Solar Education

“We Can Do Better”

We can do better.  The one statement that seems to be on repeat in the Solar Showroom as of late is, “We can do better.”  And this, fundamentally, is because we can do better in solar education. Let me explain.

Solar is an industry people tend to fall in love with.  And like most things you find a deep passion for, you soak up mountains of information and are excited to talk about all of your knowledge.  Although the benefit of this is well educated, knowledgeable, passionate solar professionals – the downside is many consumers get lost in excessive volumes of information.  And although education and information is valuable, too much information often means that customers leave appointments more confused than before a solar professional arrived.

Solar is Simple

We admit we may tell people “solar is simple” when it is complex industry. Let us take this opportunity to provide solar education. Many of us have worked within the solar industry for most of our adult working lives, meaning, it is simple.  Solar is like riding a bike – fun, exciting with endless possibilities – but all based on the same basic skill set of balance and movement.  We are so exposed to the industry, that is seems simple.  But frankly, it isn’t.

Making the decision to go solar is simple for many people. However, beyond that initial commitment to green energy, the long list of decisions to be made demonstrates how complicated the solar process is.  To name some of the decisions we have to make, questions we need to ask and information we need to gather:

1. Choose the solar installation company; based off reviews, listed insurances and licenses, locality, and warranty options.
2. Understand permitting demands
3. Select the panels
4. Select the inverters
5. Determine the design and esthetics
6. Understand the installation process
7. Learn about the new billing cycle from the utility
8. Understand how to read annual True-Up statements
9. Learn about maintenance options.
10. Understand the variety of payment and finance options.
11. Work with tax professionals for clarity on tax incentives
12. Update homeowner’s insurance policies

Although this list is not comprehensive, it is shows how complex the solar process is.  Anyone who tells you the process is simple is underestimating the amount of information customers need and amount of attention each individual solar system and solar customer needs while going through the solar purchase and install process.  The decision to go solar is an open door to research, learning and education.

Education is Key

We also realize that like many tenured educators, we often overlook the basics when we speak with people.  We skip the basics and may focus on the intricacies of the industry.  The major problem with that is that the details often do not make sense without the basics.  The buying process is further convoluted when we don’t have the basic information we need to make confident solar choices.

We pride ourselves in our role as Solar educators.  We work hard to ensure we are familiar with the latest technologies, financing options and construction code and permitting mandates.  What we need to continue to refine is how we present information to our customers.  We need to continue to focus on the basics and only expand upon information when our customers are inviting the extra details.  Our job is to focus on the foundation of solar and ensuring our customers have enough information to make confident decisions regarding their installations.

Our Energy Advisers are The Best Solar Guides

We work to make the solar process, from sales to maintenance post install a fluid, enjoyable process.  Our goal is to ensure that the complex details of the purchase and install are details that each customer feels confident about.   Our team is knowledgeable and excited to guide each customer through the installation process.  We are also making the commitment to focus on education through the complex process and not attempting to dumb down the process to “make solar simple.”  Stop by our Educational Showroom so we can guide you through your solar experience and help you get as excited about solar as we are.