Our Story Started on a Roof
From a simple idea on one rooftop in Maine to a movement empowering homeowners everywhere. Discover how DIY Solar ME began and where we're heading.
See Your Custom EstimateThe Frustration
In 2017, I wanted solar panels on my home in Central Maine. I got three quotes from a few local solar companies. The cheapest was $38,000 for a system I'd researched enough to know shouldn't cost more than $25,000. I asked questions about the itemized breakdown of the install. They gave me all-in-one pricing. I asked why their quote was higher than the national average cost-per-watt. They told me the cost of installing solar was higher than the national average because of soft costs. The solar industry, I realized, was built on information asymmetry. They knew the real costs. Homeowners didn't. And that gap was worth thousands of dollars per customer, every time.
The Rebellion
So I did what any engineer would do, I learned to install solar myself. I watched every video, read up on self-help forums, called a few manufacturers and took a certification exam for installing solar. I found a friend willing to help, and over two weekends in the summer of 2017, we installed a 7.5kW system on my roof for $12,000 in equipment. It worked and it is still working. My electricity bill hasn't been over $20 since.
The Spread
My close friend noticed the panels. He asked what I paid and when I told him, he asked if I'd help him do the same thing. Then their friend asked. Then someone from the next town over. By 2020, I was spending my weekends helping friends-of-friends install solar systems. I wasn't making money I just couldn't stand watching people overpay for something I knew how to do fairly. Word spread. Not through advertising, but through trust, one rooftop at a time.
The Company
In 2022, the calls became unmanageable. DIY Solar ME became an actual company with a team, and the capacity to serve more than just my extended network of neighbors. But the philosophy never changed: treat every customer like a neighbor, explain everything like a friend would, and never charge what the solar companies charge just because you can. Give people options, DIY or full service, because every homeowner is different. Since then, we have installed solar on over 100 Maine homes, and over 80% of our business comes through referrals, because when you tell people the truth, they sign up. Our post-install servicing is second to none, and our reviews reflect it. See for yourself on our Google Business listing.
The Founder's Journey
The Frustration
In 2017, I wanted solar panels on my home in Central Maine. I got three quotes from a few local solar companies. The cheapest was $38,000 for a system I'd researched enough to know shouldn't cost more than $25,000. I asked questions about the itemized breakdown of the install. They gave me all-in-one pricing. I asked why their quote was higher than the national average cost-per-watt. They told me the cost of installing solar was higher than the national average because of soft costs. The solar industry, I realized, was built on information asymmetry. They knew the real costs. Homeowners didn't. And that gap was worth thousands of dollars per customer, every time.
The Rebellion
So I did what any engineer would do, I learned to install solar myself. I watched every video, read up on self-help forums, called a few manufacturers and took a certification exam for installing solar. I found a friend willing to help, and over two weekends in the summer of 2017, we installed a 7.5kW system on my roof for $12,000 in equipment. It worked and it is still working. My electricity bill hasn't been over $20 since.
The Spread
My close friend noticed the panels. He asked what I paid and when I told him, he asked if I'd help him do the same thing. Then their friend asked. Then someone from the next town over. By 2020, I was spending my weekends helping friends-of-friends install solar systems. I wasn't making money I just couldn't stand watching people overpay for something I knew how to do fairly. Word spread. Not through advertising, but through trust, one rooftop at a time.
The Company
In 2022, the calls became unmanageable. DIY Solar ME became an actual company with a team, and the capacity to serve more than just my extended network of neighbors. But the philosophy never changed: treat every customer like a neighbor, explain everything like a friend would, and never charge what the solar companies charge just because you can. Give people options, DIY or full service, because every homeowner is different. Since then, we have installed solar on over 100 Maine homes, and over 80% of our business comes through referrals, because when you tell people the truth, they sign up. Our post-install servicing is second to none, and our reviews reflect it. See for yourself on our Google Business listing.
Founder Story
Meet Our Founder
I'm not a solar salesperson. I'm an engineer who taught himself solar because the industry made me angry and then accidentally started a company because my neighbors wouldn't stop calling.
