Questions to Ask Potential RE Installers

All Technologies

• Do you live with renewable energy systems yourself?
• What is your motivation for working in this industry?
• How did you learn your trade?
• How many years have you been in business and how many systems have you installed?
• Are you licensed, bonded, and insured, and do you hold certifications?
• What certifications do your installers hold, and what ongoing training do they receive?
• Do you offer warranty support and service contracts?
• Can you provide me with business and customer references in my area?
• What sort of lead time will there be from the time I write the check until the time my system is producing renewable energy?
• Do you include energy-efficiency and conservation techniques in your site analysis to make sure I get the most out of my RE system?

Renewable Electricity

• Do you have experience with both battery-based and batteryless systems, and on-grid and off-grid systems?
• What different module, turbine, and inverter choices do you offer?
• Do you give an accurate estimate of system production with your quotes?

Wind Electricity

• Do you install tilt-up and fixed towers?
• What are the tallest and shortest towers you’ve installed?
• How do you perform a wind site/resource assessment?
• What turbines have you installed, and what’s your track record for reliability and production?

Hydro Electricity

• How will you measure head and flow?
• Do you work with high-head and low-head systems?
• What sorts of intakes do you install and how have they worked?
• How do you protect the flora and fauna in the streams you work on?

Solar Hot Water

• What types of SHW systems do you install, and what are your preferences?
• Do you use flat-plate collectors, evacuated tubes, or both? Why?
• How do you estimate and measure performance of the systems you install?