Florida Solar One Becomes an Unlimited Electrical Contractor
Solar Panel Construction Company Gets EC License
Fort Lauderdale, FL, November 2018 – Florida Solar One, a premier South Florida solar company serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and the Florida Keys, has just been granted an unlimited electrical contractor license. In the great state of Florida, two different types of permits must be pulled from the city: the structural permit and the electrical permit. The building/structural permit is required because the contractor must drill into the roof and attach to the rafters to secure the solar system and prevent it from blowing away during a hurricane. An electrical permit must be obtained because the solar system must be connected to the house’s main electrical panel. A solar contractor can pull the building permit (and plumbing for thermal systems), but only an electrical contractor can get the electrical permit.
“I am extremely excited to have the electrical license”, said Ray Johnson, president and qualifier of Florida Solar One. Ray holds both the solar contractor license and the unlimited electrical contractor license, making him one of the most qualified individuals in the area. “Having this license allows us to keep all of the work in-house and we don’t have to have to sub contract anything to anyone. This helps keep the costs down, which are passed down to the customer”, he added.
A solar system installation typically starts on the roof and works its way down to the main electrical service entrance. A solar contractor can do all the roof penetrations and structural anchoring. The solar contractor can also do all the DC wiring. The solar system produces direct current and the house uses alternating current, so the inverter must convert one form to another. The inverter is then connected to the main house, which is where the electrical contractor must come in. The electrical contractor picks up from the inverter and connects the whole system to the main house. What does this mean for solar panel construction projects?
If a solar contractor is only allowed to do half of the work, what happens to the other half? Well, the work must be done by a licensed electrician. Doesn’t sound that bad, does it? What ends up happening most of the time is that your now unqualified solar contractor must subcontract an electrician who is qualified to do the work. The electrician, however, does not do the job. He/she merely “qualifies” the work and the solar contractor is going to do the work himself/herself anyway. This means that a person who is not qualified to do the work is breaking the law by doing work that he/she has no business doing in the first place. The inspection community is not exactly well-versed in this industry. Who is to know that this solar contractor is doing the work properly and safely? Who is to know that this unqualified person isn’t going to make a mistake that can potentially burn down the house?
Florida Solar One continues to warn people and customers who wish to go solar to be aware of the contractors’ credentials and make sure that they can legally and safely do the work. Customers: ask your contractor if everything is done in-house. Ask them who pulls the electrical permit. Ask them if them the hard questions, people.
About Florida Solar One: Florida Solar One started in the Florida Keys designing off-grid solar systems in 2008. It relocated to 1024 NE 43rd Ct, Oakland Park, FL 33334. They can be reached at 954-236-4577, or emailed at info@floridasolarone.com