Anyone with experience with WholeSaleSolar?

[shutterfly]

I am considering purchasing a system from WholeSaleSolar and find a local installer to install it (I live in Houston, TX). The primary reason is they also offer design service, so that I only need to deal with the city permit and HOA.
Can anyone share his/her experience with whole sale solar?
Thanks in advance.

Wei

[Mike90250]

The one I know of, in Shasta, CA, has a good reputation. If they can manage Tx permits, that would be amazing

[organic farmer]

I bought our 'e-panel' from WholeSaleSolar in Mt. Shasta. I got our photovoltaic panels from an online auction in Florida, and I sourced our batteries local.

WholeSaleSolar has been great.

[PVpilot]

I would not recommend Wholesale Solar. Nothing is "wholesale" about it. If you buy your panels, power optimizers/microinverters, single inverter, and racking by sourcing individual companies and shopping around, you'll save yourself a lot more money than buying their grid-tie kits. I have dealt with them in the past and the ordering process is good (their inverter happened to be cheaper at the time than anywhere else), but their solar kits are way overpriced. If you use IronRidge's array designer you'll be able to find out exactly what you need to buy through other sources, apart from the obvious other components. One thing I didn't like when getting an itemized list from Wholesale Solar is they leave too many things vague - exactly what they want to prevent you from finding out that you can find all the parts much cheaper elsewhere.

Before you go ahead with any Wholesale Solar kit, ask for an itemized list of every part so that you can price compare other sources - including every single item and part number. You'll be surprised that Wholesale Solar is actually not competitive in pricing on their "kits".

For your solar design, you really need to be directly involved with it - not Wholesale Solar. You are the one installing your own solar. You should be the one deciding where your array will be on your roof or ground mount system. The permitting and plan submittal process can be done through a third party company for much cheaper than Wholesale Solar's service. In fact, you can just do it yourself. SolarDesignTool.com has a great interface for solar plans for the permitting process, as well as many other services.

[organic farmer]

I would not recommend Wholesale Solar. Nothing is "wholesale" about it. If you buy your panels, power optimizers/microinverters, single inverter, and racking by sourcing individual companies and shopping around, you'll save yourself a lot more money than buying their grid-tie kits.

In this state to go 'grid-tied' for net-metering you must use a local installer. Our installers are all salespeople. they refuse to install any component that they did not sell you.

When I was getting quotes, Wholesale Solar was lower priced. But a system from them had to be off-grid.

An off-grid system from Wholesale Solar [including the batteries] was much lower priced, than any net-metering system from a local installer.

[PVpilot]

Yikes. Which state is that?

In this state to go 'grid-tied' for net-metering you must use a local installer. Our installers are all salespeople. they refuse to install any component that they did not sell you.

When I was getting quotes, Wholesale Solar was lower priced. But a system from them had to be off-grid.

An off-grid system from Wholesale Solar [including the batteries] was much lower priced, than any net-metering system from a local installer.

[organic farmer]

Yikes. Which state is that?

I live in Maine.

When we started we got multiple quotes from area installers. Every net-metering quote was more expensive than doing a simple off-grid system with batteries.

The only way that net-metering installs can even come close to off-grid systems is to utilize heavy government subsidies in the finance math.

[ButchDeal]

I live in Maine.

When we started we got multiple quotes from area installers. Every net-metering quote was more expensive than doing a simple off-grid system with batteries.

The only way that net-metering installs can even come close to off-grid systems is to utilize heavy government subsidies in the finance math.

I thought we whent over this BS before. You are comparing unsafe, tiny DIY off grid to full sized turn key, Basically an apple to gold coin comparison.

[SunEagle]

I live in Maine.

When we started we got multiple quotes from area installers. Every net-metering quote was more expensive than doing a simple off-grid system with batteries.

The only way that net-metering installs can even come close to off-grid systems is to utilize heavy government subsidies in the finance math.

It seems inconceivable that an off grid battery system would be cheaper then a grid tie system.

I would say that the grid tie pv installers in Maine were trying to rob their customers. Hopefully that is not the same action in every state.

[organic farmer]

It seems inconceivable that an off grid battery system would be cheaper then a grid tie system.

I would say that the grid tie pv installers in Maine were trying to rob their customers. Hopefully that is not the same action in every state.

Yes, when comparing the same size systems this is how it works out.

Same size for same size, the only difference being that one is net-metering without batteries, whereas the other is not net-metering but includes batteries.

It has been discussed previously on this forum, yet some posters delight in arguing about it.


I also attend many of the public workshops and events where industry 'professionals' present their arguments in favor of getting state tax revenue to subsidize their industry.

[organic farmer]

It is also my understanding that in many other states, when you do put your power onto the grid, the utility company will eventually pay you for that power. Here you just get a 'credit' for the power, that expires in 12-months.

[ButchDeal]

It is also my understanding that in many other states, when you do put your power onto the grid, the utility company will eventually pay you for that power. Here you just get a 'credit' for the power, that expires in 12-months.

And you would be wrong ( again). You get credits in most states.

[J.P.M.]

And you would be weong ( again). You get credits in most states.

I wonder if there is someone reading all this who is informed and has reliable and unbiased information they would be willing to share about the situation in ME with respect to how such states of affairs and policies there may or may not affect system configuration vs. pricing.

Organic Farmer has one perspective and for no other reason than his background, I don't doubt his veracity one bit, or for one hot second, but sometimes his outlook seems a bit parochial and that can lead to wrongheaded conclusions, and also may result in pointing his opinions in the wrong direction at times.

O.G: Respectfully, things may not be entirely as they seem to you. There may well be requirements that ME or the POCO's require for grid tie systems that the state or local authority, or the POCO's do not care about or is not within their prevue. I'd suggest that it's possible that making a system safe(r) may well be where such costs, as such costs may exist, may have something to do with the situation. But then, I'm not in Maine and I'm surely ignorant of all the in/outs of energy policy as it unfolds there.

My experience in CA, FWIW, is such that while it's possible to buy your own components and hire others to do the design, permitting and installationy, it's not an easy task, mostly due to the idea that an installer doesn't get the markup on the materials they'll be installing, or any control for foulups that the solar ignorant owner made in the ordering process, and so are reluctant to take on such a potential mess. Bottom line: Look at it from the perspective of a vendor/installer. In the end, installers can make more money with less hassle and less liability for someone else's errors by doing all the tasks in house, and so that's what they do. It's just business.

[organic farmer]

And you would be weong ( again). You get credits in most states.

I dont know, maybe I am 'weong'.

But it sure sounds like others can get paid money.

I have commonly read about people doing an annual balancing up. Or whatever the phrase is.

[SunEagle]

I dont know, maybe I am 'weong'.

But it sure sounds like others can get paid money.

I have commonly read about people doing an annual balancing up. Or whatever the phrase is.

My definition of a "credit" on my electric bill for sending kWH to the POCO is the same as being "paid" for what I am generating.

Also most Net Metering contracts "zero out" at the end of the 12 months it started on. The big problem is that some POCO's pay the customer the same $/kWh it charges them but other POCO's pay less then what they charge. Each state has an organization (PSC) that is supposed to regulate what the POCO can charge or pay back. It is widely different across all of the POCO's.