Solar install turning out really bad - looking for some help/advice please.

[HX_Guy]

I was curious and looked into this and saw basically 2 complaints filed on BBB on this contractor with 1 of the 2 providing some details. The detailed one said something about the contractor claiming he ordered the panels through Solarworld but when the owner tried to verify this with Solarworld, it turned out that the contractor lied about this because Solarworld never heard of them. It didn't look like they got too far before the owner shut it down. Looks like they had brackets installed and that was it?

Sounds kind of familiar, no?

I didn't get his customer's info from him, he didn't even know I talked to them. I got their name/address from the permit info online and then either stopped by in person or found their phone number online. /creeper

[HX_Guy]

Hey stuff is actually getting done! All the rails are up (except for two, because they ran out of railing...a couple of guys on on their way to bring more). The optimizers are mounted, and some of the wiring is ran. They left to lunch while waiting for the guys to bring the railing, and those guys are going to...wait for it...help them with putting up all the panels today! Then tomorrow they are going to redo the conduit and finish up the electrical, can you believe it?!







I actually had a fear that he was going to jerry-rig some spliced connection for the wiring, but he used the proper MC4 connectors.



And surprise, he does actually have the right cable!



Finally I rigged up the combiner box myself while they were working on other stuff. Luckily the L brackets lined up perfectly with the screw holes. On the bottom end I'll have a 1 1/4" metal conduit that will then 90º into the attic.

[Volusiano]

Sounds kind of familiar, no?

Oh, so that was you? LOL, that's funny!

[HX_Guy]

LOL not wasn't me! That seems to have happened to someone years ago, apparently it's this guys style.

[Volusiano]

Makes me kinda wonder how the BBB comes up with their rating if there were only 2 complaints filed. Although 2 complaints filed vs no positive experience can tip the scale easily, I guess.

My contractor has A+ rating on the BBB with no complaints and 5 positive reviews. But it makes me wonder if they have 0 complaints but only 1 positive review, whether that would tip the scale into an A+ just the same or not.

Wonder what rating you'd get if you have 0 complaint and 0 positive review.

Also, my contractor is BBB accredited (whatever that means). Yours is not. I wonder if that factors into the rating somehow.

Anyway, that was a creative idea you had to look up his customers via the permits that he pulled. I would not have thought of that. Will keep that in mind next time I need to check on someone's referral for a major job with them.

[Ian S]

Makes me kinda wonder how the BBB comes up with their rating if there were only 2 complaints filed. Although 2 complaints filed vs no positive experience can tip the scale easily, I guess.

My contractor has A+ rating on the BBB with no complaints and 5 positive reviews. But it makes me wonder if they have 0 complaints but only 1 positive review, whether that would tip the scale into an A+ just the same or not.

Wonder what rating you'd get if you have 0 complaint and 0 positive review.

Also, my contractor is BBB accredited (whatever that means). Yours is not. I wonder if that factors into the rating somehow.

Anyway, that was a creative idea you had to look up his customers via the permits that he pulled. I would not have thought of that. Will keep that in mind next time I need to check on someone's referral for a major job with them.

Other factors go into rating by BBB: e.g. length of time in business. The key with complaints I think is whether or not the company responds in a reasonable manner. IIRC, accreditation is something the company pays for and supposedly binds them to a complaint resolution process through the BBB. Probably as much a marketing thing as anything else. FWIW, by the time my installer received an F rating they had gone belly-up and left customers up the creek with their lost deposits.

[Alisobob]

https://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me4mkkFsxt1rbma2ko1_400.gif

I believe the BBB plays hardball. Even if you only have one complaint.... if it goes unresolved... you get the "F"

[HX_Guy]

Can you believe it, we have panels up! They still managed some sloppiness but it can be fixed, I was up there most of the day but couldn't be there every minute supervising.

Panels ready to hoist up. This was actually much easier than I imagined, one guy was on ground level and should just lift it shoulder high and the guy on the roof would just grab it by the edges and lift it up.


Grounding...


Panels being installed...


And done...










Now some of that sloppiness I was talking about, and maybe it's just me being way to anal, I don't know.

First the spacing left between rows of panels. All other installs I've seem the panels butt up against east other...but thinking about it maybe it's not so bad, better ventilation for the panels and it seams some walking access if a panel needs servicing.


This one though I caught and made them use the right claps. For some reason, they were using black end clamps, but silver mid clamps...and of course silver rails with silver frame panels. I mean really, you couldn't use silver end clamps too? I had actually ordered a bunch of silver ones and had them ready so they used the ones I had.



Next problem, panels were mounted too low and therefor the gutter is now useless in the courtyard.


Not just that, but the put the rails in uneven (top rail uses the bottom mount holes, bottom rail uses the bottom mount holes) which makes the panels not line up. Probably being too anal here but would it have been that hard to just do it right?


And finally again the lining up...would it have killed them to mount everything lined up instead of zig zag like this?

[silversaver]

Why gap between rows? for cooling?

[Alisobob]

Can you believe it, we have panels up! They still managed some sloppiness but it can be fixed,...would it have killed them to mount everything lined up instead of zig zag like this?

This is exactly why I suggested you distance yourself from this clown.

You know anything he touches will need to be redone.


Why go through the hassle of him even coming out?

I think solar panels are pretty ugly.... you need to at least make them straight, to make them bearable.

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Congrats on getting this far..... the end is in sight.

[lkstaack]

I guess there isn't a stand-off requirement between panels and roof edges where you live?

[Volusiano]

Mine are 4 rows of 11 panels per row mounted in portrait mode and there were no gaps anywhere at all. Looks like 1 seamless piece.

Knowing you, I bet you're going to go back up there and move the panels around a little bit to get them all lined up with no gaps. Otherwise it's going to gnaw you up until you go crazy. You've gone this far, might as well put in the final effort to make it look as perfect as possible.

[HX_Guy]

Mine are 4 rows of 11 panels mounted in portrait mode and there were no gaps anywhere at all. Looks like 1 seamless piece.

Knowing you, I bet you're going to go back up there and move the panels around a little bit to get them all lined up with no gaps. Otherwise it's going to gnaw you up until you go crazy. You've gone this far, might as well put in the final effort to make it look as perfect as possible.

LOL...I don't know, like I said while it would look better to be seamless, I can see some benefits to having a walking path if a panel needs replaced or when I wash them.

As for why they left a gap, pretty sure it was a mistake. They started with the bottom row and just mounted where they thought was good, without taking into consideration how the panel above it would fit in with it.

[sdold]

Can you scoot those panels up a few inches so the rainwater runoff will go into the gutter?

[control4userguy]

Can you scoot those panels up a few inches so the rainwater runoff will go into the gutter?

One thing after another...