951: Most Solar Problems Start Before the Install | Greg Smith

The most expensive mistakes on a solar project usually aren't made during the install. They're made long before anyone arrives on site.

Greg Smith has spent nearly two decades helping installers avoid those mistakes. As one of the solar industry's most respected trainers and educators, and the author of a practical guide to energy storage, he's helped thousands of professionals understand what it takes to build reliable solar and storage systems that perform as intended long after the installation is complete.

In this live conversation from the NABCEP conference, Greg and Nico Johnson explore why communication has become the industry's number one service call, how better system design prevents costly callbacks, and why setting realistic homeowner expectations is just as important as selecting the right equipment. Along the way, Greg shares the simple disciplines that separate installers who are constantly troubleshooting from those who build systems that simply work.

Expect to learn:

🔹 Why communication failures have become the industry's number one service call

🔹 How better system design prevents problems before the installer ever arrives on site

🔹 Why managing homeowner expectations is just as important as sizing the battery correctly

🔹 What "No Boots, No Truth" means, and why every installer should adopt it

Whether you're designing systems, installing them, or supporting customers after the sale, this conversation is a reminder that reliability isn't something you troubleshoot into a system. It's something you design from the very beginning.

Hit play and learn why the best installers spend just as much time preventing problems as they do solving them.

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You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus