Review for New England Clean Energy

Office location: 335 Schooner Drive Suite 430, Oakley MA, 01749

07/07/2023
Gongnomore Acton, MA

Good install, but still not online after five months

We knew from friends that the installation date would be an unknown but the excellent work would make this uncertainty worth it. The solar array was designed pre-install but the battery location was decided by the installer on the day. However, it’s now almost six months post install (Jan 2023) and the panels and batteries are sitting there not doing anything while we pay power bills. This is due to changes in energy storage permitting occurring in Dec 2022 post contract execution, but pre-install. These standards were not incorporated into the plans by New England Clean Energy (NECE), or detected by our town as a permit for an energy storage device was not submitted and the initial drawings provided to the town did not include batteries. When the first inspector turned up they saw the batteries and walked away as they weren’t on the plans. We gave it a few weeks and asked for an update, we were told by NECE that everything was okay and we were just waiting on the fire department for battery inspection. They said they couldn’t get hold of the FD and it would be useful if I could try and speak to them. I secured an inspection time and gave NECE >48hrs headsup of it, NECE did not attend this on April 3rd. The plans did not include batteries still and our FD’s interpretation of standards meant they could not permit the system as no crash protection was in place. We were given clear guidance on what they wanted. From this time until now NECE has spent three months finding the cheapest way to meet the FD needs despite serious personal reasons we have to get battery backup online asap. We remained cooperative while this was called a permitting delay. However once a plan was finally determined NECE advised us that they will be reasonable and cover the cost of relocating the system they drilled into our concrete foundation to another wall in the garage, but we need to discuss the extra costs of a PE stamp and safety bollard install. Looking at prior reviews not knowing town codes seems to be common across reviews, and 100% it is not easy to know different town nuances, and the guidance provided by the State to installers is very poor, but navigating code is not the customers job and once we had what the FD wanted done on Apr 3rd we should have developed an action plan. It varies town by town, it’s terrible for installers but resolved normally at permitting, but this requires the correct permits and drawings to be submitted. Increased job costs would normally be identified here. I asked NECE managers for a coordinated response in April and heard nothing. We have since helped lobby the state and prodded NECE to use the phone and not just say emails are unanswered. Saying that battery install requirements weren’t enforced for a couple of months after code was released pre-install is not a defense. In April when we got FD guidance we would have discussed additional cost, but poor project management and drawing out the timeline to get compliance costs down when it’s a extra cost they want to be reasonable with us about is not okay after ongoing power bills and the ~95% job cost we have paid in line with payment schedule. We asked about schedule variation in June and the need was discounted by NECE. Plus we still don’t know if the stove will work on batteries, as there is a problem they had on another job and we need to wait and see. Not sure when we’ll find that out as we need to be online first.