This isn’t pool related per se, but I am considering getting solar panels for my roof since I have a new roof and will soon have my pool. There are so many solar companies it is hard to know who to choose. Any Arizona or other Southwest people on here who have gotten solar installed in recent years have a company you would recommend or not recommend? Feedback appreciated.
Solar recommendations Arizona
- Thread starter Redsurprise
- Start date
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,681
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Can't recommend a company, just some advice to think about. PV solar has been one of my best investments, a big thumbs up for your decision. I also installed my pool's solar heater up top as well. When installing the pool heater panels, I knew ahead of time I was going to install PV panels eventually, so I saved the best part of the roof for the PV. Give some thought to your entire solar system strategy and plan accordingly. PV, pool, water heater, more PV for that electric car, etc. Discuss this with your solar installer to come up with a plan. You definitely don't want to have to move arrays around later.
PV salesmen will flock to you once you ask them to. They'll give you a detailed quote, and a thorough analysis of the proposed system, including cost and savings charts, etc. Base your decision on collecting these proposals from many providers, not just one from a referred vendor. Even a referral might not be all that useful, because PV technology, panel suppliers, rebates, tax incentives and costs are in constant flux. A referral by someone that bought panels a few years ago might not be all that relevant any longer.
If you have any sort of bird population in your area, ask the sales guys about that. Pigeons are a huge problem in my area, and my install included guards to keep them from nesting underneath my panels.
That's about all I can think of. My panels were installed about five years ago and that's eons in solar panel years. Whatever I learned then would probably be irrelevant now.
Oh, I initially gave my info to some sort of online estimator, which turned out to be a company that sold my contact info to dozens of PV sales companies. I was then flooded by calls and emails from dozens of vendors. So that's double advice: if you want a large variety of vendors contacting you, and giving you estimates, that's a shortcut to finding them. If you don't want to get such calls and emails for a few years even after you pick a vendor, then don't give your contact info to a solar-related webpage. My soliciting phone calls eventually stopped.
You'll learn more about the current state of PV from each of these sales guys than you will from me. You just have to sort out what is true vs what is sales-speak.
PV salesmen will flock to you once you ask them to. They'll give you a detailed quote, and a thorough analysis of the proposed system, including cost and savings charts, etc. Base your decision on collecting these proposals from many providers, not just one from a referred vendor. Even a referral might not be all that useful, because PV technology, panel suppliers, rebates, tax incentives and costs are in constant flux. A referral by someone that bought panels a few years ago might not be all that relevant any longer.
If you have any sort of bird population in your area, ask the sales guys about that. Pigeons are a huge problem in my area, and my install included guards to keep them from nesting underneath my panels.
That's about all I can think of. My panels were installed about five years ago and that's eons in solar panel years. Whatever I learned then would probably be irrelevant now.
Oh, I initially gave my info to some sort of online estimator, which turned out to be a company that sold my contact info to dozens of PV sales companies. I was then flooded by calls and emails from dozens of vendors. So that's double advice: if you want a large variety of vendors contacting you, and giving you estimates, that's a shortcut to finding them. If you don't want to get such calls and emails for a few years even after you pick a vendor, then don't give your contact info to a solar-related webpage. My soliciting phone calls eventually stopped.
You'll learn more about the current state of PV from each of these sales guys than you will from me. You just have to sort out what is true vs what is sales-speak.
- May 23, 2015
- 25,764
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Down here in Tucson all of the people I know that did solar went with TFS Solar. It's a local Tucson company so they may not do anything up in your area but I bet if you called them they would know someone that does. A lot of solar companies are scary and pushy and many are fly-by-night operations or guys that did electrical work or some other trade and just wanted to get into the solar boom. Or they are big giant companies like Solar City that could care less about the end customer and just want their "partners" (or whatever they're calling shady salesman these days) to SELL, SELL, SELL ...
If I were ever to do solar, and I never will, I would use TFS ...
If I were ever to do solar, and I never will, I would use TFS ...
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,681
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Yah, I chose a local installer for that reason. They had their own sales staff. Some of the calls I got from sales people were from out-of-state, probably some sort of brokers, or maybe working for panel importers or manufacturers. They grab a chunk of the profit, but then assign the installation to someone, or anyone, that's willing to go up on your roof. Then who do you turn to for service or warranty? My local company has been in business forever, I call a local number to get service, or even just ask a question about my true-up bill. Whatever I need. They also sold me my pool solar heater panels for an incredible bargain and I installed them myself.
They even told me I could someday add panels (like if I got an electric car) and they would send out their workers to add the panels at cost. That remains to be seen, but it was a nice offer if it turns out to be true.
Local is best if you can verify their reputation.