Polaron has stood the test of time because we are always improving ourselves with new ideas. As the #1 residential solar PV installation company in Canada with local offices in Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia and Alberta, we take pride in making sure the process of going solar is as stress-free and straightforward as possible.
We’re proud to say Polaron is the creator of the Site Assessment Report (SAR) that provides our customers with full transparency before beginning installation. We’ve always understood solar is a big commitment with lots of factors to consider. Our goal is to ensure our customers feel comfortable and aware every step of the way.
What is SAR?
SAR is an important stage uniquely created by Polaron to outline and eliminate technical hurdles of the project with our clients to ensure a smooth installation. The report is a personalized customer study to address all design aspects of going solar.
How SAR works
We do site measurements first so that everything is professionally designed before we install. This process consists of three main parts.
- Roof Measurement: We fly a drone over your roof to take hundreds of photos which we then use to form a 3D model of your roof. The model allows us to check your roof condition, roof pitch, roof diameter and azimuth.
- Attic Measurement: This is where we check the truss structure, rafter size, rafter span and your attic’s overall condition.
- The Electrical room and outdoor meter base inspection: This is where we inspect your circuit breaker type and capacity size, available space for additional solar electrical components and points of connection; both indoor and outdoor.
Our engineering team will study the case and create an engineering design based on the Site Measurements taken. Our installation technicians will review your roof condition during this time while our electrical engineers look over your connection point condition to check for any pre-existing code violations to the meter base or circuit breaker. Our structural engineers will then calculate whether your roof structure can support the additional load of a solar PV system. If not, this is where we will create an attic reinforcement plan for future consideration.
Finally, our PV designer will rerun a 3D model to reconfirm the panel layout with our drone
measurements. The final design is sent to a third-party engineering company to review and stamp for structural suitability.
After all of our engineers and technicians have finished designing and reviewing the report, we generate the final Site Assessment Report (SAR) for our customers to review. The report includes the structural condition, roof condition, existing electrical connection point condition, panel layout, wiring route, solar electrical component design and any necessary upgrades that require additional costs.
Why SAR?
Some may find it easier to simply send an electrician to inspect before installing, but we believe there are many things other than the electrical aspects that need to be considered. We want to thoroughly inspect not only the electrical components but also the structural integrity and overall construction of your roof. Understanding these specialized aspects helps us make the process as easy as possible to avoid failing inspections down the road.
A personalized, in-depth inspection also gives us a clear idea of what upgrades and replacements need to be addressed for the safety of our customers and their homes. With this report, our customers will have a comprehensive understanding of what additional costs are necessary to continue with their project and where they are coming from. This is to make sure our customers can properly review for potential change orders and prepare for any additional costs beforehand if they choose to continue.
Best of all, if we find there are additional costs necessary and you no longer wish to move forward, you can cancel without any penalties. We provide absolute peace of mind as we never want solar to seem like a financial burden.
If you want a completely hassle-free solar installation experience, get a free quote with us today!
