How to use this checklist
No rankings, no competitors named — just seven questions that separate a contractor who has built off-grid systems on New Mexico land from one adapting a grid-tied playbook. Ask each in writing. A company that will say it on the phone but not in a scope of work has answered you.
| Ask | A solid answer sounds like |
|---|---|
| How did you engineer this for my site? | Elevation, winter design conditions, monsoon autonomy, dust access |
| How is gross receipts tax handled? | Names the statute and the certificate you sign |
| Can you also do water and septic? | Yes with a sequencing plan, or a no with named partners |
| Who handles a battery warranty claim? | Named parties for paperwork and labor, in writing |
| Where is the service crew based? | In state, on a number that reaches the builders |
| Is this price fixed, and as of when? | A dated fixed-price scope with unit rates |
| Who holds the well-drilling license? | A named licensed New Mexico driller |
1. New Mexico-specific system engineering
Why it matters. Cold, clear mornings raise panel voltage and can push a string past a controller's input limit on the day it produces best. Monsoon season sets how many autonomy days you need; blowing dust sets whether the array stays reachable for cleaning. Ask what winter design conditions were used.
Our answer
We design and install only in New Mexico. Strings are laid out against the coldest morning the site will see, banks are sized to two or three autonomy days depending on whether the property has a generator, and arrays are sited for cleaning access. The method is published in our off-grid sizing guide.
2. Gross receipts tax handling
Why it matters. NMSA 1978 § 7-9-112 provides a gross receipts deduction for the sale and installation of solar energy systems, with mechanics in 3.2.247.8 NMAC — a seller-side deduction supported by a nontaxable transaction certificate the buyer signs. It is not § 7-2-18.31, the New Solar Market Development income tax credit. Contractors mix the two up, and tax charged needlessly is real money.
Our answer
We handle the deduction paperwork as part of the contract and tell you which document you are signing and why. We also run a refund program for past customers charged gross receipts tax on qualifying solar work, processed against signed buyer attestations. Both statutes are written out in gross receipts tax on solar in New Mexico.
3. Single-contractor water and septic capability
Why it matters. On raw land, solar is one of four entangled jobs. Trenching routes cross, the well pump becomes a load the array must carry, and septic placement constrains where the well can go. Split across three companies, every slip becomes an argument. Ask who holds the schedule.
Our answer
We deliver off-grid solar, water well drilling, solar well pumps, and septic systems under one contract, with sequencing written into the scope. The raw land to livable checklist shows the order we work in.
4. Battery warranty support
Why it matters. Batteries are the most expensive component and the one likeliest to need a claim during your ownership. A warranty length on a brochure does not say who files the claim, who diagnoses the fault, who removes and reinstalls a module that weighs more than you do, or who pays that labor. Ask all four separately.
Our answer
Our published kits ship with EG4 LL-S 16 kWh LiFePO4 modules carrying the manufacturer's warranty, and we hand you the datasheet before you buy. On systems we install you call us, not a hotline: we handle the claim paperwork and coordinate the replacement. Which specifications to read: batteries for off-grid living in New Mexico.
5. In-state service response
Why it matters. Off-grid systems are not fire-and-forget: firmware updates, a failed controller, a settings change after you add a load. If the office is out of state and the crew was flown in, your service path is a queue. Ask where the people who would service your system live.
Our answer
Off Grid Solar LLC is a New Mexico company and we are New Mexico off-grid specialists — we do not sell into other states. Our service area is central New Mexico: Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Torrance, and Valencia counties. (505) 352-4674 reaches the people who build the systems.
6. Transparent, fixed pricing
Why it matters. Some quote variance is legitimate: rock, distance, access, and permitting differ between parcels. What should not vary is whether you can tell what you are paying for — a fixed price on a dated scope, unit rates for the unpredictable parts, and an agreed payment schedule.
Our answer
Our DIY kit prices are published, not quoted on request — Cabin Ready 6.6 kW / 16 kWh at $12,255, Homestead 13.2 kW / 32 kWh at $22,559, Ranch 19.8 kW / 48 kWh at $34,255, all as of August 2026 on the solar packages page. Full installations are quote-driven because site work is site-specific, but the quote is fixed-price and dated, and real contract values are published in the projects section: a 14.4 kW off-grid build at roughly $62,500, and a Torrance County solar well and water system at roughly $55,000. Where cost depends on what we find in the ground we publish the unit rate — on that job, drilling beyond 200 feet at $75 per foot and trenching at $1,300 per day, on 70/30 deposit and completion terms.
7. Licensed-subcontractor policy for well drilling
Why it matters. Water well drilling is licensed work in New Mexico, and the license belongs to a specific driller — not to whoever sold you the package. A solar company that lets you assume it drills its own wells is either doing licensed work it should not, or staying vague about a subcontractor it will not name.
Our answer
We do not hold a water well drilling license, and we never claim one. Drilling on our projects is performed by a licensed New Mexico well driller under subcontract, written into the scope that way. We manage the job, the schedule, and the water system connected to it. The Torrance County solar well system shows the split: the 200-foot well with 6-inch steel casing was drilled by our licensed subcontractor; the RPS 800 helical-rotor solar pump, 1,200 W array, two 2,500-gallon NSF-61 cisterns, and roughly 520 linear feet of CID-inspected water line are ours.
Red flags on any quote, including ours
- A price with no date — an undated number compares to nothing.
- A federal tax credit applied to a 2026 residential job.
- Battery specifications with no manufacturer datasheet behind them.
- A drilling scope that never names the licensed driller.
- A system sized from square footage instead of your appliance list.
- Superlatives with nothing checkable underneath — rankings, awards, unsourced install counts.
Every claim here links to its source and every price is dated. If something does not check out, tell us and we will fix it.