Nova Solar

• Equipment Partners
• Net Metering Solutions
• NABCEP Certification
• Service Area

Equipment Partners

One key determining factor for many researching solar customers is what equipment a solar installation company has access to. This can be through certified installer programs or equipment partnership. Either way, the technology a solar company uses in its installation is imperative.

However, many solar companies that partner with an equipment manufacturer will solely offer that company’s products in its installations. This can limit options for some solar clients. With Nova Solar, clients get the best of both worlds as Nova Solar is a certified installer for certain equipment providers while also having partnerships with other companies to provide options to clients. 

For solar panels, Nove Solar is a certified solar professional for REC. Specifically, the company installs REC 360AA Alpha Black Series solar panels. These panels have been tried and tested to ensure productivity even in harsh conditions. If REC panels do not work for a particular project, Nova Solar clients can also turn to the quality Q Cells solar panel technology.

As for microinverters, Noval Solar clients can choose between Enphase and SolarEdge. In addition to providing top tier inverters in its installations, Nova Solar also has the ability to install the SolarEdge Power Optimizer which drastically improves energy production for systems with varying pitch, azimuths, and shading limitations. 

Net Metering Solutions

To offset the initial investment that solar customers make to have the system installed, Nova Solar will help each interested client utilize net metering programs in their respective states. Net metering programs enable solar owners to receive credit for excess electricity generated by their solar system. This unused energy is essentially “sold” back to the grid to power other properties. Any net excess generation in one billing cycle will then be applied to future months.

There may be some months that Nova Solar clients do not have an energy bill to pay at all. Not all solar companies, or states for that matter, offer net metering solutions but Nova Solar does. 

NABCEP Certification

The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners is nationally recognized as the gold standard certification organization within the renewable energy field. In order to attain NABCEP certification, an installer has to demonstrate a high level of skill and knowledge of solar equipment, technology, practices, and techniques. Each project that Nova Solar takes on will include a NABCEP-certified professional.

This goes a long way in ensuring a system is properly installed to maximize energy production. Not all solar companies have a NABCEP-certified installer on staff, let alone a project lead for each solar installation that is NABCEP certified. 

Service Area

A vast majority of solar companies will only service one state or a select few cities within a state. There are a host of reasons for this, but it is not common to find a solar company that serves a larger geographic service area that includes more than one state. One of the benefits of operating on the east coast is that Nova Solar has found a way to expand its services into multiple states, serving Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

• Limited Warranties
• Battery Solutions

Limited Warranties

Due to the financial investment that solar clients make in having a system installed on their property, warranties have become an industry standard as a way of providing peace of mind to customers that have spent a substantial amount of money for the system. Most solar companies offer equipment, production, and/or workmanship warranties.

Generally, the equipment manufacturer will back the equipment or production warranties while the solar installation company itself backs the workmanship warranty. These warranty specifics are also generally made public.

However, Nova Solar clients that utilize REC solar panels will only have access to a limited 20-year product warranty. Most equipment manufacturers offer both a 25-year equipment and manufacturer option. There is also no mention of a workmanship warranty through Nova Solar. 

Battery Solutions

All of the solar systems that the Nova Solar team installs are connected to the local utility grid. This is mainly because the company likes to help clients take advantage of the net metering programs in each state.

However, there are some freedoms that are relinquished when a system is hooked up to the utility grid. First, solar clients become susceptible to grid blackouts as a result of inclement weather or other issues. This is why many solar clients are turning to solar battery and storage solutions.

By having a battery/storage system installed, solar clients are able to store unused energy and use it when a property is no longer in peak sunlight hours. This increases overall energy independence. As a result, most solar installation companies are offering battery or storage solutions to its clients that are compatible with the installed solar system. Unfortunately, Nova Solar does not offer battery or storage solutions to its clients.