Maryland Solar Solutions Inc

Above all else, Collette Hayward, the president of MSSI, is not only hugely knowledgeable about all aspects of solar but her energy and enthusiasm are contagious – she devotes herself to solar and truly cares about its future. Rather than send a salesman, as did the other companies from which we got proposals, she personally climbed all over our roof in the rain, met with us and packed an enormous amount of information into the morning she spent with us. Her office staff is well-informed and was able to either thoroughly answer or quickly research all my questions (and I did have several questions, both before and after). Our 2-day installation went very smoothly without any disruption to our home or yard. MSSI handled all the paperwork and moved the bureaucratic processes along – our county inspection was arranged for the very next day and their electrician had all the documentation needed. We did have some slippage with Pepco installing our net meter (they allegedly misplaced our application), but that seems beyond the ability of anyone (other than Pepco, of course) to control. Although MSSI’s proposal was competitive the panels they use are more robust and with a superior warranty. (By way of contrast – the salesman of one of their competitors with a lower bid spent considerable time touting a specific brand of panel as their highest recommendation and including it in their proposal, only to tell us 2 weeks later that they had severed their relationship and so we should consider the brand he had just dissed. Needless to say, his firm’s credibility tanked at that point.) We are extremely pleased and highly recommend MSSI. Now if only our Maryland Governor would stop vetoing clean energy bills ...

Passionate, honest, upfront company that delivers a high quality and high performing product. We have been pleased with everyone we have dealt with at MSSI. Highly recommend them!

Wonderfully! They made the purchase and installation process easy for me in every possible way. They were so thorough in their explanation of what I was getting and how it would work. They took care of absolutely all permitting and rebating paperwork and processes. In addition, they connected me with the applicable broker, and completed the application process with them for energy credit sales. When a minor installation problem was noticed it was fixed the following day even though it was Sunday. Colette Hayward, the owner, is knowledgeable, efficient, and wonderful to work with.

The project was very successful! I started my solar search with the Takoma Park Solar Co-op project. I wanted some additional estimates to compare to the Co-op pricing. During the source selection process, MSSI was vastly more knowledgeable then all the other companies that I received estimates from. In the end I selected MSSI because I had much more faith in their ability to complete the project completely, correctly and with the least hassle to me. The install went very smoothly. Mike, my project manager was on site pretty much the entire time. Colette the owner stopped each day at least once. My house and yard were nicely cleaned up at the conclusion of the work each day. The work-crew was friendly and professional. There were weather delays and a delay with sick workers, but the MSSI team was great in communicating with me about the adjusted plan. MSSI says that they offer a turnkey solar solution but it is a process that requires many administrative hoops. You have to deal with electric company, file grant paperwork, get county permits, and also need to be setup with an SREC option. This requires paperwork which is filled out just so, and persistence especially dealing with the electric company. MSSI quickly and successfully navigated me through all the paperwork. A few days after my system was fully operational, there was an article in the Washington Post about how Pepco (my utility provider) is the worst in the country in terms of amount of time to get a solar system operational. The average for Pepco was 76 days. My system was online closer to 25 days and I credit MSSI for that. They came through on their promise of a turnkey solution. I am confident that I chose the right solar installer and would recommend them to anyone who wants a job competently and correctly completed the first time.

I highly recommend this company. They are small but extremely well-run and helpful about explaining what they are doing, why they are doing it, and what your choices are. Colette, the owner, did all the measuring herself and everything was done on time and on budget.

