The Energy Independent Home
Our goal is to give as many homes energy independence as possible. That means when the utility company increases rates, you are not affected. When the power goes out, you are not affected. We want you to see your electric bill every month and laugh because it is so low.
In most cases we can replace your monthly electric bill with a loan payment that is similar in cost but will eventually be paid off, compared to an electric bill that can never be paid off.
And to top it off, if we don’t have a quote to you within 24 hours of your request, we will give you $500 off your install.
Step 1.
Step 2.
Review your proposal, design, and financing options.
Step 3.
Site visit. A technician will visit your home to verify the proposed design, look at your electrical system, and search for any unforeseen items.
Step 4.
Contract signing and financing secured. Deposit of 10 - 25% if paying cash is typically required. If financed, no down payment, and monthly payments will begin about 2 months after installation.
Step 5.
Installation day. You will need to be present to begin the installation so the installers can go over everything that will be done. Your power will need to be switched off typically only for 1-3 hours and installation typically takes 1 - 3 days.
Step 6.
Handover, Power on, and final inspection. Your installer and consultant will explain everything you need to know about your system. Final inspection and interconnection with your utility company typically takes 1 week but can vary.
Example home
At first glance, this home does not look very ideal for solar. The panels have been installed only on the west facing roof section, meaning the morning sun will be missed, in addition, there is plenty of tree shading in the afternoon. Yet, this home is still 100% powered by solar and battery.
This is a 9 kW solar array with 1 Tesla Powerwall battery. The total cost for this system was about $40,000. The federal tax credit brought the net cost down to about $28,000 (30% = $12,000).
The monthly electric bill for this home was approximately $200 per month or $2,400 annually. Which now, thanks to the solar + battery system is $0. Meaning it will take approximately 11 and a half years for this system to pay for itself. But how do you quantify other benefits?
Before this system was installed, this home experienced power outages ranging from an hour to 1 week every few months. This home also sold for approximately $10,000 over market price, in part due to the solar + battery system. Given these factors, you could argue this system paid for itself in 5 years or less.
Other factors that affect payback periods are : local incentives, your existing electric rate, installation costs in your area, the layout of your roof and any shading.
Talk to one of your Energy Consultants to fully understand the costs and benefits of adding solar + battery to your home or business.
