Jersey Solar, LLC – A Review
My wife got our first referral call from a potential customer of Jersey Solar, LLC. I guess it’s time for me to summarize and do a review and recommendation.
I’ll do this by breaking it down, and giving a grade (A, B, C, D, F with + and -) to all areas.
Initial Communication – A- – I searched for residential solar installers mainly online. One striking thing that I found was that Jersey Solar was mentioned in ALL of the residential solar case studies on the NJ Clean Energy Program website. I had also contacted Astropower and they referred me to Jersey Solar. The only reason for the minus on the grade is that my referral from Astropower was lost when Jersey Solar’s computer failed and it was a few months before they contacted me. I also looked at websites for NJ residential solar installers – Jersey Solar didn’t have one but the ones that I did find for others were out of date and low quality. I did speak with Jersey Solar in late November, but didn’t schedule a free site survey until December because I had to convince my wife to go forward.
Site Survey – A – Rick Brooke scheduled my site survey at a time convenient to me – I think it was a workday evening but it might have been a Saturday morning. (I really don’t remember now.) He came and the first thing he did upon getting out of his truck was to check the compass direction to figure out where to put the panels. He and I did a walkaround of the house, followed by an indoor inspection of the electrical breaker box. We then sat down in the dining room to talk. Rick was saved from a trip to the roof on this visit for measurements by the fact that I had copies of the original blueprints for the house – he got his measurements from them. We discussed various options and manufacturers including the merits of battery backup. We also talked about working in the township and his prior experience here. In the end, I requested two estimates – one with battery backup and one without. Rick left brochures for some of the equipment to help illustrate the concept.
Estimate – B – I received the estimate in the mail about a week after the site survey. The estimate was for a single total dollar amount, along with the estimated state rebate and my net cost. I got those numbers for each of the two options presented: a Sharp system with no battery backup (which we installed) and an Astropower system with battery backup. Brochures for both the Sharp and Astropower systems were included. The state rebate application was included with Jersey Solar’s information and all of the technical information completed – I just had to complete my information and mail it. I ended with with a grade of B here for two reasons: the estimate was not detailed and it would have been nice to receive something with more information on how the system would be installed (what components go where, etc). Rick encouraged us to go ahead and apply for the rebate even if we were unsure about whether to proceed – we weren’t locked in by applying.
Post-Estimate Support – A – For about a month, we pondered the estimate. My wife had many questions (as an engineer and homeowner) and Rick did his best to answer them. He provided sample wind loading calculations and wiring diagrams when asked. He was able to produce some information on the effect of solar power on property values. He answered every question during this period within a few days. Once we received the rebate approval, we waited another week to finally decide and then sent our first 1/2 payment to Jersey Solar.
And they are equipped with appropriate strategies to effect cheap viagra http://djpaulkom.tv/contest-win-tickets-to-da-mafia-6ix-triple-6ix-sinners-tour-in-memphis/ change for couples in abusive relationships. This diabetic induced damage to nerves and issues with circulation that are common complications of your body can lead to issues with erection or tablet viagra climax. This type of cheap viagra no prescription means limits the efficacy of PDE- a little and allows cGMP, which in turn preserve the feature of the circulation of blood and let the shark out. Deepika are two Ayurvedic practitioners who online cialis soft have previously used other forms of conventional electric stimulation or electro-acupuncture. Pre-Installation Period – C – This is the one area where Jersey Solar fell down. We were given estimates of installation dates (very rough – like “I think we can install mid-March”) that proved to be incorrect. We had told Rick that the Hamilton Township Planning department was very difficult to deal with on any project, and that he should contact them to see what was necessary. Rick chose not to do so, assuming that the process should run “just like every other town”. There were some discrepancies between the dates that Rick told me that events occurred or would occur (like the day that the permit was/would be applied for) and the actual dates – usually no more than 2 weeks. Rick also attempted to schedule installation based on the township’s verbal estimate of processing time for the permit – and then failed to check on the status of the permit from his vacation. This caused us to take vacation time for the installation that ultimately didn’t happen. I feel that communication with the customer every 2 weeks on a 4-5 month project is appropriate – even if there is no new information. Instead, Rick seemed to be annoyed by our requests for status every 3 weeks or so. The permit was initially denied, but later approved after Rick reminded the township of a mayoral executive order to expedite renewable energy permits. Rick did a good job of staying close to the township and the township attorney until a copy of the executive order was found. Towards the end of the Pre-Installation phase, Rick’s communications did improve in frequency and amount and accuracy of information.