Installing a residential photovoltaic (PV) system, i.e., solar panels, is not a straight forward home improvement project. The industry is still maturing as the technology is changing rapidly and the federal and state incentives have not stabilized. It still takes about 7 or 8 years to recoup ones investment if you purchase the system outright. However, there is much satisfaction in being able to generate most of your electricity and seeing a large decrease in your electricity bills. Before getting into the details of the installation, there are severals issues that one must be aware of when installing a PV system. The first is what type of PV technology am I getting. There are many solar panel manufacturers and the panels have different characteristics. Some are more efficient (>20%), while others perform better in low light environments. The second is the number and location of the panels. Am I trying to generate as much power as possible irrespective of the location of the panels without concerned for aesthetics, or do I want the panels to be as unobtrusive as possible, i.e., I don't want them to be seen from the street? Also, since the shapes of the panels are slightly different between manufacturers, the number and arrangement of panels may depend on the type of panel used. The third is who will be managing my Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs). Will it be the installer, a broker or me? The fourth and final issue is where will the technology and hence industry be in two, five or ten years time. The perovskite thin film technology is improving very quickly. Researchers in the field have recently announced efficiencies of 20% in the lab and some have forecast that this technology has the potential to reach 40% efficiency, which would easily cover all of my electricity usage. In addition perovskite solar panels are likely to be cheaper than the current silicon technology (possibly half the cost). So should I wait a few years to see what develops? After weighing the above issues, I decided to have a PV system installed now. I used Angie's List to select three installers and contacted each one for a home visit and quote. Each company sent someone to my house to discuss the PV system and to get my requirements, and afterward, I was sent a quote. The three quotes were within 10% of each other. I then spent a few weeks comparing each quote and decided on MSSI was based on issues one and three above. I decided to go with a panel that performed better under low light conditions over one that is more efficient. I also decided that I wanted to personally manage my SRECs, instead of having a broker manage them. Once I made my decision, I contacted MSSI and had Collette, the owner, draw up a contract. This was in late June (2014). She then scheduled to have the installation done a month later in late July. However, MSSI moved up the installation by one week starting on July 15. (I should note that the other two companies would not be able to do the installation until late September at the earliest. This means that I would not be able to take advantage of the peak generation period, i.e., the spring and summer months.) However, the new installation date meant that I would be out-of-town and my wife would have to handle any issues that arise. There were none. As a result, I arrive home to a well installed system. All that i needed to do was to wait to hear from BG&E that it was OK to connect my system to the mains, which occurred on July 31. After the installation, MSSI submitted the forms for the Maryland Residential Clean Energy Grant program ($1000) and set up my SREC account, which I have been managing myself. There have been no major issues since the installation. I have been in contact with MSSI several times since then and the MSSI staff have been prompt and courteous. I would like to point out one minor issue associated with a PV system, the inverter. The component that converts DC to AC power for the mains. The AC signal generated by the inverter can cause some old digital clocks to run fast. In my case it is the digital clock on the 25 year old wall-mounted microwave oven. This clock uses the 60 Hz AC signal from the mains to keep time. However, the inverter makes it appear that the mains frequency is higher, so the clock runs faster sometimes by 30 minutes per day. Just something to be aware of if you have old appliances.

Initial consultation was informative without being high pressure. Installation was professional and timely. Back end support to file all necessary state and local registrations/licenses/other submissions was outstanding. They made is soooo easy. It was Quality service thru the whole process. And now I am enjoying an excellent reduction in my electric bill!! Really!!!!!! I have waited an entire year to see how the solar system effected my electric bill and reduction of kilowatt usage. The results are outstanding. Last year I literally did not have an electric bill between May and September. This year it is the same. Did not have an electric bill for May thru August. I am waiting on the September bill which should be similar. Could not have asked for a better process.

I highly recommend Colette and Maryland Solar Solutions. I had a 19,000Kw system installed on the roof of my home in December of 2013 and I couldn?t be happier. I have already produced more than 16,000Kw and still have four months to go for the year. I think my production is higher than estimated because I get western sun reflection off the river. Before going with Colette and Maryland Solar Solutions I had three sales people come to my home and give me estimates. One even gave me a ?today only price? which I signed up for. Thank goodness for the 3 day cooling off period in Maryland and I was able to cancel out of that contract. In retrospect it seems clear now that each of the sales people that came to the house would likely get a commission and would tell me anything I wanted to hear to close the sale. One was even going to install panels on my flat rubber membrane porch roof ? these would have destroyed the integrity of the rubber membrane or would have blown off in the first big storm. I saw Maryland Solar Solutions (MSS) on Angie?s list and was impressed by the reviews. I found all of the positive reviews to be true. I especially liked the idea that Colette owns the company and she was the one who not only sold me my system, but was on the job overseeing and participating in the installation. The installation was smooth, professional and occurred as stated. My 66 panel system took about five days to install including all the electrical hookups. Colette, her daughter Shelby, and the rest of their team completed all work, inspections, and the paperwork to get the system certified and operational. I just had to report my generation monthly, collect my REC?s and not worry about paying my electric bill. Granted we had a cooler than usual summer, but I haven?t had to pay for electricity since February! I also like MSS remote monitoring. Late in February I got a call from Shelby saying that they had indication that some of my panels weren?t producing. A quick check of the roof discovered that three panels were in the shadow of a higher roof line and the snow had not melted off half the panels (low sun angle also contributed). Nice to know they were monitoring. I am very happy with the personal touch of MSS. A simple contract lays out what we agreed compared to a five page contract I had with the first company I was going to go with that did nothing but protect the installation company (the fine print even indicted that the homeowner was responsible for injury to workmen or damage to panels during installation?it was crazy). I am glad that I found MSS and would highly recommend them to anyone thinking about solar.

