Long-established solar companies in Florida and Puerto Rico install quality equipment, but may offer additional options.
In sunny Florida and Puerto Rico, solar power can provide year-round renewable electricity. With Puerto Rico blacked out after the devastation of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, solar power and storage can keep power running even as powerful storms knock out the power grid.
Windmar Solar has been installing solar energy since 2002. After adding residential solar to its portfolio in 2017, the company has since been adding solar panels and installing rooftop panels in sunny Florida and Puerto Rico.
If you live in Florida or Puerto Rico and want to buy solar panels, Windmer installs top-rated solar equipment, but doesn't offer options from the other installers we reviewed. Most of their customers finance through Sunnova and get a strong warranty, but if you buy cash your protection will be below average. (The above estimate takes into account the guarantee Windmar partners Sunnova offers to customers who finance through Sunnova. More than 90% of customers finance or lease through Sunnova, Windmar told CNET.)
Below we explain what WindMar offers and how it differs from other solar companies in the industry While we strive to provide you with the most accurate and helpful information possible, you should never contact multiple companies in your area and compare multiple quotes before signing a contract. The first quote may be the best available, but you never know without comparing it to others.
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What can I get from Windmar?
Windmarr customers have access to some of the most affordable solar panels and solar panels available for purchase or lease.
What types of solar equipment does Windmarr install?
When it comes to equipment to power your solar panel system, Windmar offers simple yet reliable options. The company installs one brand of panel (with one small exception), a battery and one type of inverter, says Aaron Myers, Windmar's associate director of sales. Each of them is one of the most widely used in the industry.
Windmarr installs Qcells solar panels, many of which are made in Georgia. Qcells solar panels have a maximum efficiency of 20.9% and come with a 25-year manufacturer's warranty, meaning the panels will produce at least 86% of rated power after 25 years. If you live in Miami-Dade County, you may be able to get other solar panels for the county's permit requirements, Myers said.
Windmer chooses Tesla Powerwall for batteries. It is a leading battery and one of the most popular batteries in the space. Supports name recognition with performance. CNET ranks it first among solar cells, earning top marks for both efficiency and depth. A new, more powerful model was unveiled in September and will go on sale in 2024. The current PowerWall 2 comes with a 10-year warranty, after which it guarantees at least 70% of its capacity.
All Windmar residential solar installations are equipped with Enphase microinverters. Inverters convert the sun's DC power into AC power for the devices you use in your home. Microinverters perform this conversion on each solar panel, unlike wired inverters, which do it for a group of panels at a time. Microinverters offer many advantages, including longer warranties (25 years for single-phase) and often higher power output, especially when partial shading is an issue.
What warranty does WindMar offer?
In addition to the aforementioned hardware warranty, Windmar also offers a 10-year project labor warranty and a zero-loss solar panel installation warranty. Ten years is standard, but not as good as other warranties we've seen from competitors.
However, customers who finance or lease from a Windmar Sunnova partner can enroll in the Sunnova Protect program, which covers maintenance and proactive monitoring of your solar panels. It extends the weatherproof warranty to 10 years. Read the details carefully before signing a long-term contract.
More than 90% of Windermere's long-term customers own Sunnova Protect because they finance or lease Sunnova, Myers said.
Does Windmar offer monitoring services?
In addition to Sunover's protection, customers can control their system's power output with Enphase Intelligent software connected to microinverters. This app has a rating of 4.1 on Google Play and 4.6 on the App Store.
Customers with Tesla Powerwalls can monitor their batteries using the Tesla app, available on Apple and Google Play 3.7. CNET has not tested any of these programs.
Does Windmart use subcontractors?
Windmer only uses its own forklifts except for temporary jobs in Miami-Dade County, Myers said.
A company's use of subcontractors does not affect CNET ratings.
How much do winder solar panels cost?
Like many in the industry, you won't get much information about pricing until you ask for a quote. This is understandable because the cost of installing solar lights on your roof varies based on many factors. The complexity of your roof, the cost of local permits, the number of panels and whether you're installing batteries or an EV charger are just some of the factors that will affect the cost (thousands of dollars in some cases). However, we would like to see more price transparency from many companies.
As early as 2023, US residential solar will cost $3.28 per watt, according to a Wood Mackenzie report (PDF). Another estimate from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows an average cost of $4.20 per watt. Berkeley Lab (PDF) suggests that such estimates may differ for several reasons. Loan payments may be included or excluded, or the group of systems in which this average is measured may vary. You won't know what the best price is for you until you get several quotes from installers in your area.
WindMar does not guarantee a price match.
Does WindMar offer financing options?
WindMar offers solar panels for purchase and rental. Myers says most of his clients finance or rent their properties through Sunova.