Installation – A+ – Once the installation began, Jersey Solar really shined. The estimates of the time required to complete the installation were right on target. The panel installation took 5 working days – one day longer than the original estimate of 4 days due to rain on the first day. The installation team was very good about allowing a reasonable amount of nosiness by us about the equipment, process and schedule. We were allowed to take pictures – most of which appear on this site. The installation was done with no damage to the house or property, and with an eye towards being aesthetically pleasing. This included hiding the wiring conduit behind an existing gutter, centering the panels on the roof, making a minimum number of holes in the side of the house for wiring and using cardboard beneath the ladder feet at all time to avoid damage to the sidewalk and lawn. My neighbors have mostly praised the look of the installations, with reactions between “It’s really cool” and “It looks a lot better than I thought it would”. The site was reasonably clean every night, with no packaging material strewn about. We were asked if we could take care of recycling the cardboard packaging – I am sure that Rick would have taken it away for us if we declined. All of our questions were answered along the way. The equipment worked on the first try once minor issues were resolved. We were left with a functioning system after installation running in “test” mode until the township and NJCEP inspections were completed. At the writing of this review several months later, we have still had no problems even after severe winds and weather (though no winter weather yet). The system takes care of itself. I was told by the NJCEP inspector that the inspection would be a formality, because “Rick does excellent work.”
Inspections – A – Rick had done a sufficiently good job of explaining the system to me that his presence at the township and NJCEP inspections was unnecessary. Rick was available by telephone at the time of the inspections, and this was nearly required for the township electrical inspector. Neither inspector had any issues with the installation that didn’t involve the inspector’s ignorance regarding solar power.
Post-Installation – A – At this point, we have had no need for service. However, Rick stayed involved with our interconnection process with PSE&G and made a call on our behalf to get permission to use the system after the meter was replaced, but before we received the written agreement back (which STILL hasn’t happened yet). Rick has also sent communications to all of his customers regarding the new Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) trading market. It’s clear to me that the relationship with Jersey Solar doesn’t end with the installation.
OVERALL – A- – Except for the pre-installation period, my experience with Jersey Solar, LLC was positive. They got all of the important and lasting parts right – the only downside was some temporary discord. The installation was completed cleanly, right the first time, and in a manner that shows the best face to potential customers.
I would recommend Jersey Solar, LLC to other residential solar customers.
Installer/Customer Relations
After last week’s e-mail string, I feel compelled to jot down a few notes on installer/customer relations.
1. Keep in contact – These projects tend to be 3-4 months long, unless there are unusual permit/utility authorization situations. I feel that the installer should contact the customer at least once a month to give status updates. These installers have 50% of our money – they should feel obligated to update us, even if all that they say is “things are still on track.”
2. Schedule Changes – if the estimated schedule changes, the customer should be notified immediately, or at least once a week if the schedule is in flux. In my case, it sounds like the installer’s sub-contracted engineer took longer than expected to complete their work – I shouldn’t have had to ask.
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4. On-site schedule – The customer should be updated with the on-site installation dates at least 2 weeks prior. Customers have lives that need re-arranging and have to have notice to do that.
I’d like to get to the end of this project and be able to give a glowing review of Jersey Solar, LLC. I hope that I can do that at the end. So far, the customer communication has been a little on the light side – hopefully that improves.
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