Our neighborhood has too many tall trees to make solar installation a viable option. The estimator was completely honest in saying that he could not help us.

For several years we?ve considered installing Solar, partly because it yields long-term benefits, and mostly because it?s the right thing to do. We began by investigating panel leasing,but we decided quickly that, although the up-front cost is low, the long-term benefits are less than those of owning. When we met Colette Hayward, the president of MSSI, our decision path clarified. She was forceful, dynamic and passionate about her commitment to solar energy, and she made clearer connections among our needs, the limitations of our location, and the existing solar technologies than the competition did. What persuaded us to award the contract to MSSI was that Colette literally got up on our roof with a solar meter and designed an array that made the best use of our specific exposure, and placed the panels where they?ll do the most good. The competitors with whom we?d worked took a one-array-fits-all approach. We were convinced that Colette?s diligence would reward us with an array that would deliver the most efficient solar power possible on our particular site. It wasn?t the lowest bid. In fact, it was the highest. But the professionalism of the MSSI staff and the very high quality of the materials they use led us to conclude that this would be the best value. And we haven?t been disappointed. Far from it. We upgraded to the Sunpower panels because they?re the most efficient, and because they degrade at a much lower rate than the other panels we investigated, both through MSSI and the competitors. These panels back up their commitment to slow degradation with a 25-year warranty, far more than others we checked. And the greater efficiency means we get as much production from 19 panels as from 24 of the competition. Guess where those extra 5 panels would go? In 5 locations that are inferior to the 19 we?re now using, because Colette developed a hierarchy of efficient sites on our roof. Of course she used the best 19. A related benefit of the MSSI program is the SolarEdge inverter they install. From my computer or Android I can monitor the output of the system, and can check to see if any panel is malfunctioning (none is). In addition, MSSI monitors our system for a period of time, to make sure everything?s functioning as it?s supposed to (it is). Dan Blake, the office manager, has been gracious and efficient in helping us to clear all the permits and registrations, and to file the paperwork for all the rebates and tax credits, as well as the SRECs (Solar Residential Energy Credits). Thanks to Dan and Colette, we?re about to bank our first SREC and we?re excited about that. There were a couple of minor glitches, as one might expect in any undertaking of this magnitude, but they were just bumps on the road. We needed squirrel cages, and these had to be added after the contracts were executed. And a communication glitch between the installer and the inspector delayed our energy production for a few days. But these were minor nuisances in an otherwise wonderful installation. Solar is the right way to go, but it?s a big investment. On the other hand, in January of a rough winter we?ve produced 208 kwh of electricity, and we still have 2 ½ days to go. We're excited to think about what we can do in April, May and June, when the sun is high in the sky and the days are long. We look forward to watching that electric meter work in reverse. Once you make the decision to go solar ? do it for your grandkids, if not only for yourself ? you need an installer who represents the best products, installs them professionally, and adapts leading edge technology to your specific situation for the best possible result. That?s MSSI. Sounds like a commercial, but it?s the truth. They exceeded our expectations in service, materials and craftsmanship. Would we contract with them again? Of course. But we probably won?t need to unless we add an electric passenger car some day. Because they did it right the first time.

