Solar Installers in Denver Colorado to install my own panels and devices

[gbpnkans]

Thanks for creating this forum. It solved my issues which google did not.

I'm trying to see if I get a installer in Denver Area Colorado who can install my solar panels in the roof, create the subpanel to use solar as main power and grid as backup. Did checked on google, I get all quotes from solar companies which did not help.

I would like to procure my own solarpanels and devices. I just need a installer.

 

[SeaGal]

I would like to procure my own solarpanels and devices. I just need a installer.

Maybe it's different in the the USA, but...

Good luck with getting an installer who will install equipment they didn't supply, have knowledge or make a profit on.

Good luck with getting a reputable installer who will install equipment they didn't supply, have knowledge about or make a profit on.

 

[400bird]

I would like to procure my own solarpanels and devices. I just need a installer.

It's a bit like asking an auto repair shop to install parts you purchased online or a restaurant to cook the steak you bring from the grocery store.
Many won't accept the job for a multitude of reasons, the ones that do aren't likely to be the best or will charge you the same amount as of they had supplies the equipment, or they will be bottom of the barrel and totally screw up the job.

Think about how much it screws up the job it they show up and you're short panel mounting hardware or have mismatched hardware. Or the inverter model is one digit off and runs a different MPPT range. The company is going to put resources into getting their team and equipment on site and block out easier profit from a standard job for your job that has so much risk of going sideways.

There is a subforum here, built specifically for requests like this

Need Help? Post your job request here

Live far from others and need some help with your system? Post what you need here and someone may be able to help you out in person.

diysolarforum.com

 

[Supervstech]

As an electrician, i would pull required permits, and install wiring for the panels etc.
You might be able to find a roofing company willing to install your equipment.

 

[timselectric]

Personally, I have no problem doing only part of the job.
(Of course, I only guarantee and warranty my part)
But most companies want all or nothing.

 

[Partimewages]

This is common in comercial work BUT those projects are engineered with drawings and specifications. If you're willing to do the drawings, specifications, and assign responsibilities you would get more interest.

 

[gbpnkans]

Personally, I have no problem doing only part of the job.
(Of course, I only guarantee and warranty my part)
But most companies want all or nothing.

Most of my warranties gone in the air. I don't know whether these solar companies will exist in the next 5 years with the same name.

 

[gbpnkans]

It's a bit like asking an auto repair shop to install parts you purchased online or a restaurant to cook the steak you bring from the grocery store.
Many won't accept the job for a multitude of reasons, the ones that do aren't likely to be the best or will charge you the same amount as of they had supplies the equipment, or they will be bottom of the barrel and totally screw up the job.

Think about how much it screws up the job it they show up and you're short panel mounting hardware or have mismatched hardware. Or the inverter model is one digit off and runs a different MPPT range. The company is going to put resources into getting their team and equipment on site and block out easier profit from a standard job for your job that has so much risk of going sideways.

There is a subforum here, built specifically for requests like this

Need Help? Post your job request here

Live far from others and need some help with your system? Post what you need here and someone may be able to help you out in person.

diysolarforum.com

I do came from a culture where we buy things and give it to a chef to cook. We are in agreement what is needed for chef to perform their job nicely. If such a business solution does not exist we need to create one.

 

[RoyGBiv]

I do came from a culture where we buy things and give it to a chef to cook. We are in agreement what is needed for chef to perform their job nicely. If such a business solution does not exist we need to create one.

Im in the same boat in Littleton. I was willing to pay handsomely to get somebody to replace my dead SMA inverter with one I had purchased new myself. Every single installer I called wanted only to replace the whole damned system or nothing at all. I went and figured it out myself and it wasnt nearly as difficult as I had thought. Took me 4 hours to do while a pro could have done it in 30 minutes as it was literally a 1 for 1 swap. I was offering to pay $300 for the work... no takers. Now I want to swap out the panels and am finding the same difficulty with local installers. I will probably end up doing this myself too, but I will need some conduit work and I for sure cant do that myself... also not excited about doing work on my second story roof. There is literally nobody in the Denver area that will install self bought solar parts... none. Crazy because you could probably charge an arm and a leg for just the skilled labor and have people just sign off on a liability waver of some sort.

 

[Hedges]

If under warranty, SMA pays a fee to whatever installer does the warranty replacement.

Square-D offered a fee to electricians who torqued a screw in their plug-on neutral panels subject to recall.

Touching part of a system and being held liable for failures (even loss of the house in a fire) should scare away most reputable contractors. Imagine replacing panels with MC4 connectors, but the old ones being mated to weren't actually compatible.

There is a large market for talking people into overpriced PV systems and getting the work done by monkeys (consider Walmart's rooftop fires, with MC4 connector manufacturer pointing fingers at installers etc.)

Very small market for installing hardware that people bought themselves.

