ECS Energy Overview:
ECS Energy is a solar company based in New Jersey that supplies across the Northeast of America, focusing on supplying any size organization with solar energy to help reduce operating energy costs. Formed in 2007 as a commercial solar developer, they’ve continued to expand and become one of the industry’s leading and most trusted partners, with reviewers calling them “knowledgeable about their product offering, the process of federal and state incentives, and how best to implement their product on [the reviewers] site”.
They’ve developed over 50MW of solar installations in over 12 states, including New Jersey, Virginia and New York. They have an annual estimated revenue of $1 million, backed by a team that has combined decades of experience in all things solar, helping customers truly understand the benefits and logistics of solar. The transition to solar is easy with ECS Energy, tailored to each business’s holistic needs, whether that be space limitations, budget, or efficiency, while not compromising on “excellent quality of work” according to past customers, which means they stay “long term partners” with ECS Energy.
ECS Energy Services
ECS Energy Services don’t stop with the product; they help build a cohesive start-to-end project that best suits a business’ needs. This can be broken down into:
- Energy Efficiencies: First, ECS performs an in-depth evaluation of the site, an overall energy review of usage at your facility, identifying issues and opportunities to increase efficiency and stay sustainable.
- Demand Response: Changing to solar with ECS allows for businesses to change perspective entirely on their energy consumption. Buildings should ‘think for themselves’ according to ECS, which means that solar systems become grid interactive to automatically reduce demand costs and waste.
- Commercial Energy Storage: Battery storage adds to the freedom solar energy offers, providing greater revenues, lower utility builds and power backup. When paired with solar PV (photovoltaic), it gives you flexibility and increased resilience, allowing systems to stay active during outages for maximised efficiency and security.
- Consulting: ECS use their expert experience to give you the best return on your investment. They offer elite preliminary system design and a detailed cash flow analysis at no extra cost to ensure your understanding of all elements of your solar system, with reviewers saying that their installation is “non disruptive to business”.
- Financing: In addition to helping identify Federal and State incentives, ECS Energy is in the unique position of maintaining connected working relationships with tax equity and energy finance companies, allowing them to construct a variety of financing structures. This can include Power Purchase Agreements, Capital/Operating Leases as well as Saving and Performance Contracts. PPA is essentially a long-term purchasing contract directly from a generator, CL is an asset on the company balance sheet, whilst OL is an expense that remains off the balance, and SPC shifts funds from efficiency savings to upgrades.
- Operations and Maintenance: ECS Energy recognizes that solar is a long-term commitment that some companies may have no in-depth prior knowledge about, and this can inspire caution due to the long lasting lifespan from the system. ECS can offer holistic knowledge about every aspect of solar operation, offering system monitoring, visual inspections, system testing, warranties and maintenance, and most importantly emergency response and repairs. EPC ensures organizations get the most use out of their product, and emergency repairs are a primary part of this.
- Solar Installation: Each installation offers unique limitations and challenges. Placements can include ground mounts, roof mounts or solar canopies, with extensions offered to ensure maximum sun exposure, taking advantage of the opportunity offered by each individual site. Reviewers say that the company “considers multiple opportunities” to offer the best experience for company needs, which is just one reason they are “true professionals”.
ECS Energy Costs:
As usual with solar companies, ECS Energy cannot offer even an estimated price before consulting with the company. There are multiple factors that will affect the overall cost, but after consultation and assessment of the property they will be able to offer in-depth cost analysis to best save you money. Some of these factors include:
- Basic plan vs advanced (e.g.. solar parking shades)
- Increased energy at night or in the day
- Any tax liability affected by solar incentives
ECS is a reputable solar company that will help guide you through this process, and ultimately refine saving and cost estimates that are in line with company expectations. One example they offer is using lower wattage solar panels over a larger surface area if your company has ample roof space, as these are lower cost models and save money up front and can offer comparable energy production to more expensive panels in a condensed area.
The three most common federal solar incentives are investment tax credit (ITC), MACRS investment depreciation, and State incentives like the Renewable Energy Certificate. The ITC will offset up to 26% commercial cost in federal tax credit, MACRS recovers investment for tax purposes over a time period, currently a year with 100% bonus depreciation, and REC can change from state to state, but at base if a certificate performance incentive. ECS can help you further understand each incentive through their expert knowledge, help you identify if you qualify and also search for local incentives you may be applicable for. They typically recommend cash financing for the best returns, simplest case of ownership and best incentives, but also offer loans, leases or PSA’s depending on individual need.
ECS Energy Legitimacy:
ECS Energy are committed to helping with every aspect of your company’s solar needs, and some of the products they have installed have a lifespan of over 30 years. They appear to be extremely reputable and legitimate, involved with maintenance and repairs so you can be certain that the level of quality is maintained for the greatest return on your investment.
The company has a streamlined elite team, run by Jim Carbone and Peter Ramsey. Carbone is a NABCEP certified installer and engineer, and he and Ramsey both have 25 years experience in management and high-technology engineering. Ramsey holds an MBA in Finance, and the combined experience of the two Principles ensures ECS is at the forefront of commercial solar, understanding PV technology and the economical needs of business. Past customers “value their integrity, their knowledge of solar” and say they help “demonstrate [the company]’s commitment to sustainability”. Carbone was one of the first NABCEP certified photovoltaic installers on the East Coast, at the forefront of solar energy and so has substantial influence and connections that make any project needs easier to streamline. Reviewers say “Pete and Jim are true professionals”, which is why they have such long standing relationships with customers, built on trust.
ECS Energy Maintenance:
Solar panels usually require little maintenance, needing periodic cleaning of debris for maximum sun exposure, but ECS offer continued troubleshooting, visual and system inspections to ensure best performance. They also offer a variety of warranty systems, most panels having a warranty for 25 years, inverter warranties of around 10 years, and at least 1 year warranty for workmanship, like roof penetrations. They additionally offer some customised warranty options for non ECS solar panels that can be negotiated as needed.
This is why their customers are “very proud to be long-term partners” with them.
ECS Energy Overall:
Overall, it seems ECS Energy has a good holistic understanding of every element of a business solar needs, including making them “pleasing to the eye”, “non-disruptive” in both installation and function, and the ability to help companies reach their own “energy goals”, according to customers.