We are very thankful for Maryland Solar Solutions company for the great project they did in our house. Now we have 5.4 KW solar panels system installed. We don`t need to pay BGE bills anymore, because the system completely covers all our electricity needs. The installation was done very quickly and the installation crew was quite professional. The customer service was great, they answered all our questions regarding technical details of the equipment and financial aspects of the project . They installed high quality and very efficient equipment. The solar panels were made by USA - German company "Mage Solar". AC Inverter, power optimizers and online monitoring system were made by "Solar Edge" company. In addition, guys from Maryland Solar Solutions did all paper work for us, and helped us with filling out the rebate forms. We would highly recommend this company!

Colette and Dan were absolutely amazing to work with. We had hurdles for them to deal with, literally from the start of our project. We wanted a new roof installed prior to installing the solar panels, and were planning to do a mortgage refi to pay for the solar. Well, the bank said we HAD to install the new roof before we could process the refi, and then the refi got held up with another issue (basement waterproofing), so MSSI had to work with us regarding starting dates, due to consideration of both the new roof installation and availability of funds from the refinance. It was a tangled web, but Dan & Colette took it all in stride. They kept us incredibly well informed of each step in the process, including was what going to be delivered when and who would be there to perform what work. The customer service and pride of ownership within this company is honestly second to none of any company I have ever worked with. It seemed like Colette was always at our house, ready with a solution to something, before we even knew there was a problem. If there is one panel that is under-performing, and you reach out to discuss it with them, they already know about it. That just amazed me. There are many less than stellar companies out there, and it's getting harder to tell them apart based on customer reviews, but MSSI is the real deal. I don't invest $37,000 on a project lightly and would not consider using any other company for solar installation in the Maryland area. It has been almost a year since our project was completed and I am still completely satisfied by the work they completed for me. Not only did they handle the installation of the solar panels, but they also handled all the paperwork for the permits and applications for the state and local tax credits. (You do have to file for the Federal credit yourself, with your yearly taxes.) It was honestly a pleasure to work with these folks, and I would be happy to discuss our experience with anyone who wants to talk to a real person, to verify they were an actual customer. J Brune

Sandi sat with us and gave us all of the details that we needed, and answered all of our questions. She gave us several options that suited our needs and wants. Then Colette came over and verified Sandi's calculations by going up onto the roof for hard measurements. We were informed of the process the entire time. Dan is a good office contact and coordinated the paperwork for us. The crew showed up on time and were very professional. They respected our property, and the property of our neighbors. When the job was finished - they cleaned up so that it didn't even look like they were their except for the panels on the roof. Since the completion of the installation, and the activation of the system, the 'team' has been in contact with us several times.

This is the very best home improvement company that my wife and I have ever dealt with. From start to finish, cost estimate to final inspection, the owner of the company, Colette Hayward, was personally involved. By personally involved I mean, for example, that she was on the roof from morning to evening when the panels were installed, ensuring that everything was done to her standards. It was a hot day but she was there until after dark when the last "critter guard" was put in place. When we were having a problem with the Solar Edge internet connection she wired a new plug twice. It turns out that the problem was cat hair in the port. No surprise since we have 5 cats.

I cannot stress enough how awesome the folks at Maryland Solar Solutions Inc have been to us over the last few months. At first not entirely sure we wanted to install solar panels, we set up an appointment with them. Sandra was absolutely amazing- she explained everything down to the finest detail and answered all of our questions. She, along with the rest of the team at MSSI, were very professional, helpful, and personable throughout this entire process- we were made to feel like we were becoming a part of their family! Now onto the panels themselves- the energy we have saved since having them installed in July is AMAZING! We have always had high electric bills due to running an in home day care, so cutting back on electricity use isn't really an option for us. Our past bill was cut in half! That alone is reason enough to get solar panels installed (plus it's good for the environment!). Coupled with the awesome service we received from Sandra, Colette, and Dan we regularly recommend MSSI to our friends and family in the area. You will not be disappointed in choosing them to help you with your solar needs.

