Overview
A1A Solar Contracting is a medium-sized solar installer and designer headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, serving residences and commercial establishments. It is also a retailer and installer of solar battery systems for energy storage solutions. The company was founded in 2010
Solar Panels and Services
Specific Solar Panels Offered
Sunpower: Sunpower panels come in models suitable for residential and commercial installations. They vary in price, depending on the solar cell technology employed, but most modules from this brand have a minimum efficiency ratings of 21.7%. This is a pretty good starting point. And Sunpower panels have standard 25-year performance warranties, but they’re way more expensive than panels from other brands.
Tesla: These panels have price points that are much lower than the average mark, but have efficiency ratings starting at 19.3%. They’re also designed to blend in with the designs of residential rooftops. Perhaps the reason why they’re so cheap is that they degrade about 0.04% faster than the standard annual degradation rate of solar panels (0.5%). Nonetheless, Tesla stands by its panels with a 25-year performance warranty.
QCells: QCells modules come at a reasonable price, with efficiency ratings starting from around 20%. They’re constructed from halved solar cells arranged with or without spaces between them and sealed with conductive material that enables them capture more sunlight. Most of them have a 12-year product warranty, but there are premium, more expensive QCells panels with 25-year product warranties.
Canadian Solar: Some Canadian Solar panels consist of polycrystalline cells while others are comprised of monocrystalline cells. Canadian Solar polycrystalline modules are more affordable and have a lower manufacturing cost compared to monocrystalline cells due to a simpler production process. However, the monocrystalline panels have a higher heat tolerance, causing their performance to increase at higher temperatures.
LG: Life’s Good (LG) panels slide on the expensive end of the rope, but they are also very reliable. Most LG panels are in the NeON product line, which consists of solar panels made from N-type silicon cells. These panels are pricier, and exhibit a higher tolerance to impurities, which results in improved efficiency of up to 22% and superior performance. LG’s cheaper modules are in the Mono X Plus line. They’re made of P-type silicon cells, with a maximum efficiency rating of 19.8%. LG covers its panels with a 25-year performance warranty, but since it’s stopped producing them, it may be better to opt for panels whose manufacturers are still making them. This will ensure that the customer doesn’t encounter any problems when the warranty has to be used.
Specific Types of Solar Offered
Residential solar: A1A mostly installs grid-tie solar arrays on the roofs of residential buildings. However, the company does not seem good at inspecting the roofs on which it wants to install solar panels. If the roof of a house has only a few years left of its lifespan, the company handling the solar installation should recommend the replacement of that roof before installing solar panels on it. But in a few instances, A1A installed solar panels on a roof only to have to remove the panels a few years later for the roof to be replaced.
Commercial solar: These grid-tie solar systems are usually installed on the rooftops of commercial buildings by A1A Solar technicians. At present, there are only beautiful pictures of commercial solar arrays completed by the company, but no reviews on the performance of those systems or the experiences of the customer’s during their installation.
Off-grid solar: The major difference between grid-tie systems and off-grid ones is the inclusion of backup batteries or generators in the latter. For off-grid solar arrays, A1A adds Tesla Powerwalls and/or Generac generators. Please note that A1A also offers Generac generator installation as a standalone service.
Installation Costs and Processes
For A1A Solar, the installaton process begins with a free consultation with the customer. During this consultation, the customer’s property is evaluated to determine the capacity of the solar system and where it will be installed. If the system will be connected to the electricity grid, A1A contacts the customer’s utility provider for approval to install the system. Once approval is obtained, the system is installed and inspected.
Costs
A1A Solar does not say exactly how much it costs to install solar arrays. Customer reviews indicate that the company’s pricing structure is equitable, and quality of service they received was worth the money spent. A1A also offers financing options for residential solar projects, with repayment periods ranging from 12 months to 20 years. These include secured programs, which are secured by a specific form of collateral, including physical assets such as property and vehicles, or liquid assets such as cash. There are also unsecured options available, which are not backed by collateral, but supported only by the client’s creditworthiness.
Accreditations
- A1A Solar Contractors is
- 2010.
- It has been voted as ‘Green Business of the Year’ in 2013 and 2015 in Nassau county by the AIFBY Chamber of Commerce
- The company was named Florida Veteran-Owned Business of the Year in 2016 by SBDC (Small Business Development Center).
- The company was voted Best Places to Work in Jacksonville in 2016.
Legitimacy
A1A Solar Contracting is a legitimate company, certified by NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners). The company has been a Florida state-licensed Solar Contractor since inception, to perform general, solar and electrical operations. It’s a member of the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association (FLASEIA). It’s also part of the Amelia Island Fernandina Beach Yulee (AIFBY) Chamber of Commerce. This level of transparency about its certifications makes us believe this company is legitimate.
A1A Solar Contracting has been named Green Business of the Year in Nassau County two times.
In 2021, the company was nationally ranked #364 in the residential category in Solar Power World’s national “2022 Top Solar Contractors’
Maintenance
A1A Solar maintains a 30-year Solar Insure Warranty on its solar installations. This warranty covers the cost of labor required to maintain the solar systems installed by the company. Such coverage doesn’t exceed $100 per hour and $300 in truck rolls. As for the implementation of this warranty, it’s a mixed bag. Some customers have been happy with the promptness of A1A Solar’s staff to their complaints, while others have been unhappy because their complaint tickets pended at A1A for a very long time before they were resolved.
The SolarEmpower View
A1A Solar Contracting has consistently refrained from outsourcing tasks to less-qu Although there have been occasional instances leading to client dissatisfaction, this company remains committed to delivering exceptional service and continuous improvement.
