Dan,
What Alan said.
The most important client is the one you turn away. The fact that the
previous installer "fled" and that the client refuses to use a generator
makes an alarm go "ah-OOO-gah! ah-OOO-gah!" in the back of my head.
I just walked away from a client after five years of repairing their
boneheaded mistakes.* I should have seen them coming on the way in.
Having repeatedly beaten their system into a quivering heap for years
they are now "disappointed" with its performance and refused to pay my
last invoice. I was there for them on short notice, on weekends, gave
them sympathy discounts, the works. They think I'm a bad guy.
Conclusion: There are some people who are too mechanically incompetent
for off grid living. You cannot make them happy.
Say, "I'm sorry, but if you won't use a generator or pay for a
maintenance contract, I can't help you." Really, walk away. "Gorgeous"
and "so close" are the cheese in the trap.
And yes, a psychology degree would serve any of us better than an EE
degree 99% of the time.
Good luck,
Hilton
* Client: "The system wasn't holding a charge when we had three toasters
and two coffee makers going, so I added four batteries on the end of the
pack." Me: "Um, your system is 48 volts - eight six-volt batteries.
Adding four batteries makes it a 72 volt battery pack. Your system can't
charge that high, so that's why it died." Client: "But there are four
more batteries. That's another 50%." Me: "Remember how I've asked you to
call me before you do stuff? Let's go through this again..."
--
Hilton Dier III
Renewable Energy Design
Partner, Solar Gain LLC
453 East Hill Rd.
Middlesex, VT 05602
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