Our process
How a Braven solar project works, step by step.
Roughly 90 days from signed contract to a working system, once design, permits and ComEd interconnection are through. Those three are controlled by other people, and we will tell you where yours is sitting at any point.
Six steps
What happens, in order.
Send the basics.
Address, bill, and what you're trying to solve.
Roof and usage check.
We look at orientation, shading, roof condition and your actual consumption. If it's not a fit, this is where you find out.
Proposal.
System design, production estimate, the full price, and every incentive shown as an estimate with its assumptions attached.
Permits and interconnection.
We file with your municipality and with ComEd. This is the slow part and it is mostly out of our hands.
Install and inspection.
Typically one to three days on site.
Energization and handover.
Monitoring set up, documents handed over, and a number to call that still works in five years.
Who controls the timeline
Where the 90 days go.
Three of the seven stages sit with other people. Those are the ones that stretch a project, and they are the ones we will tell you about first.
| Stage | Who controls it | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Roof and usage check | Braven | If it's not a fit, this is where you find out. |
| Proposal | Braven | The full price, with every incentive shown as an estimate and its assumptions attached. |
| Design and engineering | Outside engineers | We review the drawings and send them back if something is wrong. |
| Permits | Your municipality | We file. They schedule the review. |
| Interconnection | ComEd | The slow part. We file and follow up; the utility sets the date. |
| Install and inspection | Braven, then the municipal inspector | Typically one to three days on site. |
| Energization and handover | ComEd releases; Braven commissions | Monitoring set up, documents handed over. |
Payment
Half at signing, half when the work is substantially complete.
Most of our customers pay cash; a HELOC is the usual route for those who finance. We do not lease, and we do not sell power purchase agreements.
Tell us what you need.
Whether that's a quote, a second opinion on someone else's quote, or a system that stopped working, you'll get a straight answer and a real next step.
Tell us what you need
Tell us what's going on. If solar doesn't suit your roof we'll say so on the first call.