Although photovoltaic installation work has been a focus of some electrical contractors over the past few years, Bob Eaton, managing partner, Day & Night Solar, Collinsville, Ill., says solar is still a wide-open field for electrical contractors who enjoy working with new products and are willing to take to risk of investing in an emerging market.
As a solar integrator, Eaton says Day & Night Solar can offer contractors a wide range of services, from design and specification to supply and assistance on sales calls. He says even though solar is more popular in some regions of the U.S. due to local financial incentives and cost of electricity, the 30% federal tax credit can help make a PV installation make financial sense anywhere in the United States.
Eaton says some of the applications that will offer the most opportunities in the near future include PV systems mounted on parking canopies, big-box stores and warehouses, and that new roofing systems will integrate PV panels with a building’s roofing. He also believes energy storage systems will big a good avenue for new business, and that regulations that will soon require them in California and Hawaii, which will spark demand for them elsewhere.
