This residential solar install was technically difficult. Roof pitch, angles and homeowner goals added to the variables considering the remedies to gain a successful, well designed solar system. According to the homeowner, (before he contacted my company), he called a large solar company for an estimate. The solar representative emailed the home owner an estimate, but did not even drive by to look at the job or meet the customer. The job was bid at 17 solar panels 6.3 kW, which did not meet the customers solar energy goals. This is a type of job that warrants the estimator to show up at the home, bring a ladder and measuring tape, and get on-top of the roof to get a good quality ‘bottom-line’ (with no addendum) type estimate. Many times an estimate over the web will create issues for the installer. Variables exist that a satellite roof-top map app just can not anticipate.

As a homeowner myself, I know how powerless one can feel when an installer pulls out the change order when the design does not parallel what is “physically possible”. With that being said, I estimated the project to be able to accept 32 solar panels at 11.8kW.