By: New York Solar Energy Society and ASES Divisions
Preparation Questions (typically before you contact an installer):
- Have your last electric bill(s) showing the kilowatt hours used per month for a year. Tell the installer if the bill includes electrical use for car charging, outbuildings, or anything else unusual.
- Go to https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/ to familiarize yourself with an evaluation for solar panels.
- Go to www.dsireusa.org to familiarize yourself with state incentives in your area.
- Do you plan on using PV to charge an electric vehicle(s)? If so, what is the make, model, and year?
- Does your homeowner’s association or planning/zoning department have laws against putting solar panels on the roof or in the yard? What prevents a neighbor’s building from shading my system?
- How much will my home value increase? – Ask local qualified appraisers.
- Will my real estate taxes go up? – Ask the tax office
General Installer Questions:
- What year was your company established? Where are your offices? How many systems have you installed locally? Are you licensed and insured? Can I have a list of references, such as your last five projects, with contact information?
- What services are included as part of your installation? Building permit application filing? Utility interconnection? Have you worked with my building department and utility before?
- Will the system meet local building and fire codes?
- What warranties are there on the different parts of the system? Who do I call if there is a problem?
- Are the warranties transferable to another owner? What happens if you go out of business?
- Will you give me a firm quote or an estimate prior to signing a contract?
- How are contract changes addressed? Do I have the right to cancel?
- How long will the period be between the time I sign the contract and installation?
- Do you confirm that my roof is structurally OK to hold panels?
- Can you install a canopy, a ground-mounted, or a tracking system if my roof isn’t appropriate?
- Who is responsible for fixing any damage to my home caused during installation? Or due to a
- penetration in the roof that later results in a water leak?
- Can I apply for shared solar or community aggregated solar?
- What is the process for future roof replacement? What is the cost of removing and replacing panels?
- Can you perform a whole-house energy audit and make recommendations on reducing energy demands? If not, who can you recommend? Can you perform other services than installing PV?
Cost-related Questions:
- How much can I save using solar?
- What financing options do you offer (such as lease, power purchase agreement, loan, or cash)?
- How will the various finance options affect my ability to sell the home?
- Do your fees include building inspection permit fees? Utility interconnect fees?
- How much money is due upfront? When are other payments due?
- Are there rebates and incentives that come to me versus filing on my taxes? Federal? State? Other?
Design, Sizing, Projected Performance Questions:
- Who estimates my annual output? Will a state-licensed P.E. (professional engineer) review and stamp your drawings?
- How many of the panels/percentage of the total system are used to charge my electric vehicles?
- Do you offer a system performance guarantee? How much will the panel performance degrade?
- Whose panels, inverters, and batteries do you carry?
- Should I wait for newer technology?
- Do you recommend using a central inverter, micro-inverters, or optimizers? Why?
- Should my panels be interconnected to the grid? Can I get a power car during a blackout?
- Will the system include panel-level monitoring? Does it cost extra? How do I access it?
- Can I charge my electric car when the sun isn’t shining? Anything else I will have to forego when the sun is not out?
Installation Questions:
- Are your installers NABCEP certified? Are the installers your employees? Do you use
- subcontractors for any part of the installation? Do you have your own electricians on staff?
- Will there be a licensed electrician on site the entire time or after completion for review?
- What is the realistic schedule, when could you start, and how long will the process take in total?
- Will someone from your team be present when building and utility inspectors come to inspect?
- Do I need to be home during the entire installation?
Follow-Up, Maintenance Questions:
- Do you proactively monitor my system’s performance after installation and notify me of issues?
- Will you provide or offer annual (or other periodic) routine maintenance?
- What is involved if I add more panels/modules later?
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