I conducted a nearly three year review of solar companies, alternatives, etc. I met with 9 different solar companies (3 of which are no longer in business). I compared leasing to buying. Leasing was not for me because in addition to reducing my carbon footprint, I wanted the greater savings and tax benefits you get from purchasing a system. I selected Maryland Solar Solutions, Inc (MSSI) to handle my solar installation. I KNOW I chose the best company! I signed the contract and the design, permitting, installation and inspections were completed in 37 days! My net meter from PEPCO was installed one week later. This was extraordinarily fast ... not something that was anticipated but sure am happy it was that fast! What makes MSSI stand out from the rest is they are as interested in the success of your individual system as you are. It is a small, woman-owned Maryland company. The owner, Colette Hayward, was present from the initial meeting and throughout the installation where she was totally hands-on, working side-by-side with her employees installing the panels, wiring the boxes along with the electricians, checking the condition of the panels when they were delivered, and doing the walk-throughs during each county inspection. She was one of the first in this area to get her certification -- only now are many companies getting someone certified because now it is required. Colette did it because she felt it was important ... and did it long before it was required. She was one of only three contractors that went on my roof during our initial meeting, where she took several readings to see what system would work best and estimate the output to provide an educated guess regarding length of time until the system would pay for itself. She was the ONLY contractor who went into my attic space (not an actual attic but the kind you crawl through) to see what the support construction is and if there were any "surprises". (While up there she discovered a serious electrical hazard that could have been disastrous. I immediately had an electrician correct it!) Colette was the ONLY contractor who discussed moving vents in my roof, allowing for more panels to be installed and the layout being more aesthetically pleasing. Colette was also the ONLY contractor who recommended a "critter guard" to protect the wiring of the panels on the roof from being chewed up by squirrels or other critters. She learned about this the hard way -- when critters chewed up the wires on the solar panels on her own home! I could go on and on about what a terrific company MSSI is! They are heads and shoulders better than all of the other companies I met with. (No, I am NOT related to them. I found them through Angie's List when looking up reviews of other companies I had met with.) I have been making my own electric for two weeks. For this time period I will be billed only 25% of my home's electric usage. That is a 75% savings -- and that was with many days of rain and heavy clouds! Of course this won't be the norm for the entire year, with less daytime hours in the winter, more use of air conditioning in July and Auguest, etc.. But my outdoor pool has been open the entire time so the usage has included running the pool filters 12 hrs a day, the cleaning equipment several hours a day, etc.. It is a great start and a very good sign! My panels don't have a southern exposure, which would make the panels even more efficient. I have huge trees that would not allow for that configuration. Instead the panels are on sloping (not steep) roofs facing east and west. If you want to work with a solar contractor that is professional, highly knowledgeable and incredibly trustworthy .... then hire MSSI! It has been a total pleasure working with them ... and I am thrilled with the job they did for me! Thank you to the others on Angie's List that said such great (and accurate!) things about Colette Hayward that I just HAD TO have her come discuss my project ... when I thought I had already seen enough companies and was not looking to add another. I am SURE glad I did! UPDATE -- MAR 3, 2015 -- CUSTOMER SERVICE SURPRISE! One day last week I heard someone on my roof. I was not expecting anyone so was curious as to who was there and why. I was not able to get outside -- but happened to see a missed phone call so checked my voice mail. There was a message from Maryland Solar Solutions, Inc (MSSI) that someone was coming by to clear my solar panels of ice and snow so they would be working at full capacity. Because the weather forecast was for days and days of below freezing temps, if the panels had not been cleaned off they would be working at much less efficiency for quite a bit of time. So I was not just grateful that MSSI did this so I would continue to get the highest value from my solar array, but they did this without my requesting it. They took it upon themselves to do this wonderful customer service -- and at no cost to me. This shows you just one of the many differences (benefits!) of using MSSI -- at almost 2 years past my installation they continue to be a leader in customer service! What an excellent firm to work with! Thank you, Maryland Solar Solutions, Inc.! You definitely ARE the best!

We received three competitive quotes for solar panels for our home. What I really liked about MD Solar Solutions was the brand/quality of solar panels and central inverters they offer. If I recall, they offer Mage panels and Solar Edge inverters, both very high quality products. Their quote was about average and also competitive. The primary reason we opted for another company was because they did not have as many installed systems in the field and they did not offer in-house management of the RECs.