Components are 50% or 25% of turn-key installed system cost. And that's with the prices I can buy for, not wholesale.

"Sign off on liability"? You must be new here in the US.

Has to be pretty much DIY all the way.

For labor, I have used guys standing around outside Home Depo.
To finish some sheetrock nicely, I got a guy who worked in that department of Home Depot, and had experience.
You may be able to get a worker with experience in the electrical/PV field, who isn't a contractor himself. At least in California, you can pull a permit yourself and have an employee do the work; we buy Worker's Compensation insurance if we don't want to risk losing everything we own including the house.

 

[RoyGBiv]

If under warranty, SMA pays a fee to whatever installer does the warranty replacement.

Square-D offered a fee to electricians who torqued a screw in their plug-on neutral panels subject to recall.

Touching part of a system and being held liable for failures (even loss of the house in a fire) should scare away most reputable contractors. Imagine replacing panels with MC4 connectors, but the old ones being mated to weren't actually compatible.

There is a large market for talking people into overpriced PV systems and getting the work done by monkeys (consider Walmart's rooftop fires, with MC4 connector manufacturer pointing fingers at installers etc.)

Very small market for installing hardware that people bought themselves.

Components are 50% or 25% of turn-key installed system cost. And that's with the prices I can buy for, not wholesale.

"Sign off on liability"? You must be new here in the US.

Has to be pretty much DIY all the way.

For labor, I have used guys standing around outside Home Depo.
To finish some sheetrock nicely, I got a guy who worked in that department of Home Depot, and had experience.
You may be able to get a worker with experience in the electrical/PV field, who isn't a contractor himself. At least in California, you can pull a permit yourself and have an employee do the work; we buy Worker's Compensation insurance if we don't want to risk losing everything we own including the house.

Yeah, I get it, that makes sense. I suppose its best that I know how all this stuff works and I am figuring it out. The next hurdle I suppose is convincing the HOA that I can do the work myself. I really dont like the idea of starting from scratch to modify an existing system, so I guess Im just venting. Id say for anyone else looking at getting a solar system its probably best to go with Tesla or Sunrun so you know your installer will be around in five years in case something goes wrong, otherwise youre gonna need to do the work yourself or start form scratch. Pretty lame, but is what it is. The forum is certain named appropriately, lol.

 

[Bluedog225]

I think getting away from the “solar” business will help. Roofers are good idea. And indi electricians.

You will need to know what needs to be done in some detail before putting them to work. You don’t really want creativity. I’d get them on site and have a meeting at the beginning of the day, at lunch, and close of shift. Make sure it’s going according to plan. Once the work on the roof is done, things are easier.

 

[teal95]

I guess I got really lucky finding a local guy who could pull the permits (building department required licensed electrician to pull permit) and then let me do all the work with periodic inspections to keep me on track. Then when it came time for the formal inspection we found out our local inspector had semi-retired (pulled back to only covering 1 township instead of 4), and the new inspector knew my electrician and basically said if my electrician was good with it, he was also.

 

[Wolfpack7483]

My daughter is a structural engineer in the area (Boulder). She frequently does inspections for rooftop installations. She told me that most of the jurisdictions in the area are pretty strict about requiring the structural OK, prior to allowing installation. I'm across the country, but she's bugging me to get my plans checked out, to add 5 panels to a detached garage.

 

[teal95]

I'm in southern MI close to the Ohio line, so we have snow load for roof structure, I believe 35 PSF. My inspector told me with our snow load the loads from solar are insignificant.

 

[timselectric]

I'm in southern MI close to the Ohio line, so we have snow load for roof structure, I believe 35 PSF. My inspector told me with our snow load the loads from solar are insignificant.

That's my thoughts as well.
I never cleared the snow off of the roof before.
But I do clear the snow off of the solar panels.
So I figure that the weight is a wash. (Actually better)

 

[Wolfpack7483]

I'm thinking that she said wind loading was the major concern.

 

[SeaGal]

Solar panels are so cheap now, we should just use them for building the roof - then you don't have a wind-load issue and most of us will get rid of snow pretty quickly. Bit of mastic to fill those pesky gaps - job done

 

[teal95]

My "installer" said solar components total up to ~2 PSF. Snow loads went by increments of 5.

I haven't seen a method yet that seals up reasonably between panels. When someone comes up with a way to do that then we can forgo having a "roof".

 

[RoyGBiv]

I submitted the change request to my HOA. Told them im only swapping out panels. Actually going from black panels / cells with silver bus bars to entirely black panels (Trina Solar Black) so if anything, in their eyes, its an upgrade aesthetically.

13 years ago they rejected my installers initial proposal because of silver mounting hardware and panel frames with blue cells. Had to spend $500 extra to get black mounting hardware, and panels with black cells / frames. A few years later, the head of the HOA had panels installed, you can probably guess he wasnt restricted the same way. Lots of systems around here now with silver hardware, blue cells.