In their October 2012 issue, Consumer Reports investigates "Scamnation" - which includes an investigation of the solar industry. The investigation includes some very good points; however, we disagree with some of the statements that were made. The following is SALT Service, Inc's response to the article:
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Good points were made in the October article
"Scamnation". Concerning solar, our company, SALT Service Inc.
, located in the Florida Keys, has been in the solar business for over 20
years. As a state licensed contractor, we are equally concerned
about the lack of integrity associated with substandard product, thumbnail
engineering and incompetent workmanship. This only adds to the challenge
of designing for corrosion and 180 mph wind code, further pushing the disparity
between the cost of a well engineered system and one that is sold simply on
dollars per watt. However, you did your readers a disservice implying
that purchasing a solar system is the equivalent of 30 - 40 years worth of
electricity in advance. Solar system prices have decreased by 26% from
2009 to 2010 and then another 11% in the first half of 2011, so your
calculations are not reflective of current costs. When you couple that
with a 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit and possible state or local utility
rebates, most solar systems can show an ROI of 6 - 8% and a pay back in less
than 12 years. Consumers purchase vehicles at similar costs to solar
systems then pay for fuel, maintenance and suffer depreciation of the car's
value from the first day of purchase. Solar systems are warranted for 25
years, require little to no maintenance and reduce your electric bills.
We agree that there are scam agents out there and we have been
called to repair several systems installed by out-of-towners who are now out of
business. Consumers should carefully consider the location of any
home improvement vendor.
Finally, to your suggestion to pay no more than 10% or $1000 up
front, we cannot even get an engineered plan to submit for a building permit for
under $1000, so a down payment must be sufficient to pay for the engineering
and site specific equipment. We appreciate your diligence in watching out
for unscrupulous business practices in the solar industry, please feel free to
contact us for any further insights.
Best
Regards,
Bob
Williams
SALT Service, Inc.
