Home Outfitted with Solar and a Standby Generator in Ithaca, NY
Challenge
A few years ago, Jeff, an Ithaca, NY area resident, contacted Halco with an interest in solar. Not only have we since installed the solar, but we have worked with him on a multitude of other projects within his home.
Halco was originally contacted by Jeff as part of an evaluation of solar companies. He ultimately decided to work with us because all other companies had set ideas about how his solar should be installed. Everyone was pushing for a roof-mounted array, but Jeff was unwilling to cut mature trees to allow for a roof install. Not only were we willing to do a ground install, but in a recent interview with Jeff, he expressed his pleasure with Halco and our willingness to work directly with the Village of Lansing to overcome access issues in his backyard.
Solution
Once the system was designed and permits were obtained, crews showed up to execute the installation. Due to unforeseen circumstances, including uncooperative clay soil and poor weather conditions, the system took longer to install than anticipated. Nevertheless, Jeff was pleased with Halco throughout the entire process and stated that he was also impressed with the crew’s meticulousness while installing the array.
A year or so later, crews returned to add additional panels to the ground mount and to install more advanced style solar panels on his garage roof. The existing ground solar panels were dismantled, new longer rails were installed, and the new panels were integrated with the old in a design of the customer’s choice. At the same time, we integrated a Generac whole-home standby generator to keep the customer up and running, should the grid go down. Jeff has had two power interruptions since the Generac was installed and was able to maintain power each time. He feels the backup generator has already proven its worth and provides him with peace of mind.
Jeff also has peace of mind knowing he can call on Halco to serve a variety of needs. He stated, “I am amazed at the multitude of tasks Halco crews can perform with efficiency and expertise. If there is something I need done around any of my properties in the future, Halco will get the first call.”
When asked to rate Halco on a scale of 1-10, Jeff stated, “10. I am particularly impressed with the planning that was done for each project. Both the work to be done and the timelines were clearly laid out in advance. Accurate price estimates were prepared, and any unforeseen difficulties were dealt with thoughtfully in consultation with me. All the necessary permits were obtained by Halco. Interactions with NYSEG, NYSERDA and Village of Lansing personnel were sometimes challenging -- but not for me! Halco took care of all of that.”
He went on to share, “Sales staff familiarity with available technology and installation procedures greatly facilitate Halco customer relations. Patient dialog opened by Halco sales staff paves the way for Halco planners to successfully communicate with homeowners who know little of the pros and cons of various projects. This emphasis on planning carries over into other Halco divisions. My experience has been that Halco staff make accurate estimates which avoid unpleasant financial and scheduling surprises during the course of Halco projects. Halco so far has an excellent record of turning my goals into achievements!”
