Description:

Nickels Energy Solutions Installed the three, free-standing solar arrays shown in their video link taken by a drone early this spring, Tomlinson Solar Project .

Experience with Installer:

Throughout the process of design, acceptance, permitting, installation, and follow-up, we found Kevin and Steve to be very responsive, knowledgeable. We had several restrictions. Specifically, we wanted to buy as much of the materials as possible from American manufacturers and we were the first solar system for a new town board process for permitting solar systems that was ridiculously complex and time consuming (the paperwork was probably conceived for a commercial installation). The Nickels team researched possible reliable US manufacturers and provided data sheets for us to choose from. Once chosen, the design was tweaked several times to accommodate the new manufacturers’ parts and our needs. The town board delayed the installation of our system to allow their members time to review the massive amount of documentation they requested and our system was installed in the fall rather than the peak summer season as it was originally planned. Nickels Energy worked around every obstacle, putting in the time and effort, requiring no addition fees, even though significant additional engineering, travel, administrative, and clerical time was required. They attended the town planning board meeting and worked through all the details with the board, requiring just minor support from us. After the system was functioning, they changed out a few of the inverters that weren’t reporting usage. In short, they are the best! And, it is great just paying National Grid the delivery fee and still enjoying the heat and air conditioning!

Additional Notes:

When it comes to ground mounts, there are many different options to consider for the racking solution: Traditional, Ballasted or Pole Mounts. This homeowner showed interest in the Pole Mount option for a few reasons. First of all, these Pole Mounts have the ability to tilt up and down. By increasing the tilt angle of the solar panels in the winter, the solar panels will have better production. The increased tilt improves winter production because snow will slide off the solar panels faster. Another nice selling point for the Pole Mounts was that the product is manufactured by an American company, MT Solar. We also provided the homeowner with an American solar panel, manufactured by Mission Solar in Texas. This system was designed to provide the homeowner with slightly more 100% of their electric needs.

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