We received several quotes, and all were very close (we were not interested in leasing panels, so only got quotes for systems to own). Some companies use microinverters on the back of each panel, but we were concerned about the longevity of these systems due to the heat generated on the metal roof in the summer. In the end, we went with MSSI because of the quality of the components, and the knowledgeable staff. We are glad we did. Any bumps in the installation were taken care of by Collette Hayward, the owner. She always had a solution whether the difficulty was working with a non-standard roof construction, or a wireless connection. The installation went well and on schedule, even though the crew had to work in horrendously hot conditions. The main holdup for us was due to BGE (their installation of a new meter reader, because there was a problem with the connecting wires on our old one). In the end, we have a great system on our barn roof that has worked well for nearly two years now. We recently had an underperforming panel, and though it didn?t have a huge impact on the monthly production, Collette was on it right away. That?s one of the things that distinguish this company from other companies we?ve worked with. Any issue or question was dealt with in a timely manner, and we never felt put off or inconvenienced. Going solar is a tough decision given the amount of money to be paid up front, even though it will pay off in the long run. We definitely made the right decision going with MSSI.

Start to finish was excellent. I received quotes and presentations from other installers. MSSi was the best. The others just sent out their sales guys, MSSi had their owner show up and run through the True Cost to own info and how the SREcs work. It was all new to me and now I get it. I have accumulated SRECs but wait to sell them until the price increases. So you get to play these like a stock that others need to buy. The other "A" comments are right on. I will not repeat what they wrote. For me it was the professionalism, knowledge and efficiency of the system that made this an excellent experience. MSSi monitors the system, they noticed some small issues and came out and replaced a board. Voila. Easy button. MSSi even dealt with BG&E. They were tasked to install a digital NetMeter. They showed up a few weeks after the panels were installed and made the switch. Now I can see if I am feeding the grid or receiving power. It is cool to see you feeding the grid and lowering your BGE electrical consumption. The only issue is that per code, the system cannot operate when the grid is down. When the sine wave of the the delivered power stops, the inverters will not convert power and power your house nor the grid. This is by design and a safety issue so you do not feed the grid while the Line men are working on it. I use a 7000W gas Honda generator to power the house when the power goes out. Simple. You can always add Deep Cycle batteries if you want to store power for backup, but this is not cost effective.

We obtained quotes from several other companies and they were all in the same ballpark. Although they were competitive on price, I was disappointed in the prices quoted by all companies knowing what the approximate material costs were from my own research (none of our quotes would have received an "A"). While the others offered lease options I concluded leasing did not present the best deal. MSSI is a small, local company, and as is frequently the case when compared to larger, regional/national companies, seemed much more concerned about their customers and in providing an excellent product and support during and after installation. Others simply seemed to be pushing the largest system possible (and thus the largest sale, while hiding that SREC generation can't be based on estimates if over 10kW) or upselling with extras we didn't need such as solar attic fans (which studies show are unnecessary and may even reduce the effectiveness of ridge vents). Among the quotes obtained MSSI was the only one that wasn't micro-inverter based. Ultimately, the choice of technology, the belief that MSSI would provide a better overall experience, and past reviews here led us to select them. Upon selection, MSSI immediately began the process of getting permits and ordering equipment. From signing the contract to job completion took approximately 5 weeks including some rain delays. Actual installation took roughly a week. The system has been installed a couple months now and we've had no problems. In addition to installation, MSSI took care of setting up the account for SREC management as well as filing for the state grant. They maintained good communication throughout the process and listened to and addressed all of our concerns. We were very pleased with MSSI and have personally recommended them to several friends and co-workers as well.

The quote was the highest I saw by about 50%, and I also wanted to see if it was possible to use solar panels as backup power during an outage. The representative said this was not something they did, so our process ended there.

