Solar Installation Process

Who does what?

Site Visit Technician: If we have not already done so, during the next 2 to 4 days, you will receive a call from a Project Coordinator, to schedule a Site Visit. This process verifies the exact dimensions of the proposed installation area, your existing electrical panel, and attic rafters. At this time, our Site Visit Technician will collect relevant site data and photos, pertinent to your project and, depending on the project scope, might have some additional paperwork for you to sign. More-so, the Site Visit Technician will also collect a down payment, providing one is due, per the agreement, if it has not been collected yet, prior to arrival. ElectriCare, Inc. will honor everything written on the agreement and use the Site Visit process to ensure superior service and a smooth installation process.

Production Team: Production times vary from project to project. Generally, the entire solar system design, approval, installation, and inspection process take anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks to be completed. Many outside factors affect this timeline. We would like to take this time and assure you that we do absolutely everything in our power to complete your project as fast as possible. In the event that any outside factors delay your project, we do our best to try and mitigate these delays, as much as possible. Additionally, the Production Team will also handle all of your Interconnection paperwork with your utility, so you don’t have to. In order for ElectriCare, Inc. to act on your behalf with the utility, you might be asked to sign additional paperwork, allowing us to do so. In the event your project has a service panel upgrade, we will provide you with all the necessary information, in order for you to call in for a Meter Sport. Utilities only discuss meter spot information with the homeowner. Please keep in mind, when calling in for a meter spot, that the meter location needs to be clear of any bushes and have direct, unobstructed access. In the event plans or bushes have been planted in front of your electrical meter, you may be asked to remove or relocate them.

Design & Engineering Teams: The design and engineering teams will prepare a plan set, according to the contract and information collected during the initial Site Visit. Once the plan set is prepared, we will contact you for design approval, prior to taking the plan set into the Planning and Building & Safety Departments, respectively, to apply for a permit. Generally, permits are reviewed and approved by the City in 2 to 6 weeks, with very few Building & Safety Departments approving them faster.

Warehouse Personnel: Once all appropriate permits are received, warehouse personnel gathers and stages all required materials, to build your project.  Once all of the material components required to build your solar project arrive at one of our facilities, they are inspected and checked for accuracy. Only then, the solar Production Team will reach out to you, in order to schedule the on-site installation.

Installation Team: On the day of installation, our Crew Leader will introduce himself; do another safety analysis of the job site, confirm the plans against the proposed installation site, and give you a general idea regarding the timeline of the actual installation. Generally, the installation can be done in 1 to 2 days, depending on the size and complexity of your system. If your project includes a service panel upgrade, we add one or two additional days of installation time. Please keep in mind that if your project does include a service panel upgrade, the electrician will need to completely disconnect the power to your home. The electrician will coordinate this with you and give you plenty of notice prior to turning everything off. Once everything is confirmed, the installation process will begin. Please keep in mind that the installers might need access to your attic. They will be respectful of your home and belongings and will do any necessary clean up after themselves, prior to leaving for the day. Upon completing the installation, the Crew Leader will notify you and our office in order to for us to schedule the City Inspection.

Inspectors: At the time of inspection, you will have an ElectriCare, Inc. Inspector present to meet the City Inspector and assist them in walking through the installed system. Most often, ElectriCare, Inc. receives an inspection window from the city, not an exact time. For that reason, we cannot provide an exact time the City Inspector will arrive, on inspection day. Sometimes, depending on the complexity of your project and the applicable Building & Safety Department, multiple inspections may be required. We can assure you that the installation WILL pass final inspection and that the system IS installed per the approved plans. From time to time, the City Inspectors have additional requests. We comply with these requests and remedy any necessary mentions they might have, in the event of a corrections notice. ElectriCare, Inc. will follow all general and local building codes and correct any issues.

PAYMENT & MILESTONES

Down payments for agreed to work are generally collected via ACH, prior to the initial Site Visit. In the event you choose to settle your down payment invoice with a check or cash, this can be collected when the Site Visit Technician arrives, on site. The down payment amount cannot be more than $1000 or 10% of the contract price(whichever is less), per California Contractor’s Law. This down payment, as well as any other progress payments, should be reflected in the payment schedule portion of the agreement.

Progress Payments, per the payment schedule portion of the agreement, are generally collected via ACH however, check and cash payments are also accepted as primary payment methods. Should you choose to write a check, please understand that the following step in the process will not commence until the funds have cleared the bank. Please make all checks payable to ELECTRICARE, INC.

Payment Delays – In the event there are delays on payments due, please keep in mind that your overall project timeline might be affected.

Payment by Credit Card – payments by credit card are considered an alternative payment method and are subject to a convenience fee. These convenience fees will always be communicated to you, prior to payment being made. Should you like to avoid  convenience fees, primary payment methods such as ACH, check and cash are accepted.

MECHANIC LIENS

In the event you receive a preliminary lien notice from one of our equipment suppliers, please do not be alarmed. THIS IS NOT A LIEN on your property. This is a customary notice, notifying you of the involvement of said equipment supplier, in your project. This notice also preserves their right to file a lien at a later time, should they not be paid for the materials supplied. In the event you do receive any such preliminary lien notice, please advise your Project Coordinator that you’d like a release, once final payment has been made.  You will not receive a preliminary lien notice directly from Electricare, Inc. 

Additional Information

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