Mann Solar
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Author: Kaitlyn Short
Mann Solar is a solar sales company based in Lexington, Kentucky. The team works to locate the best renewable energy source products at the best rates for clients. Mann Solar sells solar panels, grid-tied equipment, off-grid equipment, racking, and solar accessories directly to the consumer.
To date, Mann Solar has sold nearly 4,200 solar panels to more than 300 different clients. Clients have been residential property owners, commercial property owners, and specialty customers including off-grid and agriculture clients.
Currently, Mann Solar services Lexington, Kentucky and Duluth, Georgia. Since the company does not provide installation services in-house, customers are expected to either pick up their purchased solar equipment or have it shipped directly to the property for installation.
Top Ranked Companies
The Good
- Comprehensive Sales Services
- Customized Process
- Broad Inventory
- Up-Front Pricing
Comprehensive Sales Services
Mann Solar offers comprehensive solar sales services to its clients. While Mann Solar will help identify installation services for clients, it is not necessarily part of the the company's services, which include the following:
- System design — Mann Solar will design a system that fits the property needs. The systems are designed to fit the space, energy demand, budget, and any other requirements. Mann Solar will help throughout the entire process.
- Tax credit assistance — The Mann Solar team can show clients the best ways to make the most of solar investments. With available tax credits, a new solar system can quickly pay for itself.
- Consultation services — Clients looking for consultation services for system confirmation purposes will be able to use the Mann Solar team.
Customized Process
The Mann Solar process is a little bit different from most solar companies due in part to the fact that the company does not actually perform installation services. The Mann Solar process includes the following:
- Consultation — Once the consultation is complete, clients will have all concerns and questions addressed and answered.
- System design — The Mann Solar expert solar engineers will customize a system catered to the property’s specific needs.
- Payment and processing — Mann Solar will securely process payment and start preparing items for shipping.
- Delivery and support — Mann Solar will deliver, or the client can pick the system up to cut costs, and provide any necessary support after the sale.
The Mann Solar process allows for a completely one-on-one experience for the client. The Mann Solar team will walk clients through the entire sale up until the system is retrieved or delivered.
Broad Inventory
One of the biggest draws to the Mann Solar platform is the fact that the company has its own warehouses with solar equipment on hand ready to be installed. Mann Solar has solar panels, grid-tied equipment, off-grid equipment, racking, and solar accessories ready to be delivered and installed. Inventory includes:
- Solar Panels — Brands include SunTech, Solarever, Q. Cells, SunPower, Longi, and Siemens
- Grid-Tied Equipment — Brands include Enphase, Huawei, SolarEdge, SMA, Sol-Ark, and Yaskawa
- Off-Grid Equipment — Brands include Alpha Power, Epever, UPower, Growatt, Sol-Ark, and ViewStar
- Racking — Brands include Generic, IronRidge, QuickMount, SnapNrack, and UniRac
- Accessories — Brands include Amphenol, Enphase, and Midnite Solar
Mann Solar has inventory from more brands than typical solar companies. Usually a solar company only is trained or certified in installing a certain brand of equipment. Mann Solar does not have this same issue and provides a much larger variety of equipment to clients.
Up-Front Pricing
Mann Solar provides clear and up-front pricing on all solar equipment. This is not seen in the solar industry. Typically, prospective clients will need to reach out and go through the consultation process in order to get a quote or an idea of how much solar will cost them. Mann Solar has opted to disclose all equipment pricing making it easier for prospective solar clients to determine what equipment works best for their property and budget.
The Bad
- No Financing Options
- Customer Installation
No Financing Options
Most residential property owners can expect to pay an average of $15,000–$25,000 for solar equipment and subsequent installation and monitoring services. While installation and monitoring does cost some money, the vast majority of the expense goes into purchasing the actual solar equipment. Since solar equipment is an investment, most solar companies offer financing options either through loan or PPA programs.
Mann Solar does not offer financing options to its clients, but instead helps customers access local and federal tax incentives to offset the steep costs. However, if a Mann Solar client, even after accessing tax incentives, cannot afford the system, no other financing options are available to them.
Customer Installation
A vast majority of solar companies handle the entire solar process, meaning one company will handle the sale, installation, and typically the monitoring and repair services moving forward. Mann Solar only handles the sale portion of the solar process; installation of the actual system is not part of its offerings.
Many Mann Solar clients do the installation on their own, which does cut the costs of putting in a solar system. However, since there is no workmanship warranty, any installation issue will come at the client’s expense. Mann Solar will help clients obtain third-party installation help if they do not feel they can install it on their own, but the company itself does not offer installation services.
The Bottom Line
Mann Solar diligently works to find the right equipment at the right price for every solar client. The Mann Solar sales and consultation services have proven to help clients identify exactly what solar equipment is needed to access clean, renewable energy. The Mann Solar process has helped hundreds of clients, and the steady stream of inventory and up-front pricing disclosures makes the entire process from sale to operation timely and seamless.
While there is a lot to respect in terms of the Mann Solar sales process, prospective solar clients should be aware of a few issues. The company offers no financing options and instead relies on clients to take advantage of tax incentive programs to finance solar equipment. Additionally, Mann Solar does not offer in-house installation, so a third party or the client will need to handle that process.
Clients looking to cut out installation costs and access solar equipment right away would find Mann Solar to be a helpful and reliable service. Most solar clients are looking for a company to manage the sale and installation, so a different solar company would be the best option for these clients.
