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How To
Find A Dealer and Get Started?
After
you have joined the LSES,
listed your loads,
determined
your budget, and decided
your goals, you're ready for the next step--find a dealer and get it
going!
How to find a qualified dealer:
A. The
easiest way is to select a dealer. Use
www.find-solar.org.
B. Check out the dealer's website. Do they
have photos of their installments; are they stock photos or actual pictures?
You can tell a lot from a website.
C. Go see an installation. If you can't make the trip, pictures are OK.
D. Verify that the installer is experienced. See
how long the dealer has been in business.
E. Make sure the dealer has a Louisiana Solar
Contractor license. Go to
Louisiana Solar
Contractor license,
click on Search by Type of Contractor, then click on
Commercial, and scroll down till you find Specialty: Solar Energy Equipment.
That should take you to all the licensed contractors in the state. If your dealer does not have this license, you can not
get the tax credit for the installation!
F. Make sure the dealer has a legitimate business.
Enter the business name
on this website
Louisiana
Corporation Database, to make sure they are listed. Some dealers have a license to install,
but don't have a business.
G. When you decide to call a dealer and get
started carefully read over the contract. If the dealer asks for all the
money up front instead of half now, half later, be suspect!
H. Finally, check the location of the dealer.
Where is their business located? Make sure they aren't working our of
their car, but have a legitimate office.
A
dealer can help you with all phases of going solar including selection,
sales, installation, warranty, and service. A dealer can also help
you with the sale of used equipment if you decide to upgrade in the future.
A dealer should be able to get you good prices on your equipment.
If
you are a do-it-your-selfer you can go the mail-order route. If you
know what you need and just want to do the installation yourself, contact
4LOTS.
They are located in
Jefferson, Louisiana!
***
The reason I say "get it going" is that there are people that can buy the
equipment but for one reason or the other, never hook it up. It could
be because one of the following reasons:
A.
Procrastination - the main reason things don't get done
B.
A question on how something connects
C.
A mounting dilemma or lack of mounting hardware
D.
Fear of permanently modifying the home
E.
Fear of connecting to the A/C power in the home
(If
you picked one or more you may need dealer help)
Whatever
the reason for purchasing but not installing, it can usually be easily
solved. Email for help now and don't put off the benefits of solar
another day.
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