How to Choose a Commercial Solar Contractor in NJ: 7 Questions That Matter

Most commercial property owners contract a solar company once or twice in their career. The contractor will be working on your facility for months, on your roof for decades, and connected to your electrical service for 25+ years. Choosing wrong is expensive in ways that aren’t obvious at signature. Seven questions to ask before contracting.

1. Who does your engineering — in-house or subcontracted?

In-house engineering means accountability when something needs to change mid-project. Subcontracted engineering means coordinating through your contractor to a third party — slower and prone to information loss. Ask for the names of the NJ-licensed Professional Engineers on staff.

2. How many commercial projects have you completed in my utility territory?

PSE&G, JCP&L, Atlantic City Electric, and Rockland Electric have distinct interconnection procedures. A contractor with 50 projects in PSE&G but zero in JCP&L will hit unexpected delays when applying for the first JCP&L Level 2. Ask for project count specifically in your utility.

3. What’s your production guarantee — and how do you enforce it?

Production guarantees are easy to write into a contract and hard to enforce in practice. Ask: what’s the threshold (typical: 95% of PVsyst Year 1-2, 90% Year 3-10)? Who monitors production? What’s the remediation process if production falls below threshold? Who pays for soiling cleanup or vegetation removal?

4. Who handles utility interconnection paperwork and AHJ permits?

Some contractors push permitting and utility work onto the property owner. Ask explicitly: does your scope include AHJ permit applications, structural PE stamps, utility interconnection paperwork, and SuSI program registration?

5. Can I see references from 3 NJ commercial clients you’ve worked with in the last 24 months?

Recent references reveal current execution quality. Don’t accept references from 5+ years ago — staff turnover may have changed the contractor materially. Ask for permission to call them directly.

6. What’s your insurance coverage?

Minimum acceptable: $2M general liability, $1M auto, NJ statutory workers’ comp. For larger projects: $5M umbrella. Ask for certificate of insurance with you (or your property’s parent entity) named as additional insured.

7. What financing structures can you support?

A contractor who only offers capex isn’t necessarily wrong, but you should understand all three structures (capex, PPA, lease) and IRA Direct Pay for tax-exempt entities before choosing. A contractor who can model all three with your CPA is worth more than one who pushes a single option.

Red Flags

• Free feasibility study without paid follow-up — usually a sales walkthrough, not engineering
• Guaranteed payback under 3 years for typical commercial — likely overstating savings or understating cost
• Refusal to share insurance certificates or PE credentials
• Pressure to sign before paid feasibility is complete
• Generic, non-NJ-specific contract terms (no SuSI registration, no NJ utility specifics)