Establish Good Relationships With Solar Companies

MCS Influencer Haley Iselin says contractors should develop a partnership with one or multiple solar companies for successful solar installations.

Editor’s note: The following consists of a conversation between MCS' Gina Cali, and Metal Roof Specialties’ Vice President Haley Iselin. 

Gina Cali: Hi Haley. Thanks again for joining us for another question of the month from MetalCoffeeShop and Metal Influencers. And this question, "How can solar be integrated with metal sales?"

Haley Iselin: Thank you. So as far as solar being integrated with metal sales, I know that that industry maybe even more so than metal roofing on its own is changing fast and developing with new technologies all the time. And years and years ago when you had a metal roof, the only option was the kind of solar that you had to attach with some sort of clamps, maybe like an S-5 clamp versus the photovoltaic type that were like the peel and stick type of solar that could go straight onto the panels. We're learning now that even some of those photovoltaics now can be put on roofs after roof's already been on, where in the beginning they had to be put on the same timing.

So the thing that always though has become the challenge with that is that some people want to have a seamless process. And so for a contractor it's important that they develop maybe a partnership or at least just a really good relationship with, if not one, maybe multiple solar companies. Because most contractors aren't going to get involved with the electrical part of solar installation, and that is a special field. So it seems like the people we've seen do it most successfully have definitely up a roofing contractor with a solar installation company. And so then they can divide those tasks out and the solar company can come in and basically just do the electrical if it is a system that's already put on. And if it's not, they might be able to do portions of that as well. I haven't seen a super consistent, like the solar company always does this much stuff versus the contractor. Some contractors have capacity to do a fair amount in the solar company, maybe just doing the electrical portion. So we've seen some variable there here locally.

But I do think that trying to develop a partnership and finding some local companies is really the key in being able to sell that. And maybe some contractors are able to do it all together as far as one price and they can sub out that solar work. I guess that would be up to the individual contractor if they're willing to do the subcontracting or if it has to be a separate company. But that's what I know about that.

Gina Cali: Thank you, Haley. That was excellent and we truly appreciate your insight and expertise on answering the questions of the month to share out with the MetalCoffeeShop audience.

Haley Iselin: Thank you.

Haley Iselin is the vice president at Metal Roof Specialties. See her full bio here.