Intermountain Wind & Solar

Intermountain Wind and Solar (IWS) has several locations. However, Go Solar Group only shares two states with them. These states include Utah and Nevada.

Interested homeowners in these markets should gain a full understanding of how these two solar companies compare since both are viable options.

Comparing solar companies can seem like a Herculean task, and that is why we’ve put this comparison together. We want to make sure choosing the right solar company for your home is as easy as possible.

Comparing these Solar Company’s Services

Products matter, but services are often what sets different solar companies apart. The services a solar company provides can improve the customer’s overall solar experience significantly. Even if they cost more, additional solar services can make paying extra money for them worthwhile.

When considering solar panels for your home, make sure that you qualify for installation from the companies you’ve shortlisted with whom to go solar. Everybody wants solar, but not everybody qualifies for it, and the qualification standards can range from building type to credit scores and taxable income, to name a few.

Financing a Residental Solar Array

As a big-ticket item, those who are interested in solar will want to make sure they qualify for financing programs offered by competing companies if they are not going to pay cash for their installation. While this is a key component of getting the right bid, both Intermountain Wind & Solar and Go Solar Group have very similar financing options for homeowners.

Benefits of Having a Full-Service Solar Company

A full-service solar company does everything in-house. Meaning everything from obtaining the correct permits to installation and maintenance goes through the same company.

While contracting out work isn’t bad, it can make correcting potential mistakes more difficult and involve you in several steps of the installation process that will be time-consuming and, unfortunately, confusing. Companies that do everything in-house and in full-service format have more control over quality and timeliness. Both IWS and Go Solar Group have in-house employees working on their Utah and Nevada installations, making them both similar in terms of the time they can save homeowners on paperwork and working through financing documents.

Product Suite Comparison

While the idea behind photovoltaic solar is the same, the components have differences. The type of products offered can make a difference in the cost and quality of the solar array, including the ROI these solar arrays generate.

A cheap solar array may not last as long. However, the most expensive system isn’t always the best option either. As is the case with any purchase, knowing the product selection helps prospects make the decision that works best for them.

Battery Backup Options

Due to NEC 2017, changes to rapid shutdown requirements, battery backup has become the only way for a solar home to continue working during an outage if the sun isn’t shining. If adding battery backup isn’t in the cards right now, make sure that the solar array works with solar batteries, and the solar installer offers the battery of choice.  

Go Solar Group’s Battery Backup Levels

Go Solar Group has three levels of battery backup. The first two are battery backup packages featuring Goal Zero products. The third level is the Tesla Powerwall 2. 

Battery Backup at Intermountain Wind and Solar

IWS offers the Tesla Powerwall as well. In the past, IWS has installed the Sonnen home battery, but the website doesn’t state whether the Powerwall has replaced it.

Solar Panels

The type and quality of solar panels influence how much electricity they will produce. While solar panels with average wattage ratings often provide the most value per dollar, homes that have limited space require residential solar panels with higher wattage ratings. 

Go Solar Group’s Preferred Solar Panel 

Go Solar Group’s preferred solar panel is the 315-watt Axitec monocrystalline half-cell technology black-on-black solar panel. However, for installs that require premium solar panels, Go Solar Group also uses LG, Solaria, and Silfab. 

Solar Panel Selection at Intermountain Wind and Solar

IWS buys its solar panels in bulk, so they can offer a lower price to their customer. Their most common solar panel used is the 310-watt Silfab black-on-black solar panel. However, they also use a variety of other solar panels, including LG and Panasonic. The premium solar panel they offer is the 355-watt REC solar panel, which is very high efficiency.

Inverter Brands

Inverters change the direct current generated by solar panels into the alternating current used in homes. The market has several different inverter types. Which inverter to use, depends on the available unshaded space and priorities of the homeowner. 

Go Solar Group’s Residential Inverter

Go Solar Group uses SolarEdge inverters for its residential installations. The SolarEdge brand relies on optimized string inverters. 

IWS’s Inverter Brands

IWS uses several different inverters. Their inverter selection includes the SMA (string inverter), SolarEdge (optimized string inverter), and Enphase (microinverter).

Extras: A Perk-by-Perk Comparison

Sometimes solar companies have extra perks that make using them a little more appealing than others. While these often aren’t deal-breakers, they oftentimes push prospects into the customer phase in scenarios that would otherwise be a toss-up.

Paying Solar Forward

One of Go Solar Group’s value-adding points in comparison to IWS is its humanitarian efforts. The owners at Go Solar Group started this company so they would have the means to helps others. Go Solar Group does this by microfinancing solar solutions in Uganda villages and contributing to boarding schools with clean reading light through the non-profit 1heart1mind.  

Referral Incentives & Promotions

At Go Solar Group, we have referral programs that reward both customers and non-customers for spreading the word about our business. If the person who is referred to us installs with our company, the person who referred them receives $500, with an unlimited number of referrals from which they can submit and earn.

Go Solar Group’s 2020 Tesla Powerwall Promotion

Go Solar Group is running a Tesla Powerwall Sweepstakes until January 2021, which gives those who enter the sweepstakes a chance to win a Tesla Powerwall 2, including the cost of installation if they install a solar system through Go Solar Group. The Official Rules for this promotion are outlined here.

IWS Tesla Powerwall Referral Program  

IWS doesn’t have a solar referral program. However, from May to July 2020, they have a Powerwall sweepstakes referral program running, so it lasts 5 months less than Go Solar Group’s existing promotion for the Powerwall outlined above.

To enter the IWS sweepstakes, each person needs to schedule and sit for an appointment. Each person who is referred to their Powerwall giveaway and sits through an appointment enters them and their referrer’s name into the drawing for a chance of winning the Powerwall.

Accreditations and Certifications

Accreditation shows customers which businesses they can trust. In the solar industry, several different designations set companies apart from each other and should be weighted by solar prospects and homeowners before making a purchase decision.

Go Solar Group & IWS’s Accreditations 

Go Solar Group is a Certified Tesla Powerwall Installer. We also have an “A” rating from the Better Business Bureau in Utah, and two of our employees hold the NABCEP Certified PV Installer designation. IWS has comparable designations, but has an A+ rating, giving them the slight edge on this front.