Solar Panels Made in Jax and Installed by Local Crew

The title says it all. That's what I want, assuming I have the summer I am planning with work. We often talk about going local when it comes to produce, and there was always some talk of it back in Milwaukee (Harley-Davidson / Miller Brewing / Allen Edmonds / Koss / Master Lock / Generac...). But the South isn't a manufacturing hotbed, and I don't know if there's a commitment to go local when it comes to manufactured goods. In fact, going through the list of top employers, there's barely anything made here that's also for consumers (some business to business stuff). I guess SeaRay boats, but my cousin's husband works for Mercury Marine (Orlando area) and I don't want to own a boat. However, I do want to own solar panels, so when can that happen?
I know I did the math in another article, but I think we're down to less than five years of owning solar panels for them to pay for themselves in electricity savings, at least in Florida. Nothing makes more sense than solar panels on top of our Florida homes (shading the house) that produce the electricity to cool the homes, especially when the price point gets down to under five years to pay off, and especially if the manufacturer is local.

Sure, it's really a Chinese company trying to avoid paying tariffs, but the jobs are local, and that's all that matters. I would rather I actually know some of the workers, but it's enough that we're manufacturing something in Jax. Oh yeah, I forgot Maxwell House and its 300 employees. And discount coffee taste at discount coffee prices. But it would be cool to visit the actual Maxwell House if it's still around, like the Merrill House downtown. FOCUS. Like the sun on my roof.

So here's the question. Are any of the local solar roof / panel installers out there going to be installing locally-sourced solar arrays? I don't want something from Canada or California or Calcutta. I want my solar panels from just over the St. Johns River so that it only takes maybe a gallon of gasoline to bring them to me. And I don't want installers who travel around the country in work caravans. Just a couple of local installers who wear shirts most of the time.

And I'd rather the shirt-wearing installers deal with my HOA if there's anything to deal with. 

I'm not kidding, either. If you work for a local solar panel installer or for the new solar panel manufacturer in town, I will entertain your offers. But I don't want to hear from some Tuscon, AZ, company selling solar panels from Mexico.

And when it's time to get a new website, be sure you check out a local company at Passive Ninja or Brave New Church.