The Company: Econo Air
Over 43 years, Econo Air has made a name for themselves across multiple industries. As a leader in residential HVAC in Southern California, the company added solar to their product offerings before the turn of the century.
In the time since, significant changes in the market over the last two and a half decades have seen the demands of the industry shift dramatically. Instead of smaller systems for off-the-grid remote cell towers and the like, the industry, and Econo Air’s solar footprint, has shifted to more intricate systems with much larger and more powerful materials.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the business’ mission. “[Our focus] is not about selling solar; it’s on “energy independence,” Greg Wickes, Econo Air’s Product Development Director, said. “We’re proud we have the knowledge and technology available to weave multiple platforms and products together to help our customers achieve this.”
The Challenge: Safety Risks Associated with Cutting Edge Material
It’s no secret that the solar industry is moving towards bigger PV panels. Advancements in technology have allowed for these larger panels to produce more energy per unit area.
But perhaps more importantly, bigger panels means the customer needs fewer units on their roof. Fewer panels means less cost passed down to the customer.
After decades of installing 300W+ modules, Econo Air typically installs 550W panels for their customers.
The combination of these bigger panels, along with the increased demand of solar installations for the company, led to an uncovering of safety concerns.
Common techniques to transport PV panels to the roof, including manually hauling them up a ladder, were the norm–just like they are for most residential solar outlets.
These techniques carry significant risks and hazards. When a person carries up panels manually, they don’t have full utilization of their arms and hands and can’t keep the OSHA-mandated “three points of contact” with the ladder.
With falls from heights being the leading cause of injury among construction workers in the United States, it became a major concern. Any potential fall could cause significant injury–or even death.
“A rung slippage, missteps, physical fatigue, solar exposure, and even gusts of wind, were all potential hazards for our crew members’ personal safety,” Wickes said.
The company knew it was time to find a better solution to protect their crews.
Residential Solar Panels: Then vs. Now
Over the past 10–15 years, residential solar panels have increased in both size and efficiency significantly:
Size
- A decade ago, residential solar panels typically had a power rating of around 250–300 watts per panel and dimensions of about 65 inches by 39 inches (roughly 17.6 square feet).
- Today, higher-efficiency panels often have power ratings between 400 and 450 watts, with dimensions of approximately 78 inches by 39 inches (about 21.1 square feet), making them roughly 20% larger in surface area on average, according to EcoWatch.
Efficiency
- Solar panel efficiency has grown from about 15% in 2010 to an industry standard of 19–22% in 2024. Leading manufacturers, like Maxeon and REC, are producing panels that reach above 22%, with some experimental technologies even surpassing 23%.
- This improvement allows modern panels to produce up to 40–50% more energy than panels from 10–15 years ago, even without proportional increases in size.
- Advances in materials like monocrystalline silicon, anti-reflective coatings, and technologies like passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) cells have driven these efficiency gains. This means fewer panels are needed today to meet energy demands compared to a decade ago.
Fall-Related Injuries in Solar Installation and Construction
Falls from heights remain the leading cause of injuries in the U.S. construction sector, accounting for about 38% of all fatal injuries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the solar industry specifically, the rooftop nature of many installations makes workers particularly vulnerable.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and industry sources, fall protection violations are frequently cited in workplace safety inspections. Training, proper safety harnesses, and adherence to OSHA standards are crucial in addressing these risks.
The Solution: Safety Hoist Electric Material Lifts
On the opposite coast in a town an hour west of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Safety Hoist Company’s storied history goes back nearly 60 years to when they created the first material hoist, also known as a laddervator.
Today, Safety Hoist and their all-electric hoist line are revolutionizing job sites–safeguarding workers and, in this case, their PV panels.
Their units run on 110v electricity and lift up to 500 lbs. per trip. They’re completely remote controlled; operators can stand up to 16 feet away from the overhead load. An innovation on traditional, gas-powered material hoists, electric Safety Hoists can do something else that gas hoists can’t: bring items down from heights safely.
Originally invented for roofers in the 1960’s, Safety Hoist’s platform hoists have found use in a handful of different industries. Solar is among its most popular segments.
In their search for a solution to safely transport PV panels to heights, Econo Air found Safety Hoist and their line of solar solutions in late 2023.
The Impact: Increased Safety and Growing Business
In just one year since bringing an electric Safety Hoist to each job site, Econo Air has seen tremendous results.
From a safety standpoint, both of their crews have felt a weight lifted off their shoulders–literally.
“[Our Safety Hoist] limits our risk exposure from both a compliance and a responsible entity perspective,” Wickes said. Even though that alone was worth their purchase, it’s all the side effects of that increased job site safety that has made a massive impact on their bottom line.
According to the company, they’ve reported a significant increase in job efficiency. The hoist takes between 15-20 minutes to set up.
After that, the panels are quickly dispatched to the roof and the whole operation moves much more smoothly. Not only does it lift the panels safely, but the company also uses the hoist’s utility tray attachment to lift their tools, too.
Their Safety Hoist has also allowed them to take bigger jobs than ever before, including a 40 panel installation onto a multi-story mountain home in Big Bear Lake, California in November, 2024.
“There is absolutely no way we could have safely bid for that job in the past,” Wickes said. “It opens sales possibilities we would never have explored before and it helps us to turn them much quicker so we can move onto the next one.”
As a residential business, the professional look that the hoist portrays to neighbors, and the community at large, is an added bonus.
“It’s typically used on a front lawn location which is very obvious to folks passing by the jobsite,” Wickes added.
As the company looks to expand, adding more Safety Hoists to their arsenal is on the docket.
“This will give us much more scope and ability to service our customer base,” Wickes said.
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