During COVID-19, the process of going solar is exactly the same as it always is – fully remote and online. From the comfort of your home, you can shop, compare, and discuss with a dedicated energy advisor to ensure you’re getting a great deal. Our vetted installers will follow local guidelines and observe precautions when on-site, to ensure everyone’s safety while upgrading your home.

Pick My Solar is committed to providing our customers with the best customer service experience in the solar industry. In light of the ongoing developments around the novel Coronavirus COVID-19, we have issued a set of guidelines to our installation partners to ensure everyone in our solar community remains safe during this time.

Here are some of the new guidelines our installers will adhere to:

• Alert you prior to their arrival 
• • Wear gloves and observe appropriate social distancing
  • Work outside of your home. If any aspects of your project require access inside the home, our installers will obtain your approval or you may reschedule this portion of the work at a later time.
• Discuss project details with you via telephone or video chat upon request
• • Follow recommendations to reduce the spread of germs, including frequent, sustained handwashing and use of hand sanitizers. All of the installations crews will refrain from shaking hands or other close-proximity interactions.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces on the job site after installation such as the electrical panel, ladders, and solar equipment.

Here are the stages throughout the installation process and the adjustments our installers are making to keep all parties safe:

• Roof Inspection
  • The site technician will need access onto the roof in order to take measurements, shade readings, and inspect the quality of the shingles/tiles and underlayment. If there is access to your roof from the ground, entering the home is not needed for this step.
  • The site technician may need to enter the attic depending on the specifics of the project. If this is needed for your project, then you may elect to provide photos inside of the attic showing the underlayment and the exposed rafters or provide building plans.
• Electrical Inspection
  • The site technician will need to assess and take photos of your Main Service Panel (MSP)
  • If the MSP is located outside, the technician will not need to enter the home.
  • If the MSP is located inside the garage or inside the home, you may elect to provide photos (see below)
    • Photo of the MSP’s main service disconnect breaker
    • Photo of the label located inside the MSP door
    • Step back and take a wide shot photo of the MSP
    • Remove the dead front of the MSP and any sub-panels. Take a photo of the exposed breakers. If you are not comfortable with this step, please do not attempt.
• Design and Permitting
  • Site inspection results are reviewed by engineering and final designs are created.
  • Installers will apply for online permits if possible.
  • Access in your home is not needed for this step.
• Installation
  • Before work commences, the foreman will provide you with a walkthrough of the installation. You may elect to discuss the installation details with the foreman via telephone or video chat.
  • The number of installers on the crews are being reduced in order to practice social distancing. This means that your 1-2 installation may take 2-4 days.
  • The installation crew will need access onto your roof. If they can access with a ladder from the ground, they will not need to enter the home.
  • The installation crew will need access to your MSP. If the MSP is located outside, they will not need to enter the home. If the MSP is located inside the garage or home, you may elect to reschedule this part of the installation.
• Final Inspection
  • City or county inspectors may be onsite to inspect the solar system on the roof and the electrical tied into the MSP. If your MSP is located inside the home, you may elect to reschedule this step.
  • In the event that your local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) has been closed, Pick My Solar, our installers, and CALSSA are encouraging AHJs to adopt “no touch” inspections that can be done virtually via a live stream. Certain AHJs already have adopted this practice
• Permission to Operate
  • Interconnection with your utility is applied for online.
  • Access to your home is not needed for this step.
• Solar Activation and Monitoring
  • Your installer will instruct you how to activate the solar system with the simple flip of a switch or they may be able to activate the system remotely.
  • Access to your home is not needed for this step.

We’re excited to announce that as of January 20th, 2021, Pick My Solar is now Electrum!

As Pick My Solar has expanded its product offers from solar PV to energy storage, hybrid electric water heaters, electric vehicle charging stations, and electrified HVAC, we realized Pick My Solar no longer adequately communicated what we do for our customers. And so Electrum was created – a platform to help customers electrify their homes with transparency and choice.

PickMySolar.com isn’t going anywhere, and your Energy Advisor will still be accessible at their Pick My Solar emails, but you will see branding updates across the Solar and Storage Marketplace experience and new emails from Electrum.co.

Find out more about our big plans for home electrification at electrum.co.