Blog Articles
5 Ways to Handle the Rate Tariff
It seems like every few years there is some new module crisis on this ride we call the Solarcoaster (think the current Suniva case, or the anti-dumping case from 2014, or sillicon shortage of 2005 and many more). The biggest challenge is how to handle selling to the...
3 Ways to Apply Sales Tax on Solar Projects
Solar installers and EPCs are construction contractors. Yes, we have different specialties, but if you distill it down into existing categories, “construction contractors” generally fits the bill. Did you know that each state handles sales tax for contractors...
5 Adders You Must Have for a Residential PV System Proposal
The PV industry is still growing at 20% each year and we added 1,000 new jobs each week in 2016. Now that more and more systems are constructed each day, accurate proposals are an absolute key to success. Putting in the right adders is crucial to getting your prices...
5 Steps to Effective Project Debriefing for the PV Industry
So you built a solar array. Nice work! Did you make a profit? As with any industry in construction, especially solar focused, profit is the biggest litmus test of success. Unfortunately, most solar installers don’t have a good handle on this. There is a lot of work...
Inclusions, Exclusions, and Assumptions: Avoiding Project Scope Drop
It’s a bright new year and wow. The solar industry sure expanded in 2016! I can’t believe how much solar capacity was installed. SEIA predicts that a full 14,000 MW of solar capacity was installed (based on the first 3 quarters' performance). That represents a lot...
Residential Job Costing for the Solar Industry
I have been talking a lot about the intricacies of estimating on a commercial level and felt it is time to step back and look at a more residential-centric view. In past articles, I have talked about how much I dislike the price-per-watt metric. I see that the...
Balance of System Volatility and PV System Costs
Hello esteemed readers! As you know, the cost of solar electric systems has plummeted in recent years. A decade ago when I started, the average cost per watt was an unbelievable $8 per watt. Back then, different rebate programs were needed to drive the price down...
Just an Average Pipe: Pricing Out Conduit
Rain is falling on our offices at Powerhouse, Oakland, California, which has me thinking. Wet roofs can be bad business. Good foresight can make those days go smoothly. The right team can save the non-roof work for rainy days. This includes things like hanging the...
Actuals vs. Bids: Using Data to Improve Solar Bidding
This week I want to talk about the benefits of “actual data” (defined as the actual costs and labor hours associated with a specific project) and how it compares to the bids (defined as the costs and labor hours were projected for a specific project). We recently...