When searching for solar companies it could be a bit overwhelming. There are over hundreds in the state of Texas alone. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you differentiate between the types of solar energy contractors and companies.
Equipment Manufactures
These are the companies like Tesla, Enphase, and Mission Solar. They make the solar panels, racks, inverters, or battery backups. The manufactures mostly sell their products for the solar energy contractors to have them installed. Solar manufacturers build the physical components that go into your solar power system. Most of the time you don’t buy directly from manufactures, as they sell their products directly to the installers.
Distribution Companies
Once the equipment is created, they have to be stored somewhere close to potential installation sites to ensure work is done in a timely manner. Additionally, the equipment needs to be delivered in large quantities to make the equipment more cost effective. This is where distribution companies come into play. These companies sell and deliver equipment to the solar energy contractors when work has either been paid for or financed.
Financing Companies
While some people pay upfront cash for their solar panels, it still makes good economical sense to finance solar panels. These companies sell solar systems and help you finance it. Whether or not you work with this kind of company depends on if you choose to finance your system or not. These types of solar companies usually outsource to other solar energy contractors to do the installations for them. They normally don’t have any involvement with the hands-on part of the install. Nowadays solar install companies use local banks to help finance if that’s something that you want to do.
Solar Energy Contractors/Installers
Solar energy contractors are the companies that you go to when looking to go solar. There are some that specialize in residential or commercial while others do both. They take the products from the solar manufactures and install them on your property. Sometimes they work with a solar financing company, but if they’re local they tend not to. The good solar companies, try not to outsource to other companies and do everything from financing to installs in-house. The only other type of solar company they work with is manufactures. If you want to find out how to pick the right solar energy contractor click here!
Solar Energy Contractor FAQs
No. Typically, the sales rep either works for a contractor or work independently and sells signed contracts to a contractor that then does the installation.
By choosing a solar contractor that doesn’t subcontract out the work, property owners have only one company responsible for the job. It also means less people to pay for the same work. When you, the property owner, enter into an agreement with a contractor they oftentimes bring that contract to an actual installation company. Since everyone wants to get paid, they will either charge more than an A-to-Z company or worse, they will use cheaper, worse quality equipment for the installation. A badly installed solar panel system will not last as long and it can turn into a safety risk. Learn more about the do’s and don’ts on installing a long lasting system in another article.
Most of them are not, even the ones with a local presence are actually based out of another state, typically Utah. A local presence means they have an office space within San Antonio.
Getting your panel installation done right is paramount to saving money. Going solar involves a 20+ year agreement with a company that should help fix and monitor your panels, so it would be best to go with a solar contractor that is well-established and local. As a potential owner of solar panels, you will want to look for great customer service and clear communication.
