Ally Electric & Solar is back with NARI San Francisco Bay Area
This month Ally Electric & Solar rejoined NARI San Francisco Bay Area, the local chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. We were members back in the early 2010s, around the time we became Ally, and it's good to be back. Metin is our primary member, and you can find us in NARI's Find a Remodeler directory under Electrical Services and Green Remodeler.
Why an electrical and solar company came back to a remodeling group
A lot of our work starts in the middle of someone else's remodel. A kitchen gets an induction range and suddenly the 100-amp panel from 1962 can't handle it. A garage turns into an ADU and needs its own subpanel. A family adds a heat pump, an EV charger and a battery in the same year and finds out the service is maxed out.
When that happens, the general contractor, the designer and the electrician have to be on the same page early. NARI is where a lot of Bay Area remodelers and designers meet, so being in the chapter makes it easier for them to bring us in before the drywall goes up instead of after.
What NARI membership means for you
Every NARI member signs the association's Code of Ethics. In plain terms, members agree to:
keep their advertising factually accurate
write contracts and warranties that follow federal, state and local law
respond to customer complaints promptly and actually deal with them
carry the licenses and insurance the law requires
None of that is new for us. We've held a California license since 2002 (it's CSLB #806465 now, C10 and C46), we're BBB accredited with an A+ rating, and our own crew does every install. But it's one more thing you can check on your own before you hire anyone, and we think that's a good thing.
One note so there's no confusion: NARI membership is different from NARI certification, which is a separate set of exams. We're members.
Planning a remodel? Talk to the electrician first
If your project touches the kitchen, an addition, an ADU or anything electric (heat pump, induction, EV charging, solar, a home battery), here's what we'd check on the first visit:
Your main panel size and condition. Older Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels usually need to go.
Whether a main panel upgrade or a SPAN smart panel makes more sense for your house.
Whether PG&E has to upgrade the service drop, which can add weeks to your schedule.
Room for solar and a battery later, so you don't open the walls twice.
Solar and a battery fit best during a remodel
Solar and home batteries are most of what we do, and a remodel is the cheapest time to add them. The walls are open, the electrician is already there, and you're pulling permits anyway.
A few examples of what that looks like:
New roof? Put solar on right after it. Panels last 25 years or more, and you don't want to pay to take them off and put them back when an old roof gives out.
New kitchen or addition? We run the conduit for solar and a battery while the walls are open, even if you're not ready to buy them yet. It's a small cost now and saves you from patching drywall later.
Living in the hills? A battery keeps the fridge, lights and Wi-Fi on during PG&E shutoffs. We install the Tesla Powerwall 3, FranklinWH and Enphase batteries.
Worried about the cost? California's SGIP program pays for part of a home battery, and we file that paperwork for you. Our solar pricing usually falls between $2.60 and $3.50 per watt.
You can read more on our solar and backup power pages.
We work directly with homeowners, and we're happy to work alongside your general contractor or designer too. If you're going all-electric, our home electrification page has more on how the pieces fit together.
About us
Metin and I started Ally Electric & Solar in Richmond in 2010, and we've put in more than 1,000 solar, battery and electrical systems around the Bay Area since then. We're an SGIP-approved developer, Tesla certified, Enphase certified and a PG&E Trade Ally, and members of CALSSA, the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce and, once again, SFBA NARI.
Call us at (510) 559-7700 or request a free quote.
Ally Electric & Solar Inc. | 855 Marina Bay Pkwy Ste. 280, Richmond, CA 94804 | (510) 559-7700 | CSLB #806465