How Heidi Went Solar
(Hint: It’s More Manageable & Empowering Than You Might Think!)
Powered By Facts’ very own Heidi Drauschak resolved to “go solar” earlier this month - this is how it happened!
While everyone’s experience obtaining solar panels for their home is different, we wanted to highlight Heidi’s experience in an effort to show our readership what making the leap in residential solar is like - and how manageable, accessible, and empowering it can be.
Heidi is based in Richmond, Virginia, where she owns a 3-bedroom, 4-bathroom, 1,792 sq. ft house on the east side of town which she purchased for $250,000. At the time of her decision to go solar, her annual utility costs were $1,102.
This post draws on the experience of a homeowner. There are many ways to benefit from solar even if you rent or if your home or property is not suitable to support solar panels.
Heidi’s decision was simple: putting solar panels on her roof was about living out her values. After moving in last year, she asked herself how she could live as efficiently as possible. As a lifelong environmentalist, she’s always been informed about the importance of replacing fossil fuel energy sources with clean, renewable energy - the financial benefits of solar panels were an added bonus.
Heidi’s first step was finding a solar company. Heidi had seen Sigora Solar’s vans around town - so she Googled them, found their website, scrolled down the homepage, plugged in her contact information, and clicked “submit” to request a free quote.
This post is not an advertisement for Sigora Solar. There are many quality solar companies in Virginia (the Solar Energy Industries Association provides an overview of solar companies across the Commonwealth here - this is a great place to start your search).
A quote is a price estimation - typically a solar company will assess your property and your energy demands to determine if your home is suitable for solar and how many panels are appropriate.
Oftentimes consumers seek a few quotes from different solar providers in order to compare prices.
A short while later, Heidi received a proposal in her inbox from Sigora Solar outlining her solar options. After gauging Heidi’s energy demands (Heidi sent them a copy of her monthly utility bill), the roof of her home, and other limiting factors, like shading, Heidi was qualified for 21 solar panels capable of servicing 83% of her home’s electricity demand.
The proposal also suggested ways to decrease Heidi’s energy usage by the 17% that the solar panel array couldn’t reach by implementing efficiency methods in her home, like LED light bulbs, smart thermostats, air and duct sealing, and added insulation.
Heidi’s projected solar energy system: 21 panels estimated to offset 83% of her electricity bill. Many solar companies utilize tools like Google Maps to gauge a residence’s solar panel potential. Photo courtesy of Sigora Solar.
What’s more, the proposal visualized the amount of energy her solar array could generate. Assuming Heidi’s solar panels operated for 25 years, the array would provide enough energy to power 130,744 hot showers, 119 road trips from Los Angeles to Boston, 128 flights from New York to Paris, or 1,006 trees saved.
After digging deeper into her proposal, Heidi found out how much her solar array would cost: $31,580.
Sticker shock! The cost can be intimidating for many - the typical price of a residential solar array in Virginia is between $20-50 thousand.
However, financing solar panels on a monthly basis - as is one option of paying for an array - is essentially a substitute of the electric bill one would ordinarily pay every month. In Heidi’s case, her monthly payments will be slightly more than her current electric bill, and once she pays off the total cost of her solar panels, she’ll own all the electricity she creates - instead of depending on utility rates that are subject to increase.
Moreover, many companies offer different incentives to help ease barriers to going solar. For example, many solar companies don’t ask their customers (like Heidi) for a down payment; Heidi won't pay a cent until her panels start generating electricity.
Tack on increased property value and tax benefits for going solar, and the investment of the entire process is increasingly apparent.
Satisfied with what she saw, Heidi decided to move forward, and settled on paying for her solar panels through a loan: every month for the next 20 years, she will pay roughly $145. What’s more, an $8000 tax refund heading Heidi’s way next year will be put towards her loan.
Some consumers pay the entire sticker price upfront; doing so typically ensures the consumer will reach savings more quickly than those who opt to finance their panels using loan products.
Sigora Solar estimated that Heidi would pay $45,878 to power her home over the next 25 years, assuming she relied on her utility to service her electricity demands. By the time Heidi pays off her solar array, she will position herself to save at least $10,000 in electricity costs.
After Heidi signed the contract, Sigora Solar went to work tackling the requisite tasks before installation on Heidi’s roof could begin, like securing a building permit, making sure installation is up to area code, and coordinating with Heidi’s local utility.
From signing to installation, solar companies set varying timeline expectations, depending on the local circumstances (like dealing with Homeowner Associations, for example). Most consumers wait 6-10 weeks from signing before their solar arrays are up and running.
Since signing, Heidi’s been in close contact with the company - she’s been receiving weekly emails about permit progress.
After jumping through the obligatory hoops, Sigora Solar installed all 21 panels of Heidi’s solar array on her rooftop, and activated the system; Heidi’s home-grown electricity has arrived! Henceforth, upkeep and maintenance of Heidi’s rooftop solar grid will be handled by her solar provider.
Heidi ordered solar panels with 30-year production output warranties - making sure your solar provider maintains them is important. When shopping for solar, be on the lookout for quality control insurances. Some solar companies brand themselves as “set it and forget it” - and while most solar panel arrays don’t go awry as the equipment is designed to work for decades, these intricate systems require service every now and again.
In the words of Heidi: “I’m so happy that we finally took the leap and invested in our home and a cleaner world! The process was so much simpler than we expected and I can rest easy knowing that we’re doing our part.”
As solar panel technology grows increasingly affordable, so does the prospect of a greater return on investment. Our next Powered by Facts post will focus on the specific incentives - subsidies, rebates, tax write-offs, etc. - that can help nudge residents towards solar!
