Alternative to Brooklyn Solarworks

Hi there,

We are looking at the getting solar on the roof of our landmarked brownstone in Park Slope. We got a quote from BSW. The quote seems very high to me… more than twice the cost of the materials!! Obviously there is some labor involved, but they install this in 2 days …

Even if just as a sanity check – does anyone know of alternative companies that can install Solar on a landmarked property with a flat roof?

shollander91

in General Discussion 3 years and 8 months ago

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workisfun | 3 years and 8 months ago

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Momentum Solar contacted me recently after seeing one of my online inquiries. They said no out-of-pocket costs. I’m sure there’s a hook, but I look forward to the meeting. They do flush panels. I’m at the beginning of this and I intend to have BSW come by, as well.

Guest User | 3 years and 8 months ago

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With BSW you are paying for a seamless experience from start to finish. Considering that you are land marked I cannot imagine that anyone would touch your job for less. You are paying for knowledge not sweat

shollander91 | 3 years and 8 months ago

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Don’t disagree on the work needed to do this.. but the reality is that outside NYC there are a lot of people who just DIY this install. There are a bunch of benchmarks on what the cost to install.. which in the US in general is ~$3/watt all-in.

To me it feels like I am paying someone ~$15k to handle fairly standard paperwork

Lurker | 3 years and 8 months ago

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I did not get a second quote when we got solar panels installed, so I may just be a sucker, but considering our experience it felt right. A little context to consider beyond the 2 days of install and materials. There’s system design, drafting of architectural and engineering documents that go through a few revisions, plus applications for electrical and DOB permits, and then submission of all the documents for state rebates and tax credits and then 4 inspections and coordination with ConEd for new meters, etc. Plus they coordinate financing and securing a loan, if you need that. It’s a lot of work spanning months of time. It’s money for sure, but if you’ve ever done any work that involves the DOB I’m not sure it’s a premium.