American Solar Partners
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Author: Kaitlyn Short
American Solar Partners helps residential and commercial clients interested in utilizing solar power harness energy from the sun by offering flexible installation solutions. The company services clients throughout the east coast, offering services in the following states and districts: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The company works with trained contractors to install solar systems throughout all of these states and areas.
In order to ensure continued solar production, American Solar Partners offers solar monitoring solutions to its clients. This allows solar users to see how much energy is being produced, used, and stored over time. This feature will also alert American Solar Partners clients if the system is not working properly for any reason.
The professionals at American Solar Partners will work with all clients to access available tax incentives and other rebates to make solar ownership a more viable option. The company has done extensive work for a number of unions, including the IBEW, TWU, PEF, 1199, UFT, NYSUT, CSEA and has even done installation work for their friends and families.
Top Ranked Companies
The Good
- Flat Roof Installation
- Ground Mounting Available
- Urban Solutions
Flat Roof Installation
There are many solar companies that require the perfect roof with ideal set up in order to provide cut and dry installation. This disqualifies a number of interested solar clients as the roof is not structured in such a way that the contractor feels comfortable carrying out the project.
It is also difficult for solar dealers that only offer one brand of solar equipment because some equipment is better suited for certain roof layouts than others.
This is an area where American Solar Partners excels because the company has worked with such a wide range of client types and devised reliable solutions when roofs take on varying pitches. A growing number of solar companies will not install solar systems on flat roofs.
On the east coast in particular, there are a number of instances where flat roofs are common. Rather than disqualify customers with flat roofs from solar installation, American Solar Partners have found ways to come up with solutions that work on various roof pitches.
Ground Mounting Available
In order to maximize system productions, there needs to be limited blocking of panels' access to the sun and it is ideal when homes face a certain direction in order to maximize sun exposure. If roofs or exposure needs are not met, many solar companies will move on from a client citing the inability to work around these limitations.
American Solar Partners does not disqualify potential clients due to roof obstructions or exposure layouts. Instead, the company will offer ground mounting solutions where applicable. In these instances, American Solar Partners will install a different racking structure and put the solar panels directly on this structure somewhere on the property. This way clients can set up the system for optimal sun exposure and generate the most electricity.
Urban Solutions
A vast majority of the solar industry is focused on traditional residential and commercial clients. This is the solar bread and butter and not many companies dare to expand beyond these types of customers. American Solar Partners, however, continuously works to make solar an option for those wanting to harness the power of the sun - not just offering services to those that meet ideal circumstances.
One example of this is the fact that American Solar Partners provides urban solutions to clients in more “city” type structures. Whether it is apartment buildings, condominiums, or tall townhomes, American Solar Partners will work with these clients to devise reliable solar solutions.
The Bad
- Ownership Required
- Third-Party Installation Outsourcing
- Undisclosed Equipment and Warranty Information
Ownership Required
One of the more unique limitations of the American Solar Partners service is the fact that the company solely works with clients that are prepared for solar ownership. That means that all American Solar Partners prospective clients need to be prepared to purchase the system outright in order to qualify for the company’s services. While there are admirable aspects of solar ownership, the reality is that most people are unable to pay for the solar commodity out of pocket.
American Solar Partners will help clients access incentives and other tax rebates to make the solar installation and purchasing process more affordable, but clients should still expect to pay thousands of dollars to have a full system installed. Many prospective solar clients rely on purchasing options in order to finance or lease a system, but that is simply not an option available through American Solar Partners.
Third-Party Installation Outsourcing
It is unclear whether or not American Solar Partners itself has in-house professional technicians qualified to handle solar installation. However, the company does make note that in order to fulfill requests throughout its service area, the company does work with trained contractors to perform the installation for various projects.
For many solar clients that have worked with solar sales companies where third party installation was involved, a number of issues came into effect. Since there are so many moving parts, there were communication lapses and difficulty determining fault when issues were presented. American Solar Partners is not exempt from these issues as previous clients have reported similar complications.
Undisclosed Equipment and Warranty Information
A key component in evaluating the quality of a solar service is comparing equipment used and warranties offered to clients. Most solar companies will disclose all of this information including brand and equipment manufacturer partnerships and the details of protections or guarantees available to clients. This allows prospective customers the opportunity to have a host of service and product information to make an informed purchasing decision.
Unfortunately for interested American Solar Partners clients, this information is not publicly available. There is no information on the brands used in the solar sale or installation. There is mention of offering warranties, but the details are not disclosed. It is odd to keep this information from interested parties, especially since most of the industry willingly offers this information for research purposes.
The Bottom Line
American Solar Partners has been incredibly flexible in terms of working with a wide range of clients and structure types to make solar a viable option. For example, those with flat roofs or difficult pitched structures, American Solar Partners has successfully come up with designs and technology that makes solar power possible under these circumstances.
Additionally, clients that are unable to utilize traditional roof installation, ground mounting is also offered where American Solar Partners will create a structure to install panels. The company has also found ways to service urban clients that are not regularly offered solar solutions by competitors within the solar space.
Despite offering flexibility in the installation realm of the solar industry, American Solar Partners is rather limited in other areas of operation. For example, American Solar Partners solely works with those that can purchase the system outright. There are no leasing or power purchasing agreements available to prospective clients.
The company also outsources installation projects to third-party contractors, disrupting the communication and fault flow. Lastly, there is no public information about the warranty details or equipment used in American Solar Partners projects despite most solar companies making this information readily available.
Clients that have difficult roof pitches or obstructed access to sunlight may want to consider American Solar Partners for its installation flexibility. However, those unable to purchase the system upfront will want to consider an alternative provider.
