Apr 15, 2024 | News, Txses Impact, Consumer Confidence
“There are a lot of great solar installers in the industry who provide reliable products to build affordable arrays with quality and skill. However, from time to time, we hear reports of the ‘other guys’ – the companies that are in it to make a quick buck and move on to the next sale.”
TXSES Executive Director Patrice “Pete” Parsons co-authored the Op-Ed, “Protecting Yourself from the ‘Other Guys’“ on what to watch out for when getting solar panels installed in Solar Today magazine with Roger Horowitz (Solar United Neighbors) and Rich Strömberg (ASES Photovoltaics Division).
Warranty service or Operations & Maintenance? These may be lacking or nonexistent.
Solar arrays that miss the energy production estimates by a significant margin? These can leave well-intentioned array owners with a bad experience.
While this is not the norm, we want to caution would-be solar-array owners and provide pathways to prevent poor customer satisfaction.
Some recent anecdotes about poorly installed solar that we are personally aware of include the following:
1) A woman purchased a home with a preexisting leased solar array that was installed on an older roof. The original installer should have advised the prior homeowner to get a new roof before installing an array that would undoubtedly require removal and reinstallation before the end of the 25-year PV module warranty period.
That installer went out of business, but a new company bought the lease and now wanted to charge the woman a lot of money to remove the array for the roofers to do their work and then reinstall the system. They quoted her a price for the work equal to buying a brand-new solar array.
Since the lease company owned the array, they wouldn’t let another installer do the work at a lower cost. The homeowner was also offered a buyout of her remaining lease at a price much higher than the current value of her PV system.
2) A company installed solar panels on any available roof space instead of focusing on unshaded roof space that would have a good power-production factor.
3) A commercial solar array was mounted horizontally (instead of at an angle) on a flat roof in Florida where rainwater was allowed to pool on the modules and seep behind the front-side glass, causing rippling of the ethylene vinyl acetate encapsulant film and allowing algae to grow between the glass and the silicon cells.
Further, the inverters were mounted outside, which resulted in the ventilation fans pulling in corrosive, salty sea air into the sensitive internal electronics. This system stopped working and the customers did not have a good solar experience.
4) A commercial array in Colorado had a building owner who had a third-party power purchase agreement and was billed regularly for the supposed solar production despite the system not producing.
The installer had not worked to repair the offline inverters for more than a year, but was providing a fraudulent bill to the building owner, who was double-paying for electricity.
5) A large, extremely reputable national solar company worked with a company that was providing it sales leads in the Houston area. After the large company had installed a system based on one of these leads, the customer didn’t understand why her bill was not zero.
She had been promised by the salesperson that her solar array would cover her entire electric bill. She didn’t have a clear understanding of the contract and certainly didn’t understand the credit that would be paid to her.
When the solar company heard about all the promises that had been made on their behalf, they went back and repaid her the entire amount of the system, which was fortunate for her in this case, but there are plenty of examples of these poor practices happening across Texas.
While several of these anecdotes relate to leased arrays, this is not to say that all leased arrays should be avoided. In many larger commercial arrays, any system larger than what is allowed for net metering (typically larger than 25 kW) is frequently owned by a solar company that operates and maintains the system and sells the power produced to the building owner at a rate less than the utility retail rate.
Residential lease arrays might be an attractive option for homeowners who don’t want to buy or finance their own systems. The primary considerations for leased arrays are 1) to be cognizant that the lease is an encumbrance should the homeowner wish to sell their home before the end of the lease period and 2) to seek transparency about the energy produced and system health/performance.
What are the costs to buy out the lease early? Are there penalties to an installer if the system underperforms? What are the costs and logistics if the array needs to be removed for roof repairs? These factors might cause a prospective solar array owner to revisit a home equity loan or even forego a solar array until a later date.
Inspired by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, lots of folks are interested in installing solar all over the country. Along with reputable solar companies, there are plenty of solar scams and misleading solar advertisements out there, particularly on social media. Here are several pathways a prospective solar-array owner can follow to protect their interests and ensure the best possible option based on their particular needs.
1) You should beware of ads and salespeople claiming free systems or a time-limited program that you need to sign up for immediately.
2) Some companies are counting on you not doing your research and selling expensive systems or systems without warranties. Do you really need an array this large? Is a battery/energy storage system actually needed if the local utility doesn’t have time-of-use rate structures?
Time-of-use rates are used when an electric utility charges a higher per-kWh rate at times each week when energy demand is high and lower rates when demand is low.
