How to hire a solar energy company?

You may have heard that having solar energy at home is a good deal. We're not talking about traditional water heating systems, but rather photovoltaic systems — which allow you to produce electricity from sunlight.

Photovoltaic systems for generating electricity are already a reality in Brazil and provide savings on electricity bills for thousands of residential, commercial and rural consumers.

A installation of a photovoltaic system on the roof of your home or business is a quick and relatively simple process, but it must be carried out with some care and by qualified professionals.

Can I install my solar system myself?

The answer is usually “no”. Installing a photovoltaic solar energy system requires an engineering project. This project must be submitted to the electricity company for approval, which requires the responsibility of an engineer or an electrical technician. Finally, once everything is approved, the installation of the photovoltaic system on your roof must be carried out by qualified professionals.

So, unless you are an engineer or technician, we do not recommend – and do not think it is possible – that you install your own system. photovoltaic solar energy.

Fortunately, they exist in all parts of Brazil installation companies or photovoltaic system integrators that specialize in providing solar energy systems for electricity generation.

How to choose the solar energy company?

The first step to having solar energy in your home or business is Hire a company specialized in photovoltaic systems, which will design the most appropriate photovoltaic system for your needs.

Companies that supply residential photovoltaic systems are called integrators or installers.

It is recommended to look for a company in your city or region. THE Canal Solar provides a Company Guide that you can consult.

With so many options, choosing a good supplier for your solar energy system is often not an easy task. Throughout Brazil there are small, medium and large companies, with options for terms and prices that tend to not be very different (even so, you should do your research).

The main difference you may find in companies that supply photovoltaic systems is related to the quality of the products and services offered. Before hiring a company, follow these very simple guidelines:

• Search for companies in your city or region;
• Search among neighbors and acquaintances who already have photovoltaic systems. Seek recommendations from friends and neighbors;
• Check the level of satisfaction of these people with the photovoltaic systems that were provided;
• If you do not have any information, ask the company for information about other systems that have already been installed;
• If possible, ask to visit a system already provided by the company. This tip is especially important depending on the size of the investment you are going to make;
• Check if the company has a registered technical manager CREA (Regional Engineering and Agronomy Council) or at the CFT (Federal Council of Technicians);
• Ask whether the company's employees have received training at schools specializing in photovoltaic solar energy;
• Ask how long this company has been in the market and how many photovoltaic systems it has installed;
• Ask whether the company uses software to design the photovoltaic system. Some of the best-known software programs are: PVSyst and Solergo;
• Ask whether the company carries out shading and energy production studies before installing;
• If the company refuses to provide all this very simple information or answer your questions: be suspicious!
• Demand that the company carry out the step-by-step process for defining the photovoltaic system shown below for you.

Step by step to define the photovoltaic system

The contracted company must take the following precautions to design the photovoltaic system for your residence:

• Analyze the area available on the roof for installing photovoltaic panels.
• Analyze the type of roof (ceramic, metal, slab) to define the best method for installing photovoltaic panels.
• Evaluate the location available for installing the inverter and stringbox, in order to provide good ventilation for these components.
• Analyze your electricity bills from the last 12 months to calculate your home's average electricity consumption.
• Size the photovoltaic system according to your average monthly consumption, allowing an almost total or partial reduction in your electricity bill.

After analyzing your needs and the area available for installing the solar panels, the chosen company will make a commercial proposal for the supply of the photovoltaic system.

Commercial proposal and supply contract

After accepting the proposal, you must sign a contract with the company for the installation of the system, with agreed values ​​and deadlines, among other details.

It is necessary to require the company to provide the following items in the commercial proposal and purchase and sale contract:

• Clear information showing the (estimated) amount of energy that will be produced by the solar system;
• It is desirable that the company provides, together with the proposal, a sizing report carried out with the support of software, taking into account the special characteristics of your roof or your land;
• List of brands, models and quantities of each component of the photovoltaic system supplied;
• Information about the installation period and warranty period of the equipment that will be supplied;
• Clear information that the company is responsible for delivering the system in perfect working order, until the completion of the approval process at the electricity concessionaire;
• Commitment to provide technical drawings and a descriptive report of the system you are purchasing — this will be necessary for future maintenance;
• Total cost of supply and implementation of the solar system.

Any installation and readjustment costs required to implement the photovoltaic system must be included in the proposal (or must be agreed between the client and the company).

Approval of the photovoltaic system at the dealership

In the installation service, the company must include the approval process of the photovoltaic system at the dealership.

This process consists of presenting the system documentation to the energy concessionaire, which will evaluate the project and grant approval.

After approval, the electricity company will arrange for the energy meter to be changed in your home or business. A bi-directional energy meter will be installed on your entrance post.

The cost of replacing the meter is free for households. For customers with solar systems above 75 kW, the meter replacement will be paid for by the consumer. In addition, in systems above this power, it may be necessary to install additional safety devices.

The company responsible for installing the photovoltaic system must foresee all of this and must pass all costs on to the customer. All installation and adaptation costs must be included or foreseen in the commercial proposal and in the supply contract.

After the inspection and replacement of the meter, you will receive authorization to connect the photovoltaic system. The installation company must take care of all these steps, delivering to you the photovoltaic system in operation and already approved by the electricity provider.