The Boulders is an environmentally friendly apartment complex located in Boulder, CO. In the summer of 2010, Bella Energy helped install 99 kW of solar energy systems across 9 buildings. Combined these systems help lower the carbon footprint of their operations by over 225,000 pounds per year. Thanks to Bella Energy’s commercial solar installation, The Boulders powers much of their outdoor lighting and clubhouse facility with free, clean, renewable energy.

In addition to bolstering their environmental branding, the commercial solar pv system also provides significant financial savings to the property owners. This helps keeps costs low and prices attractive in the highly competitive Boulder rental industry. To learn more about how your company can save money and bolster your sustainable identity request your free solar energy consultation…

What should I look for in a solar company? from Bella Energy on Vimeo.

Transcript for: Ask a Solar Expert: What should I look for in a solar company?

There are a number of factors that differentiate various companies as a quality solar company. Before there were incentives around that came through with Amendment 37 in late 2004, there were only about 6 companies that did exclusively photovoltaic systems in the state of Colorado. Now there is over 220, last I counted, last I checked with the COSEIA website. And so to know that your company will be around long enough to honor it’s 10 year or 5 year parts and labor guarantee is a very valuable piece of mind.

We’ve had an influx of companies from other states, we’ve also had a number of contractors that used to do something else now they’re doing solar. Solar isn’t rocket science by any means, but it is something that when it comes to technical trouble shooting you’ll be very glad you have a company that knows what they are doing. Part of that is a certification, NABCEP which stands for North American Board Certified Energy Practitioner. It is an absolute “bear” of an exam, it is an installation exam that takes quite a bit of qualifications in order to achieve that status. I myself have NABCEP certification as do 7 others in Bella Energy, and it says that we know what we are doing. Now, I’m not an installer, I’m in sales and I believe it really benefits me in my sales because I know exactly the bits and pieces that come together to make a system work.

Having a Colorado company means that we have roots here that extend beyond solar. We’ve got roots because we live here and are from here. We’re not from somewhere else and will possibly pull up tent stakes if incentives go away and the market shrinks. Having a company with over 29 to 30 years experience working exclusively with solar in the State of Colorado, having the first grid tied system and the first commercial system in the State of Colorado I think really differentiates Bella Energy as a leader and a company that should be considered.

In summary, of what to look for in a company for solar. I would say that having the proper certifications including COSEIA, the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association certification is an absolute minimum. NABCEP certification, North America Board Certified Energy Practitioner is a little bit above and beyond but should be considered in that does your selected solar company have at least one person that is NABCEP or COSEIA certified? That they are a Colorado company, if that’s important to you. If they appear to be a company that will be around here in your area, IE the Denver, Boulder, Metro Area in 10 year’s time to honor their warranty, that is of huge value. Obviously price is a concern for most people. You don’t have to be the lowest price, but you do have to be in the “right” range in comparison to other bids. And of course buying and using products that are made in America. It’s becoming more and more of a catchword. We use products that are made in America form the panels to the racking to the inverters, and we have bits, pieces and parts from all over the world but the majority of what we use is made in the United States, assembled, manufactured in the United States. So if those are important things to you, make sure you have them on your selection criteria for a quality solar company.