Hi folks. I was wondering if anyone out there knows any Maine electricians that will inspect DIY grid tied micro-inverter systems? Seems like a long shot, but thought I might as well ask. Thanks to anyone that takes the time to read this!
Maine Inspectors
- Thread starter Bobgar
- Start date
12VoltInstalls
life passes by too quickly to not live in freedom
My friend’s brother lived in hotel rooms in Maine for like a year recently. He’s an electrician from ‘here’ (Vermont) so I’d guess the market is broadly empty of Maine electricians that install solar like he does. Dunno?
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There are only a handful of electricians that I have found that know anything about solar. None of them will do inspections. They want to personally install any AC involved in the process. All the solar companies want to do all the work, and only with there equipment. It has been a frustrating experience
What part of Maine (county?). I MAY know a guy who knows a guy, in midcoast. I haven't used him, but a friend who is planning both a residential and a commercial build is using him to do the planning and install of a 48 KW system. I've spoken with him but don't really need his help, so can't verify any more than that.
I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t either. This why an important part of the DIY solar planning process is befriending a local electrician. …
Northern Waldo county. I may have found a guy yesterday up north of Bangor who seemed willing to do it, but I couldn't get him to confirm an inspection date. I have called something like 40 electricians and solar companies at an increasing distance from my place.
I don't really blame them either. With the liability falling squarely on them, makes it hard to do that sort of work for someone they don't know. Though I would be happy sign anything that would absolve them of liability if such a thing was possible. I do however believe that if the town or power company requires master electrician sign off, then they should be required to have inspectors lined up to look at work. Even for a fee.
I'm a bit of a recluse so haven't really made friends with any trades man. Whenever I needed work done, I have done it myself. With the exception of concrete work, or earth works. And only then because if foundations aren't right, you cant really fix them later. Anyway, I have the 2023 NEC code book that I will be studying for the next couple weeks while I wait for parts to arrive.
Hi Neighbor. I'm at the other end of Waldo. I'll ask my friend about the guy he's using. If you do use the guy in Bangor I'd appreciate hearing your opinion of him. I plan to do most of my work myself as well.
Will do. I'm planning to reach out to him again when my parts arrive. I want to offer him some other paid work, changing the meter box. The one on the house now is about 30 years old and doesn't have an exterior breaker like the new ones. Hopefully that will give me a chance to talk to the guy and go over what I plan to do. Assure him that I have an idea of what I'm doing.
WindWizard
Solar Enthusiast
Electricians that deal with solar seem to be rare in the state of Maine. It sounds like you have ordered all your stuff or I would have suggested for you to go off grid as I have done.
The price of batteries to reliably stay off grid would have been...cost prohibitive. I thought about buying an oversized inverter and taking circuits off grid slowly, as funds became available. But ultimately decided against it. If I was going to change anything I might have done a string inverter instead, as I found a couple of electricians that were fine with me doing all the DC work myself. Which would have saved basically all the labor cost of an electrician as he would only have to connect the very last wire.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
Have you bought equipment yet?
I have. Parts of it have already shipped. I'm beyond the point of cancellation.
I'd say having a fair amount of work for the electrician improves the probability that he'll work with you. I've found both electricians and plumbers are hard to come by in rural Maine. Most seem to be focused on the much easier work of building new homes rather than doing "run of the mill" work that includes day to day repairs and projects like solar. Most also seem to have aligned themselves with a builder or two, and just wait for the work to roll in. I can't really blame them - it's easier than dealing with a bunch of homeowners, and no need to market yourself, as long as the housing market holds up. In our town, there's no requirement at all for electrical inspections, which blows the minds of most people from more urban and suburban areas.
Its wild isn't It? My town gives not one single fuck what you do on your property, with like two small exceptions. And yeah of the only two tradesman I have worked with, Earth works guy and Concrete guy, HATE chasing money. I have always paid them cash on the day the job was completed and they have been very happy.