I still answer my own phone. I still visit every project site at least once. I still believe that the best solar company is one that treats you like you're smart enough to understand what's going on your roof.
That's what we built. That's what we do.
Founder And Lead Engineer
7+ years of solar expertise
Our Values
Values Built in the Field
We don't do corporate speak. We do engineering precision and neighborly honesty.
01
Transparency Over Salesmanship
No hidden fees. No inflated ROI charts. Just the raw data you need to make a smart decision.
02
Competence Over Credentials
We don't care about certificates on walls; we care about the voltage in your batteries. We back our work with real experience.
03
Relationships Over Transactions
You're not a customer record; you're a neighbor. We treat your roof like it's our own.
04
Action Over Promises
We don't talk about sustainability; we build the infrastructure that makes it real.
Our Team
Every person you'll meet...
No subcontractors. No 1-800 numbers. Just a dedicated team of experts here to ensure your project is a success.
Navneet Jain
Navneet Jain is the founder of DIY Solar ME, designing and installing solar PV systems for homes and businesses in Brewer, Maine and the surrounding area. His path into solar started around 2014, when he looked into adding solar to his own home and found the quotes he received outrageous from a financial perspective. Rather than walk away, he researched how to install a... read more
Dhruv Jain
Dhruv Jain is a recently graduated senior from the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, who is pursuing an undergraduate degree in physics at Bard College in New York. He has been working for DIY Solar ME for 3 years as a designer, drone operator, office manager, and site install help when needed. He enjoys playing chess and piano, and tinkering with robots in his... read more
Levko Fedorack
Levko is a rising junior in the International Business & Logistics program at Maine Maritime Academy, and this summer, a Solar PV and Small Business Operations Intern at DIY Solar ME! Levko chose to spend his summer here because of his personal interest in renewable energy after recognising how vulnerable the grid power is in Maine and all over the world. He hopes to gain... read more
Ben
Ben is a student at UMO studying electrical engineering with a concentration in power systems. This is his second summer working at DIYSolarME as both a system designer and field installer. Recently he has started to work deconstructing broken solar panels to find an efficient and cheap way to replace them. Outside of work he is working on designing and constructing his... read more
JR
JR brings over 20 years of construction experience to DIY Solar Me, with deep expertise in roofing, siding, and general home maintenance. For the past year, he's served as Field Manager for solar installs, bringing that same hands-on craftsmanship to every project — and he loves the work. Outside the job, JR is a devoted dog dad to four: Brutus, Bullet, Patrick, and Cosmo.
Navneet Jain
Navneet Jain is the founder of DIY Solar ME, designing and installing solar PV systems for homes and businesses in Brewer, Maine and the surrounding area. His path into solar started around 2014, when he looked into adding solar to his own home and found the quotes he received outrageous from a financial perspective. Rather than walk away, he researched how to install a... read more
Dhruv Jain
Dhruv Jain is a recently graduated senior from the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, who is pursuing an undergraduate degree in physics at Bard College in New York. He has been working for DIY Solar ME for 3 years as a designer, drone operator, office manager, and site install help when needed. He enjoys playing chess and piano, and tinkering with robots in his... read more
Levko Fedorack
Levko is a rising junior in the International Business & Logistics program at Maine Maritime Academy, and this summer, a Solar PV and Small Business Operations Intern at DIY Solar ME! Levko chose to spend his summer here because of his personal interest in renewable energy after recognising how vulnerable the grid power is in Maine and all over the world. He hopes to gain... read more
Ben
Ben is a student at UMO studying electrical engineering with a concentration in power systems. This is his second summer working at DIYSolarME as both a system designer and field installer. Recently he has started to work deconstructing broken solar panels to find an efficient and cheap way to replace them. Outside of work he is working on designing and constructing his... read more
JR
JR brings over 20 years of construction experience to DIY Solar Me, with deep expertise in roofing, siding, and general home maintenance. For the past year, he's served as Field Manager for solar installs, bringing that same hands-on craftsmanship to every project — and he loves the work. Outside the job, JR is a devoted dog dad to four: Brutus, Bullet, Patrick, and Cosmo.