So you’ve decided that you’re sick of spending so much of your hard earned money on energy bills and it’s time to call an expert who can help you find good energy solutions.

Here are 5 things to look for in an energy contractor:

1. Do they just focus in one solution? You better not call a lighting contractor if you want solar. Likewise, if you don’t know what the best solution is, your best bet is to find a contractor who can provide a range of services from on-site renewable energy to energy efficiency, to energy monitoring and management solutions.

2. Industry certifications: always ask what industry certifications your energy contractor has. CEM (certified energy manager), NABCEP Certification, LEED Accredidation, licensed PE, are just a few of the certifications that are good to have and will help you recognize someone who take their role seriously and works professionally.

3. How detailed is the initial on site assessment? Do they show up on site and spend time measuring and monitoring? Do they spend time discussing, with you, your energy needs? Or do they just give you a price and a solution over the phone without even performing a site visit? No real energy solution can be devised without carefully analyzing the customer’s current situation. Make sure that you go with someone who will put the time in to provide this kind of up-front analysis.

4. How long do they warranty equipment for? Solar equipment should be warrantied for both panel defects and power performance. Likewise, for a solar thermal system, you should have at least a 10 year warranty on the panels and tank. Lighting is a different story. They should be warranted against manufacture defects and bulbs should be guaranteed to work a certain number of hours (LED lights should come with a 100,000 hour guarantee). Make sure that the contractor will guarantee the workmanship as well.

5. They involve you in the process as much as possible. Energy use is a very personal thing. Businesses and families have different energy needs and various patterns of use. Before any solutions are implemented these patterns of use need to be understood and both the contractor and the customer need to agree on how the work that is performed will mesh with the customer’s demand. Will you be willing to change certain aspects of your energy use based on a new plan that you and the contractor are implementing? Is there a critical load which must always receive power no-matter-what (medication which needs refrigeration, computer servers to run a business). Whether the project is a solar installation, a lighting retrofit, or a hybrid, the final result needs to meet customer expectations in reduced consumption from grid-delivered energy, reduced load on the building, and reduced energy bills. The only way to truly do this is to keep the customer fully integrated in the process.