HOW ARE WE DIFFERENT?

No Pressure, Step-by-Step Process. We can email you an estimate, if you are interested a system designer will visit your house to answer further questions and measure your roof.

Renewable Energy Companies

estimate-processWe don’t have any highly commissioned salesmen whose cost we pass on to you, and this allows us to provide superior workmanship using the highest quality materials at the lowest price possible.

We don’t want to be intrusive nor waste your time.  If you are interested or have any questions, we can start with a simple phone call or email.  We promise we will NOT repeatedly contact you, nor sell your contact information to others.  Let us know your average monthly usage or electricity bill for a free estimate and financial analysis, including the Return on Investment (ROI) and payback time.

After receiving our estimate and you would like to consider solar with us, the next step would be to take measurements and asses the site.  Of course, it’s free with no obligations.  At that time our system designer can explain how we are different from the other solar companies, why our workmanship is superior, and answer any questions you might have.  The system designer is NOT a salesman and will not try to make you sign up for anything.  We also don’t demand that all the home/property owners be present.  The meeting can take as little as 15 minutes, and take place outside your house.  We will then email you our findings and a quote so you can start saving today!

installation-smOnce you select us as you solar provider, we will generate the documents necessary and submit them for the municipal building permit.  As soon as the building permit is approved, we will schedule the installation of your solar system.

It is best to install a solar system on a roof that is in good condition and will not require replacing or fixing for a while.

Have your roof thoroughly inspected.  The cost of having your roof inspected can be added on to your cost of going solar, which makes it eligible for a 30% Federal Tax Credit.

Have any roof work that needs to be done take place before the actual install of the solar system.  This way, the labor cost of the roof work can also be added on to the overall cost of going solar and be eligible for the 30% Federal Tax Credit.

Our focus is on a quality installation team and we use only in-house trained installers.  Unlike many other solar companies that subcontract out the installation work, we do not subcontract out the solar installation work to any other third party.

We are also unlike many other solar companies as we have no intent to “knock out” the installation as fast as possible to save money.  We take our time to ensure the solar system we install is aesthetically the best and the cleanest looking it can be.

We will also be present for any municipal inspections that is carried out and will immediately make any adjustments that need to be made to pass inspection.

After the installation of the solar system, the next step is setting up the monitoring system (if using Enphase micro-inverters) and showing you how to monitor your own system.

Finally, we will process the necessary work that is required for you to be interconnected with PG&E.

qualityequipment

We believe in providing solar systems that uses the best solar panels and inverters in the market that provides the highest quality, performance, longevity and long-term warranties.  This ensures the best return on your investment.  The following are some of the panels and inverter we use.

LG SOLAR PANELS:  You probably already own some electronic product made by LG.  With more than 50 years of experience as a global pioneer in electronics technology, LG Electronics is known for their high quality electronic products.  Backed by 25 years of research and development far surpassing industry standards, LG Solar’s photovoltaic modules are designed to offer the superior quality, field tested performance, durability and reliability customers the world over have come to expect from LG.  To learn more about LG solar panels, click here.

SOLAR WORLD PANELS:  With its U.S. headquarters in Hillsboro, Oregon, Solar World dedicates itself exclusively to the business of solar energy and is one of the world’s largest solar-technology producers and the largest U.S. solar panel manufacturer for over 40 years.  To learn more about Solar World, click here.

ENPHASE MICROINVERTER: Based out of Petaluma, California, Enphase Energy is the first company to successfully engage in designing, developing, manufacturing and selling solar micro-inverter systems.  Micro-inverters have several advantages over conventional inverters.  Each micro-inverter connects to a single solar panel so, unlike conventional string and central inverters, if there is a dirty, shaded or problem panel, the rest of the system keeps running smoothly.  To learn more about Enphase Energy, click here.

panel-cleaningWith regular rain, the solar panels are generally self-cleaning.

However, when there is little rain, the panel tilt is minimal, or they are located in a dusty area (e.g. near farms or vineyards), or if there are other factors that might dirty the panels (e.g. bird droppings), it may be a good idea to clean the panels once every year or two.

Dirty solar panels can reduce the solar system’s performance by up to 25 percent, which means a decrease in the electricity produced and your return on investment.

If the solar panels are easily and safely accessible, we recommend trying cleaning them yourself!

Avoid cleaning them when the weather is hot since the water can evaporate quickly and leave streaks.  Best time to clean them is early in the morning before the sun gets hot.

Make sure to shut down the system before you start cleaning, use a good quality soft brush and squeegee on a long enough handle with an extension, make sure your hose can reach the panels, and use an environmentally safe detergent (e.g. mild dishwashing soap).

However, you still may want to hire someone to do the cleaning.  You can consider hiring a handyman, a window cleaner or a solar company to do the work.

Green Stock Solar provides solar panel cleaning service in Napa County and the North Bay Area.

One advantage of hiring Green Stock Solar to clean your panels is that we will also do a visual check-up of your solar system.

What maintenance?

Some solar companies, especially those that provide solar leasing, make a big deal that they will take care of all maintenance (except cleaning) throughout the lifetime of the system they installed.  It might sound good, but what does it really mean?  A properly installed solar system requires virtually no maintenance other than a good cleaning every year or two.  The premium solar panels, as well as the Enphase micro-inverters we use, have a manufacturer’s warranty of 25 years and are expected to last over 40 years without requiring any regular maintenance.

The two major components of a solar system consists of the solar photovoltaic panels and the inverter(s).

The panels we use all carry a manufacturer’s warranty of 25 years, which is the industry standard for premium solar panels.

The Enphase micro-inverters we us also carry a manufacturer’s warranty of 25 years, which by far exceeds the central inverter’s standard warranty of 10 years.

Green Stock Solar also provides a workmanship warranty of 10 years.

The above will cover most anything that might go wrong with the system.  If you want additional assurance, adding the system to your property insurance can cover anything else that might happen