National vs Local Solar Installer: How to Choose

Do I Choose a Local or National Solar Installer?

When you’re shopping for a solar installer, you’re often comparing apples to oranges and trying to understand who has the best products, the best quality, all with the highest level of service.  

One of the biggest differences between companies you’ll find when you start shopping is that there are small, local installers, and there are some big, national solar installers.  When choosing a solar installer, one of the biggest questions you’ll come up against is: should I go with a national or local solar installer?  

In terms of quality and level of service, some overarching themes differentiate local from national solar companies.  In this blog, we’ll address those differences to help you make an informed decision.  

Kokosing Solar falls into the local solar installer category. We will describe below the advantages that give us the best of both worlds.  

Quality

Would you be willing to pay a little more if you knew that your chosen company would give you a better solar system?

Local Installers have better ratings. Why? They care a lot about the work they do. Local installers have dedicated full-time employees who live and work in your community.

Large national installers might have offices in various states, but they don’t always have dedicated solar installation crews in your area. For that reason, a lot of their work is subcontracted. These subcontracted workers have unknown and varying experience and training levels. They have a different relationship with the larger company and are therefore less accountable to the quality of craftsmanship when they install solar on your home.

When you work with a local contractor, they have a vested interest in seeing your solar system succeed. They’re hoping you refer them to friends and family. They want your neighbors to think your system is beautiful and consider going solar themselves. They want to employ your neighbors in well-paid, green energy jobs.

To seal the deal, Kokosing Solar offers a 20-year Workmanship Warranty on our labor.

Local installers often use higher quality brands because of the personal responsibility they feel over their work. This reduces any long-term solar maintenance costs for buyers and increases the life expectancy of solar panels and equipment.

Third Sun Kokosing Solar is a full turnkey solar installer. We take care of sales, design, interconnection, permitting, and installation. And we do it all in-house. Our whole team (including our vital installation team) are full-time workers with benefits, PTO, and training and growth paths in our company.

Meet our team! Our locally based solar team is ready to help you understand the solar pricing we provide and if you have any questions as you compare all your apples and oranges quotes!

Jamey
Jones


Solar Consultant

Drew Bialko


Solar Consultant

John
Miller


Solar Consultant

Service

While a solar system is very low maintenance with no moving parts, there are occasionally issues that may arise. In this case, your system will need to be serviced by a dedicated solar service technician. While the equipment warranties are long – often 25+ years – knowing that your solar installer will be around to support you should any equipment warranty or other issues arise is vital.  

As various unknown solar companies continue to enter Ohio, we increasingly get calls from homeowners who need their systems serviced by installers who no longer exist. We hear about faulty products installed by non-licensed electricians, voiding product warranties.  You’ll see these stories, too, as you read some of the one-star reviews left by disgruntled customers of these various companies. 

Always check to see if your installer has a dedicated service team and will be there for you after your installation. 

You can reach our service team by chatting in on our website or calling us at 740-249-4533. 

Conclusion 

Third Sun Kokosing solar brings over 20 years of residential solar installation experience to your home. Beyond that, we have the size and resources of Kokosing Industrial, one of the largest contractors in the Midwest.  

We’re one of 71 members of the Amicus Solar Cooperative, which allows us to pool our purchasing power and get products for prices that the huge national installers are getting them at. This innovative collaboration between quality solar energy companies from across the nation gives us the combined purchasing power of one of the largest national companies while maintaining the personal customer focus and nimbleness of a small local business. 

Our business design allows us to instill the confidence in our customers that we have the resources to offer the best products, highest level of craftsmanship, and the best service. And that we’ll be around for the next 20, 30, 40 years, when and if they need us.  

 

Reach out today to begin your solar journey with Kokosing Solar, your trusted solar partner.  

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