I could not have been more pleased with the work that Maryland Solar Solutions did. Not only did they do an excellent job, but the system was up and running in less than 3 weeks, nearly 2 months ahead of their schedule! First, I have to say that I compared Maryland Solar to about 5 different companies, including getting very detailed quotes and discussions from 3 other suppliers. The other three wanted to sell me a system consisting of Microinverters, versus the MSSI solution of power optimizers and traditional inverters. Each company told me why there solution was the best and all presented compelling arguments, however I ultimately choose MSSI because I felt that they were the only company I talked with that actually cared about my investment instead of just selling me a system. In the end, I am not an expert in this field and MSSI was the only company I felt like I could truly trust with $35k. There price was competitive, especially as the system got bigger. I initially priced a larger system and their price per watt was the same as some of the competitors. As the system size got smaller, their price per watt went up, while the competitors remained the same (this is a function of the technology differences). In the end, they were within a few hundred dollars. The design was done in consultation with my wife and I. We talked about the size and layout and they were able to take this into account. This was important as we wanted to maximize our return. Other companies tell you that they customize the design, but they really only have canned systems that they sell from the manufacturers and if they deviate from this, your system could be unstable. Implementation was flawless and well ahead of schedule. One of the best parts was the upfront communication. nearly every day, Dan was emailing me to give me a progress report and to tell me when people would be out working. Once the crew showed up, Colette was often their to supervise and make sure everything was done correctly. The job site was always left clean and the crew was always very pleasant and accommodating. I can imagine that the paperwork for this would be a nightmare, but MSSI completed everything for us. Not only did they apply for permits, but Colette waited around the house on the day of the inspection to make sure she was here to walk the inspector through the process. Once the system was online, MSSI helped to open the PJM-GATS account (for creating solar recs) and apply for the Maryland rebate. I got a request from the Maryland rebate center asking for more details, and within the hour, Dan had sent them the information they needed. After the installation, MSSI monitors our system. I asked them a specific question as to how to identify panels that might be under performing and they went through all the data to ensure that everything was functioning correctly. They even stopped by to check on the system and explain why there are some variations. The system has been operational for about 2 months now and is performing slightly better than the estimates. I am expecting that we will beat the estimates, but a lot depends on the amount of cloudy or rainy days. Either way, the estimates that they provided were well grounded and something that you can plan on. After 2 months running, we are very pleased with the entire process from start to finish.

The selection process: MSSI was selected to install my PV system for the following reasons: 1. Colette and her team are very knowledgeable and passionate about their work 2. Colette spent a great deal of time explaining the ins and outs of solar technologies and its tax-related benefits 3. MSSI is very quick to response to my inquires and questions 4. MSSI is a local company 5. The panels are German-engineered and manufactured in the US 6. The system MSSI recommended is very efficient and reliable, allowing down to panel-level optimization. 7. MSSI is NABCEP certified PV installer. The work: The system was professionally installed. The panels looked great on the roof. The wiring and the inverter board were installed with care, and they were simply beautiful! The journey didn't go without a few bumps on the road: delay in shipment, the lengthy and complicated permitting process, the confusing inspection requirements. But this was when MSSI really shined: they stayed on top of the issues, and kept me informed every step of the way. At the end, the project was completed very closed to the original estimate. So far , the system has performed better than PVWATTS' estimate. I can't wait to see the first Pepco bill after PV.

What can I say? Everything has been said in the previous reports of 9/18/2011, 7/27/2011, 9/22/2010 & 9/22/2010. Collette does a FANTASTIC job, MD Solar Solutions handles all the permits & paperwork. The first month after installation, we had an 87% decrease in our electric usage. The next two months have been quite cloudy, but our usage has still been down 50% of previous. I am really looking forward to July and August!

We contacted 2 companies about solar panels -- we have one upper story roof that is pretty much above most of the trees and faces south-ish. Colette Hayward, the owner of MSSI, visited us and gave us a couple of options, and ran through the technology and the incentive programs (of which there are 4 to deal with). She gave us a realistic-sounding rundown of up-front expenses and paybacks. The other company's money projections were closer to financial fiction, and this really turned us off them. Also, their salesman didn't seem as knowledgable as Colette. Installation was delayed about a week because of slowness in getting the county permits. Physical installation of the panels took 2 days. Electrical work was supposed to take 2 days, but by bringing an extra person and working longer hours, they were able to finish up that part in one extra day. Panels are mounted on racks which are screwed through the roof into the rafters (4 inch long bolts, really). The holes in the roof are sealed with tar and then flashed over as well. All the work was well cleaned-up afterwards (except for one cigarette butt on the lawn). The work was all high quality and professional, and Colette is very responsive to questions and explains what's happening very clearly. We have had power for a week now, and are pleased thus far. Financially, it will take about 10 years to pay for itself, but that's what we figured going in. Price installed is about $6 per Watt of DC peak power -- this is in the middle of the national average of $5-7. You can find cheaper installers, but I doubt you can find one more professional or honest.