Dealer/Installer Recommendations

System

Greetings!

We're going to be breaking ground this month on a custom home. We would like to go with a gridtied photovoltaic systems. We have extensive industry experience in construction, but not solar. Need a recommendation of a reasonably priced, experienced professional to help us with our decision making process. Specifically looking for someone who could tell us what our shopping list of materials should look like. Give us direction on layout and then come back in, check to make sure we're not going to blow ourselves up and make any final connections. Your help in locating this person/company appreciated.

Regards,
Morris Town

Roderick

Re: Dealer/Installer Recommendations

Hi,

It would be helpful to know what part of the country you're in. Then folks local to your area can chime in with recommendations.

If you're doing a custom home, you have the chance to add solar, or the possibility of adding it later, for very little cost. You can reinforce the roof to put a heavy holding tank for thermosiphon hot water. You can design in a south-facing (assuming you're in the N hemisphere) section of roof, clear of vents and chimneys, pitched at the best angle, and free of shadows pretty much all day long. What an opportunity!

System2

Re: Dealer/Installer Recommendations

Hey Roderick:

Yeah, great question. I thought of that after I pressed submit. We're building on two acres of property in Morristown, AZ. It's a custom Santa Fe style with flat roof. There are no windows on the north side. Two small 36 x 18 windows on both the east and west sides and eight 8' French doors on the south side of the structure. We would like to have PV added in during construction and have contacted APS (the local electric provider) and have indicated we'll be interested in the meter that runs forward and backward (I'm sure there's a more technical name for it).

You're right when you say "what an opportunity!" That's why we'd like to do it right from the beginning. We asked the draftsman who worked on our plans to calculate trusses for the "right" angle and to optimize the overhang on the south patio overhang to be high enough and shallow enough to allow as much winter sunshine as possible and to be short enough and deep enough to block as much summer sunshine as possible.

We're also building using Nudura block, an ICF product. There are four propane fireplaces. We decided against radiant heat as it didn't seem to be something that we could have pay for itself in a reasonable amount of time. (I thought that we might be able to run cold water through the system in the summer months to help with cooling costs, but was told no.) So, that's about it.

My husband is a incredible cabinet and custom furniture maker (on the side), primarily a general contractor. So, we'd be very interested in a barter situation. Of course, we're going to be busy for the next year - so payback would have to wait a bit. :-)

Thanks for the interest. Hope this helps folks know whether they can chime in with their recommendations.

Morris Town

crewzer

Re: Dealer/Installer Recommendations

MT,

Morristown appears to be ~35 miles NW of Phoenix.

1) Check with Northern Arizona Wind & Sun, this site's sponsor. They're located in Flagstaff but also have an office in Phoenix. From their website: "We are an Arizona licensed electrical contractor and are approved contractors for both APS and SRP installations." See: http://store.solar-electric.com/

2) Check listings in Home Power magazine's "Biz Directory" (right-hand side of page). See: http://www.homepower.com/

3) Check for local, state and federal incentives.
See: http://www.dsireusa.org/
and: http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/map2.cfm?CurrentPageID=1&State=AZ
and: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5695.pdf

HTH,
Jim / crewzer

System2

Re: Dealer/Installer Recommendations

Jim:

You're my hero!! Thanks for all the great info!

Morris Town

crewzer

Re: Dealer/Installer Recommendations

:oops: 8-)

Good Luck!
Jim / crewzer