Knight Electric Inc. DBA Solar Ready Solutions Overview
Knight Electric Inc is a mid-sized commercial electrical contractor company based in Ogden, Utah. The company was founded over 5 decades ago in 1967 and became a fully registered business entity in the state of Utah in 1978. Knight Electric Inc bases its business model on continued referrals and ongoing relationships with its high-profile, commercial customer base.
Knight Electric Inc has grown impressively over the years and generates in the region of $8 million annually. The company employs between 35 – 40 staff at its headquarters in Utah and over 150 contractors across the country. In 2016, Knight Electric Inc formed Solar Ready Solutions, which specializes in residential and commercial solar system installation in Utah.
Knight Electric Inc Services and Specifics
Specific Solar Panels Offered
Knight Electric Inc uses its solar subsidiary, Solar Ready Solutions, for all residential and commercial solar projects. Solar Ready Solutions supplies and fits SunPower and Canadian Solar Inc panels; however, the specifications of the panels will vary based on the customer’s power requirements.
Sunpower Solar Panels
SunPower designs some of the most efficient and durable solar panels on the planet. This Silicon Valley technology company has received more than 1000 patents for solar innovation and is widely considered an industry leader in solar sustainability and social responsibility.
With more than 25 variations of solar panels to choose from, it’s difficult to list the specifications of each panel in this summary; however, we can say that SunPower will have several suitable options for any project, big or small.
Canadian Solar Inc panels
Solar Ready Solutions also offers Canadian Solar Inc panels. Canadian Solar Inc is one of the leading solar manufacturers in the world, delivering industry-leading solar systems to over 70 countries. The company also possesses one of the largest solar panel ranges, with more than 180 variations designed to meet any energy need possible.
Specific Types of Solar offered
Solar Ready Solutions offers two main categories of solar systems, which are residential and commercial systems.
Residential Systems:
Residential solar systems are the main service provided by Solar Ready Solutions, as the company was formed to expand Knight Electric Incs’ services to residential customers as well.
The company aims to tailor each and every system to fit the goals and needs of its customers by using well-known solar panel manufacturers that possess extensive ranges of solar systems.
Commercial Systems:
Solar Ready Solutions aims to work with businesses and tax-exempt organizations, such as schools, churches, and local governments, in creating more sustainable work environments while assisting them in reducing high energy costs. Solar Ready Solutions allows its customers to pair solar panels with an energy storage system to keep their businesses powered, and operating as normal in the event of an outage.
Additional services:
As part of a larger company, commercial customers of Solar Ready Solutions are also able to make use of the services offered by Knight Electric Inc. This includes:
- Open Store Modernization and Remodelling – Knight Electric Inc is able to provide departmental reimaging, lighting, and layouts that modernize their customer’s business interior layout.
- Nationwide Rollouts – Knight Electric Inc has the licensing and manpower to be a single source of contact for business rollouts in multiple locations. This simplifies business owners’ build and can lead to significant savings.
- Disaster Recovery – Whether a business is preparing for a future disaster or completing repairs after one occurred, Knight Electric Inc will provide the support the business needs.
- Alternative Energy Solutions – Knight Electric Inc provides generator installation, emergency backup installation, and battery backup solutions. This service is also available to residential customers through their solar installation arm, Solar Ready Solutions.
- New Construction – Knight Electric Inc also assists in the construction of commercial properties, specializing in big box retail and warehouse distribution.
- SnapNRack – Solar Ready Solutions are registered installers of Snap N Rack, a leading manufacturer of feature-rich solar PV mounting systems. Since 2007, Snap N Rack has provided more than 100 MW of racking products for solar installations in the United States.
Installation costs and process
Costs
The average cost of solar panels in Utah is between $2.60 and $3.45 per watt. This means that a solar system that is 5 kilowatts in size would generally cost between $11,000 – $16,000 to install. Solar Ready Solutions also require conducting a consultation service in order to provide an exact price according to their customer’s solar requirements.
As a commercial contractor, Knight Electric Inc provides a unique, personalized consultation service to every customer. This consultation involves the physical inspection of the property or structure to identify the most suitable and effective methods of installation for the project at hand. The company has no online customer reviews; however, they have a large portfolio of completed projects, including those for companies such as Walmart and Target.
Unlike with its parent company, though, we were able to track down 25 customer reviews for Solar Ready Solutions. Of the positive reviews, 2 customers made specific reference to the company’s competitive prices when compared to other similar companies in the area.
Despite the suggestions that Solar Ready Solutions are cost-effective, SolarEmpower believes that customers should take extra care during their cost comparison between Solar Ready Solutions and other companies and factor in the cost of post-installation costs as well.
Legitimacy
Knight Electric Inc and Solar Ready Solutions are legit. Here are some of their headline accreditations:
| Knight Electric Inc is registered in the state of Utah as a building and electrical contractor #237290-5501(UT). |
| Since its formation, the company has obtained licenses to operate in 46 states across the US. |
| Knight Electric Inc legally registered its solar division, Solar Ready Solutions in 2016 #0803125332. |
| Solar Ready Solutions is a NABCEP Certified PV Installer. |
| Both companies are transparent about their contact details and provide their location, contact number, and contact request forms on their websites. |
Knight Electric Inc has been involved in several large, nationwide commercial developments and related projects; however, there is not a lot of information online about them. Meanwhile, Solar Ready Solutions has been reviewed and does possess a stronger online presence than its parent company. We believe this may simply be due to the fact that large commercial businesses are less likely to provide company reviews than private residential customers.
Awards and Accreditations:
- SunPower – Elite Dealer
Maintenance
Knight Electric Inc uses its own, extensive network of contractors to perform its services and does not outsource any of its work. Their PV systems are covered by a two-year workmanship warranty, a ten-year inverter manufacturer warranty, and a twenty-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Solar Ready Solutions claims that the workmanship warranty will cover the full costs, including labor and repair, or if replacement of defective components is necessary.
Despite the numerous warranties and superior workmanship claims made by the company, the customer reviews are not consistent with this. The company received 25 reviews across 2 sites and ratings of 4* and 3.5*, respectively.
It is worth noting that of all these reviews, 28% (or 7 of 25 reviews) were negative and included residential and commercial customer feedback alike. Among the negative reviews were consistent mentions of:
| Poor workmanship relating to installation. |
| Damages caused to work surfaces such as roofs. |
| Marketing companies suggested that clients that they referred to Solar Ready Solutions were extremely unhappy with the service. |
| Extremely long wait times until the solar systems were activated. |
Customer service (review analysis)
The most consistent negative feedback provided by reviewers was that the company is extremely difficult to contact for maintenance or repair work once the initial installation is complete. This is illustrated well in the following customer feedback:
| “No one will return phone calls and everyone is always unavailable when trying to get information. I have never felt so poorly treated by any other company. It’s very sad” |
The SolarEmpower View
Knight Electric Inc has stood the test for over 50 years and assembled an impressive portfolio of successful large-scale project completions despite receiving limited publicity. However, the feedback regarding their solar company, Solar Ready Solutions, creates concerns for us.
The consistency of the issues raised among customers leads us to question the company’s ability to manage the quality and ongoing maintenance of their work when you consider that they are providing their service in 46 states across the US. The employee reviews support this concern; therefore, SolarEmpower suggests that customers should practice caution when considering Solar Ready Solutions for these same reasons.
| 💲Cost: 7/10 | ✅Legitimacy: 8/10 |
| ⭐️Quality: 5/10 | 📞Customer Service: 5/10 |
