Nickels Energy Solutions gears up for busy year

CLAY, N.Y.— Nickels Energy Solutions, LLC started out the new year moving into new office space on Morgan Road and is getting ready for a busy year ahead.

After the building the company previously rented office space in at 4575 Buckley Road was sold, Nickels Energy Solutions found new space just around the corner at 7485 Morgan Road, says Kevin Nickels, VP of sales and marketing at the solar sales and installation company.

“It gives us a little more space, so that’s good,” he notes. Matt Funiciello of JF Real Estate represented the property owner, George Powers, in the transaction. It’s a good fit, Nickels notes, as Powers’ firm, Powers Accounting Service, is already Nickels Energy Solutions’ tax professional.

The move was an easy one as the space was already set up to accommodate an office. It really just involved moving the office furniture from around the corner, Nickels says.

Now that the business is settled into the new space, the staff can hit the ground running for what promises to be a busy year for the company.

“We really do have our hands full,” Nickels says. The company is already booking installations out several months.

While many businesses and industries suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, that was not the case for Nickels Energy Solutions, he says. The company, founded in 2015 by Nickels and his brother Steve, had a pretty strong year in 2021.

A couple of factors influenced sales, he says, including the fact that many people were working from home and were more available to meet with company representatives.

New York continues to offer attractive rebates for solar installations as well, he says, that help offset the cost of the project.

“There are so few expenses in your life you can eliminate or greatly reduce,” Nickels says. A solar system makes that an option for people looking to lower their electricity costs. Particularly with home-energy costs rising from people working from home more, it seems more people are considering projects, Nickels says. “The financial picture to go solar is as good as it’s ever been,” he adds.

The company generated more than $1 million in sales last year, Nickels says, and is pushing toward the $2 million mark. “We think we’ll be able to beat last year’s number,” he says.

One way Nickels Energy Solutions is looking to grow is by becoming more involved in the roof replacements often necessary before a solar system can be installed, Nickels says. “We want to really take ownership of the roof replacement,” he says. 

While he declined to name any specific companies, he says Nickels Energy Solutions is looking to take ownership in a local roofing company. That will not only provide another revenue stream for the company, he says, but also improve costs for homeowners. On top of that, it provides Nickels with quality control to ensure the job is done the way it needs to be done.

One area where he expects the roofing business to be bustling is at homes that have had solar systems installed for 10 or more years that now need their roof replaced. Many of the companies that did those early installs are no longer around, Nickels says. Homeowners will need a company that can handle the removal and reinstallation of the solar system, as well as the roof replacement, he notes.

Nickels Energy Solutions (www.nickelsenergysolutions.com) offers roof-mounted solar systems, ground-mounted systems, solar-tracker systems, generators, battery back-up systems, and electric-vehicle charging systems. The business employs between four and 10 people, depending on its current workload.