Hiring a solar professional is no different than hiring a good plumber, electrician, roofer or other tradesperson for your home.  The same guidelines and instincts apply. Check these recommendations from the Illinois Solar Energy Association. Here are the top 10 things to look for in a solar contractor:

  1. Speak to several contractors and get multiple quotes.  If they differ wildly, find out why.  Get it in writing! If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
  2. Are they licensed, insured and bonded? Ask for a copy of their certificate of insurance to be sure it is current. Are they NABCEP certified? Are they DG certified (all installers must be)? Do they carry other certifications? How long have they been in business?
  3. Be sure you know what you are getting. It can be tricky to compare the bids, so ask about the specific equipment quoted,  the associated warranties, and guarantees on labor.
  4. Who will (a) submit the permit, (b) apply for interconnection, (c) apply for net metering, (d) get you signed up for RECs?
  5. Who does the installation work? Is installation staff in-house or outsourced? How long have the installers been working for them? How is the work supervised?
  6. Question the details:  how did they come up with the system performance numbers? What price did they use to calculate savings?  What is the inflation rate they are using for the price of electricity?  How did they calculate 1st year savings?  What is the degradation rate for the panels?
  7. How well do they seem to understand or represent the incentives. The message from everyone should be consistent as the federal and state incentives are the same across the board. Post installation discounts may be used to artificially inflate the tax credit, so be leery but explore this if offered.
  8. Check on the company’s record with the Better Business Bureau.  Contact your municipality to see if they have had problems with any installers. Look for reviews on Yelp, Facebook, websites, etc.
  9. Ask for referrals and try to get a mix of the age of systems represented – new installations as well as older projects.
  10. Can you work with this person? Did they ask you good questions? Do they understand the scope of work?

Thanks to Lisa Albrecht for this information.