A battery energy storage system can help the array owner draw excess power from the battery rather than from the grid during high-usage-rate periods. The system can also push excess power back onto the grid during high-usage-rate periods and use nighttime power from the grid to recharge the battery when usage rates are low.
2) Solar United Neighbors (SUN) has a National Solar Help Desk (https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/helpdesk), which provides free support for people looking to go solar. SUN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that can help you find local installers and can review solar proposals and contracts free of charge. We and SUN always recommend getting three solar proposals and making sure to check the warranties on the systems to make sure that the installer and manufacturers have a long-term plan to help you if your system isn’t working.
3) In general, we recommend using the monitoring app that comes with your solar systems to track performance. We also advise having a solar professional take a look at your system in person every five years.
4) When it comes to choosing an installer, make sure to read every online review that you can find and call or meet multiple local references from the solar installer. A lack of local references and lack of online reviews is generally a red flag when it comes to solar companies. Scrutinize these online reviews to confirm their legitimacy.
5) Talk with your neighbors who have solar arrays.
6) Lastly, join your local chapter of the American Solar Energy Society (www.ases.org) to network with system owners who can provide advice and share their knowledge.
Best of luck in finding the right solar array for your needs. We love our systems and want the same for you.
About the Authors
Roger Horowitz is the director of Go Solar Programs at Solar United Neighbors, where he combines his passion for community organizing with his love of solar energy. He loves supporting families as they go solar and is especially interested in equitable financing.
Patrice “Pete” Parsons is a seasoned strategist with more than two decades of experience. She is the executive director of the Texas Solar Energy Society, where she creates programs to educate and inspire every Texan to adopt solar energy as part of an equitable 100%-clean energy future. She is a member of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES).
Rich Strömberg is the vice chair of the ASES Photovoltaics Division. He is a doctoral student focusing on the reuse of solar photovoltaic systems for social and ecological benefit. He is a co-founder and the director of Equitable Solar Solutions.™
Photo Credit: Laksh Muchhal, U.S. Department of Energy, Flickr
Mar 15, 2024 | News, Solar News of Note, Txses Impact, Consumer Confidence
by Patrice ‘Pete’ Parsons, TXSES Executive Director
According to a recent Forbes article, nearly 90% Of Americans couldn’t be more ecstatic about their rooftop solar system. In fact, some 83% of those homeowners are raving to friends and family about how happy they are. They installed them for a variety of reasons: energy independence (with batteries); cost savings; environmental concerns. You might even know some of these people. You might even be one of them.
But for those who don’t or who might be in the market for rooftop solar, it’s caveat emptor (buyer beware). The onus is on YOU, the consumer, to do due diligence before you buy. The decreasing costs of solar panels have made them increasingly affordable.
And because the decreasing cost of solar panels is making them more affordable, solar scams are becoming more prevalent nationally and here at home. Currently, the Texas distributed solar industry is experiencing consumer fraud. There have been many reports of uninformed consumers conned into buying systems they can’t afford, promised pie-in-the-sky results: no electric bills! Free electricity! The adage if it’s too good to be true comes to mind, pay attention. It probably is.
As TXSES is the state’s only non-profit that promotes distributed solar, we require all TXSES business members to sign a code of conduct and ethical requirements. We believe this practice creates an environment with values that reflect honest, ethical business principles and rules of behavior that are consistent with TXSES organizationally, contributing to the welfare of all our stakeholders, and respecting the rights of all constituents affected by our work.
We’re very much aware of nefarious practices by some solar salespeople. You can trust TXSES business members to be professional and install all equipment safely and in compliance with all applicable rules, laws and regulations. We’ve got resources for consumers who are interested in going solar on the TXSES website. And check out the the SEIA Instagram post below for more timely information about consumer confidence when shopping for solar.
I’ve also been meeting with stakeholders and other statewide nonprofits to address this situation and we’re committed to developing solutions that will guarantee consumer confidence in solar rooftop installations.
If you’re interested in becoming a TXSES business member, contact Steven Ùgalde at sugalde@txses.org
On a personal note, I want to bid a heartfelt adieu to a great friend and colleague, Jane Pulaski, who has decided to retire…again. She’s been TXSES’ Director of Communications since I became Executive Director of TXSES in 2020. In that time, she’s worked tirelessly to help me build upon Lucy Stolzenberg’s legacy by writing grants, updating the website, developing newsletters and anything else I needed help with. In the beginning, it was just the two of us. When I say I could not have done my job without her, I mean it. We woke up each day and proceeded to set our hair on fire with all the work we wanted to accomplish. I can speak for the rest of the team when I say we’ll miss her. Thanks for everything, JP.