Buying panels outright saves a lot of money over the life of the panels, but leases (and their close cousin, power purchase agreements) increase the affordability of solar panels because people can install them for less.
According to Berkeley Lab, by 2022, about 25% of residential premises will have contracts to purchase or lease energy.
Does Windmart work in my state? How can I place an order?
Windmar also operates in Florida and Puerto Rico. The installation process is industry standard.
If you're interested in Windmere's offerings, you can get started on the website or over the phone. Ask a Windmar representative to visit your home for a more detailed evaluation. If they decide to move forward, they will complete the design of the system at Windermere before the company begins work on obtaining the necessary permits. Once all the documents are in order, you will receive an installation date. Installation usually takes a day or two. The final step is to obtain a work permit from your company. Myers says the process usually takes one to three months.
Windmarr is the best choice?
Your best bet is the company that will meet your unique energy needs at the right price for you. Even top rated companies may not be right for every customer.
Windmer has experience installing solar panels in Florida and Puerto Rico. Experience in one place can be an advantage when obtaining permits and dealing with local bureaucracy.
Choosing WindMar will install quality panels, batteries and inverters. One of the most popular models in this category. If you finance through Sunnova, like most Windmar customers, you can get extended warranties and active monitoring of your solar system.
If you buy the panels outright, you leave a less reliable warranty. Windmar's 10 year warranty is unlike some of the bigger companies.
Although significant objective customer service data is not available for the solar industry, Windmer received an A rating from the Better Business Bureau. There are too few customer reviews to draw any meaningful conclusions.
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- Long-term records in Florida and Puerto Rico.
- Quality equipment
- Many people get reliable insurance and control.
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- Those who pay cash get a weak warranty.
Windmar Solar Reviews: What Are Customers Saying?
Online reviews should not be taken as evidence of how your invoice will fare for a particular company. They can be useful to ask your sales representative to identify trends or identify problems or questions. Customers have left only a few reviews of Windermere with the Better Business Bureau. Below are some quotes. Windmarr, in turn, responded to each of the remaining comments.
Five Star Windermere Reviews
"As a very satisfied customer, I would recommend Windmar Solar to anyone considering solar installation. Their service is exceptional, from the helpful and informative sales team to the seamless installation process. The savings on my electricity bill since installation has been significant. Roshen S September 18, 2023
WindMar review with one star
“I'm stuck with a very expensive system (that doesn't work). He lacks product” Vera Z. August 14, 2023
How we rate solar companies
When considering buying a solar company, you need to go through the purchase process, install the solar system, and then monitor the operation. One day it will be difficult to do. It would be impossible to repeat.
Instead, we drew on research and industry experience to create a ranking system based on the equipment, warranties, and services that companies provide to customers. We've tried to make sure that the average customer doesn't see what's useful and ignores what's not. We always talk to someone from the company. If this is not possible, we will mention it.
In hardware, companies earn points based on the panels, batteries and inverters they install, usually more points for offering a higher level of hardware performance or more options in a particular category. When it comes to warranties, we look at manufacturers' warranties on installed equipment, as well as warranties against punctures in the roof during operation and installation. It's hard to go into detail about customer support. We prefer to use the letter grade that the Better Business Bureau assigns to each company because it's a useful point of comparison for all the companies we review.
You can read the full review of the evaluation method yourself.
We stopped including them in our review because pricing information was not available, although the companies were evaluated to ensure price matching. We also report, but do not include in the estimates, the number of states a company operates in.
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Is free solar energy legal?
You may see ads that say you can get free solar power or that solar power is for sale. Chances are, you can get solar power for free. With a solar contract or power purchase agreement, the company installs the panels on your property but retains ownership. You pay for the equipment or agree to buy the energy it produces for less than your utility bill. These arrangements (collectively called third-party ownership) often save you money, but less than buying the panels yourself. True, they sell without a large upfront price.
How to choose the right solar company?
একটি খারাপ চুক্তি এড়াতে সর্বোত্তম উপায় হল একাধিক চুক্তি করা এবং নামী কোম্পানির সাথে কাজ করা। বন্ধু, প্রতিবেশী এবং বেটার বিজনেস ব্যুরোর মতো এজেন্সির কাছে পৌঁছান। উদ্ধৃতি তুলনা করুন এবং নিশ্চিত করুন যে কোম্পানি এগিয়ে যাওয়ার আগে আপনার সমস্ত প্রশ্নের উত্তর দিতে প্রস্তুত। একটি বৈধ কোম্পানি আপনার প্রশ্নের উত্তর দিতে দ্বিধা করবে না।
সংশোধন, অক্টোবর 13: এই গল্পের পূর্ববর্তী সংস্করণে একটি ভুল উইন্ডমার এন্ট্রি গ্যারান্টি ছিল। ওয়ারেন্টি - 10 বছর।
