The collective effort yielded great results - Matt M. Installation of the Month



"Do it yourself" doesn't mean you have to do it alone: this month's installation proves that having a lot of friends and a little forethought can go a long way. Matt M. knew what he wanted - offsetting the electricity bill, and he knew exactly what needed to be installed to get the job done. Six friends, and about 20 hours later, Matt had a fully functional, grid-connected system that looked fantastic.



"The moment I spoke with Matt on the phone, I could see that he was not only knowledgeable, but also had the confidence of a do-it-yourself installer. He suggested to me the use cases he wanted to offset, and we were able to easily design a system to meet his needs. He knew he planned to build a structure to mount the panels that gave us good flexibility in panel layout and allowed for ideal panel orientation. Matt's architectural knowledge and familiarity with solar energy made him an ideal client for the project." - Solar Technology Jack.

Matt Interview

How long does the complete installation process take from receiving the device to turning on the switch?

It took me 10 hours to install the rack and panels with the help of 6 friends, and then another 10 hours to pull the main power and connect everything together with the help of 3 friends.

How many people did it take?

7 people install racks and panels, 3-4 people install inverters.

Have you had any construction experience before?
I am a union sheet metal worker with 20 years of experience and my neighbor is a union electrician with over 20 years of experience.

What was the most confusing or difficult part of the installation process?
The most difficult part was installing shelves and panels on the 6/12-pitch metal roof.

Do you need any unforeseen extra parts or tools?
Working with JACK was great, he was very helpful and answered every question I had. Thank you, Jack! The only thing I was missing were the rack's two ground lugs, which wasn't a big deal: I made two bolts with pushbutton heads out of 1/4-20 stainless steel bolts that slide perfectly into the top of the rack.

How/Why did you choose to install it yourself?
I installed it myself because I had good friends who took the time to help me and I couldn't have done it without their help.