Feb 17, 2024 | News, Txses Impact, Chair's Corner
By Patrice ‘Pete’ Parsons
Executive Director, TXSES
Last weekend, I had the privilege of sharing our work at the annual/monthly meeting of the North Texas Renewable Energy Group (NTREG), one of our sister state chapters. As I began to put a presentation together to share what we’re doing, I quickly realized just how busy we are. And it’s only February! Good thing the weather has been so spectacular. Perhaps I shouldn’t say that…
To give you an idea of what’s keeping us busy, take a peek:
- The promotion of Infinite Power: Take Your Share of the Texas Sun, our statewide educational campaign to raise awareness and double the amount of distributed solar in Texas by 2030 via media, social media, events, and unrelenting advocacy for distributed solar by one-on-one engagements with decision-makers.
- We’re spreading the word to municipalities’ permitting departments about Solar APP+ (Solar Automated Permit Processing), a free, innovative software that speeds up compliance checks and building permit approvals for eligible solar rooftop systems.
- Working with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) last year, TXSES along with TEPRI and Frontier Energy, we were successful in adding distributed solar as a fundable energy benefit to the statewide plan for income-qualified homeowners and renters using WAP or LIHEAP funds. This year, we’ll be working with Austin Energy, the municipal utility, to prove the energy savings on 10 homes so we can take the program statewide.
- We’re reaching out to developers across the State to promote to implement net zero subdivisions.
- With a grant from the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO), we’re partnering with Green Careers Texas on solar training and education of low-income Dallas, Austin and Houston individuals and high school students in rooftop and ground mount solar PV installations.
- To address unethical and discriminatory business practices from solar sales and solar installation companies, we’re working with different partners to develop possible legislative language to begin to educate decision-makers at the state and local levels prior to the 2025 legislative session.
- Tracking regulatory bodies like the PUC to provide relevant comments on targeted dockets.
It’s an ambitious list, but we love what we do. If any of these issues are of interest to you and you want to know more or get involved, there’s plenty of room for you! Reach out to me at pparsons@txses.org. Thanks, as always, for your support.
P.S. February 22 is Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day! We’ll all be better off…
Jan 12, 2024 | News, Txses Impact
By Patrice ‘Pete’ Parsons
Executive Director
Yes, it is January but with the kind of temperatures we’ve been experiencing, you’d think it was October or November. But according to weather reports, sub-freezing temperatures are headed our way. And while those reports allege this episode will be nothing like Winter Storm Uri in 2021, it’s not surprising that folks are a bit wary. As University of Texas research scientist and former TXSES board member Joshua Rhodes says, “It’s deep in the Texas psyche now, and anytime it gets really hot or really cold, the grid is front of mind.”
As energy demand continues to grow, so does the potential for greater energy risk. Despite statewide political efforts to subvert renewables, their growing numbers are enviable. Through 2022, Texas was second in solar production nationally, just behind California. A recent Clean Energy States Alliance report ranks Texas first with the highest capacity for electricity generation: 38% of Texas’ electricity capacity comes from clean electricity. And lest we forget, on August 10, wind and solar energy generated enough power to meet 25% of demand during the peak hour of usage, according to ERCOT.
And there’s no sign of a slowdown, for renewables or for us. Here’s what kept us busy in 2023:
- Convened a coalition of stakeholders to advocate for fair compensation for solar from utilities. This includes working with the PUC. Goal for 2024: establish a rule at the PUC to stop utilities from decreasing or eliminating fair compensation for solar customers.
- Created a steering committee of solar installers to determine the next steps in stopping unethical business practices from solar installers and solar sales companies. This includes possible additional licensing and/or legislation. Goal for 2024: develop a path forward and take action.
- Hired an Outreach and Marketing Coordinator to approach cities about adopting a software that drastically reduces the amount of time to get a permit to install solar which saves time and money for consumers. Goal for 2024: Increase the number of Texas cities to adopt the software.
- Convened 34 Texas electric coops to discuss software that could integrate batteries and community solar projects and the value of distributed solar in their service territories. Goal for 2024: assist electric cooperatives to include pertinent software in their business practices coops and determine the true value of distributed solar in their service territories.
- Helped with solar training and education of: 43 low-income Dallas and Houston individuals in rooftop and ground mount solar PV installations; seven Houston individuals and two trainers in solar technical sales training based on the NABCEP Job Task Analysis; and 30 Dallas ISD students across three Career and Technical Education (CTE) campuses. Goal for 2024: establish training programs in Houston and Austin and train an additional 150 individuals.
