Quote:
Originally Posted by SgtNarc
I have been looking at Renvu for awhile now and they have good prices but you should look at CivicSolar. I am getting ready to pull the plug on a grid-tied 14kw system and will keep this forum updated.
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I've got parts that came from CivicSolar, parts that came from Renvu, parts that came from SunElec (in Miami), and some other places. My last major order came from Renvu, and I hope they fired the first guy who packed my order (the first time). The second pallet of panels arrived in fine shape. The first pallet of 20 panels were a broken, jumbled mess that would make anyone on this forum cry, because I'm sure they were in great shape when they left the Renvu warehouse in California, but when the common carrier showed up at my house with the pallet of 20 panels that obviously were not stacked with corner blocks between panels, not stacked on a proper sized pallet, and not properly strapped down to be moved with a fork lift?? When the first shipment arrived, it was a jumbled mess of broken glass and twisted aluminum frames that I took photos of and refused to sign for!!
Deal with whoever you want for this PV gear, but pay very close attention when you take delivery of your panels. Even reputable places who deal in warehouses full of panels (like Renvu), can hire people who don't understand what happens to freight in transit using common carriers. Make no mistake, Renvu replaced my entire shipment of 20 panels, but I'm glad I had the freight insurance, and glad Renvu was able to provide a replacement set of panels out of their warehouse that matched what I originally ordered. (Florida has a limited list of panels they accept for use on systems in FL, even for personal home use. As a result, I really have to pay particular attention to what I'm ordering before I pull the trigger.)
In the end, I certainly have no issue with using Renvu again. They acknowledged their mistake in the original shipment packaging, and replaced my entire order. If I had been using them as my supplier to make a great deal to a client, the situation would have been vastly different than me buying gear for my own personal projects.
Certainly Creeky's advice of supporting a local supplier also gets you in touch with locals who can potentially support your new "habit", because honestly these PV arrays are addicting.
