Power Solutions Company Profile

EO of Power Solutions in San Jose CA, Jose Radzinsky, entered the solar field out of personal interest and necessity. In 1997, Jose worked as a general contractor, but couldn't find anyone to help him convert his own home to solar electricity. He studied the industry, interviewed suppliers and installed his own system. Jose enjoyed the solar conversion project so much that he decided to become a C-10 licensed solar contractor. It was a great idea—since Power Solutions opened in 1998, Jose Radzinsky and Power Solutions' Vice President, Nestor Sohnlein have installed enough solar systems to create nearly two megawatts of power throughout California.

Environmental Awareness and Business Acumen
Both Jose Radzinsky and Nestor Sohnlein are lifelong environmentalists, and both were general contractors before they created Power Solutions, but they brought other skills with them as well. Jose has a BS in Business Administration, and Nestor has a BS in Electrical Engineering—and both of them continually upgrade their skills with multiple certifications and advanced training, within the solar industry and through their many suppliers of solar panels and equipment. Jose and Nestor are also deeply involved in the solar industry, and regularly travel to Sacramento and Washington to help set standards, support innovations, and lobby for tax credits for solar electricity.

Power Solutions has been growing steadily since 1998, without outside funding. According to Jose, this success is attributable to the quality of their workmanship, and to their pioneering of the longest workmanship warranties in the solar industry. In 1994, when California required five-year warranties on workmanship, Power Solutions offered 10-year warranties, and when California began requiring 10-year warranties in 2007, Jose and Nestor extended their warranties to 15 years. Jose and Nestor also keep themselves current with their status as certified distributors and installers of numerous solar panels, power inverters, and pumps (and with their supplier of energy monitoring systems, the excellently-named Fat Spaniel Technologies).

It is Easy Being Green
When Power Solutions started, Jose Radzinsky worked primarily with off-grid installations for rural clients so far removed from power distribution lines that hooking up to the grid was not affordable. For these rural clients, solar was an expense that was worth every dime. Since then, as the technology has become more affordable for everyone, Jose and Nestor have seen the solar market take off. Though they still install off-grid systems, their work now revolves around grid-tie and power back-up systems on homes, businesses, non-profits and government buildings. As Jose says, "The technology is affordable, and we get tremendous satisfaction from helping our clients create carbon-free energy."

For people looking into solar power options, Jose suggests looking at more than just price. He likens the relationship with your solar contractor to a marriage, "You need to look at the company's longevity, because your system will be in place for decades, and you'll need top-quality customer care. The business should be properly licensed, they should take care of their workers and provide benefits—you don't just want some guy hiring part time laborers and then disappearing. It's a long-term relationship"

Jose also has a warning about power inverters, which he calls the "weakest link" in a solar system. At Power Solutions, Jose and Nestor have created a "reverse-engineering" process where they calculate the client's energy usage over a period of years, and then work back from that to customize the inverter to the exact needs of the house. In this way, they avoid many of the inverter problems that plague other solar installations.

A Good Day's Work
Even though he's the CEO of Power Solutions, Jose Radzinsky loves to be present at the inauguration of each solar installation Power Solutions completes, "When we turn on the system and the clients see their meter running backward, their eyes light up and huge smiles break out on their faces. They are no longer power consumers. Now, they're power producers. It's the best thing about our work."

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