- Launched an innovative financing model for low-income LIHEAP and WAP participants to benefit from free rooftop solar. Goal for 2024: take the model statewide.
- Helped implement free rooftop solar in an LMI multifamily pilot in Carrizo Springs, Texas. Goal for 2024: take this model statewide.
- Began conversations with developers to implement net zero subdivisions across the state. Goal for 2024: get subdivisions in Dallas and Houston.
We’ve never been busier doing what TXSES does best: advocating, educating and raising awareness of the value and benefits of Texas’ unlimited solar resource, ensuring decision-makers and communities have access to objective, fact-based data that dispels misinformation and false narratives. Our mission-aligned chapters in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio advocate for equitable access to solar energy for every Texan with initiatives that address regional needs.
We’re supported by an esteemed board of directors, whose expert insight keeps us on a visionary path. Our talented staff is tireless in their work ethic and committed to keeping TXSES as the indisputable source for factual, unbiased solar information. And, of course, to all TXSES members who inspire and embolden us to do what we do best: advocating for Texas’s unlimited solar resource to make a transformative impact on our lives. Thanks for your support.
Stay updated with our work. Subscribe to our newsletter. Happy new year, y’all.
Dec 7, 2023 | Txses Impact
Patrice ‘Pete’ Parsons
TXSES Executive Director
Houston Chronicle (Opinion), December 2, 2023
Texans know nothing comes free, and certainly not energy. So when homeowners are sending their own self-generated solar energy to the grid to prop up its strained resources and reduce their energy usage, they want to see the money. Yet that’s not happening in Texas.
This summer, it was revealed that a major energy customer received millions of dollars to reduce their energy use. A bitcoin mining company, in fact. Meanwhile, average Texans cut back on their air conditioning in extreme heat for free.
What is wrong with this scenario? It shows that corporations are valued more than Texans trying to get through their daily life.
Policy reform is vital to ensure that Texas families and small businesses receive their fair share for the self-generated energy they send to the grid and the energy they don’t use. Right now, Texans do not see rates that fully, or fairly, compensate for energy generated from home rooftop solar. That means it’s less financially viable, and fewer Texans are able to invest in solar and battery solutions to lower energy bills and power through increasing grid outages.
It’s imperative that we start addressing policy reforms that empower and encourage customers to conserve energy and be compensated fully for the energy they send to the grid. Already we’ve seen the enormous benefits of home solar and batteries in our state.
During Winter Storm Uri, which left, by some estimates, more than 700 dead, these home solar and battery systems enabled some people to keep their homes open to their communities for basic electrical needs. More reports show that adding batteries to the grid is preventing blackouts. After all, it wasn’t home solar and batteries that failed in these extreme weather events — it was traditional energy resources.
Now, as Texans prepare for unpredictable cold weather, our regulators are asking if there will be enough reliable power this winter. We need every electron to support our grid and Texas’ growing demand for energy. Yet the patchwork policies from Texas’ utilities inhibit the growth and deployment of these resources. Most rural electric cooperatives, and some municipal utilities, have no “net metering” policies, a billing mechanism that fairly credits solar users for the excess energy they send to the grid, usually at the retail rate. The rest have drastically reduced the rate paid to solar users. High permitting fees and interconnection hurdles add more cost.
These challenges for households stack up, all while more calls have gone out to Texans to voluntarily conserve to help protect against power outages. If rooftop solar customers were fairly compensated and encouraged to share their solar power with neighbors and the grid, more people would buy rooftop solar systems. And that would mean fewer peak load crises and calls to conserve.
The good news is, simple solutions are ready to deploy home solar and batteries at a fair rate for Texans. Our Public Utility Commission and state Legislature can and should enact policies and laws that put in place mechanisms recognizing the true value that solar and batteries bring to the grid. Ensuring compensation for home solar users sending energy to the grid, and paying homeowners to conserve during peak demand periods, is only fair in a state where we subsidize crypto miners.
But even as we await the next full legislative session, the Public Utility Commission of Texas can make immense progress quickly by expanding energy efficiency and demand response programs. This would allow utilities to tap into solar and batteries for energy during times of peak demand.
It’s also up to the PUC, city leadership and utilities to encourage and enroll more solar and storage systems. That can only be done by cutting the red tape surrounding permitting processes and through shortened interconnection timelines, reducing costs for homeowners who want to install solar for their homes.
We Texans pride ourselves on our self-sufficiency and our care for our neighbors. We also care about good business. Freeing home solar and batteries from these obstacles will give us the ability to do what Texans do best: take care of each other with free market solutions.
