Harmon Solar Podcast
The solar energy sector in Arizona is currently oversaturated, which has led to a scarcity of transparency. In response, we've created a podcast to provide an honest perspective on going solar in the state. Join us as we explore the intricacies of utilities, equipment, processes, and more. Our primary objective is to educate and empower you to make informed decisions on your solar journey.
Harmon Solar Podcast
Harmon Solar Town Hall
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Join us for our live Town Hall, where we answered insightful questions from our viewers and those who submitted them earlier. This session is packed with valuable content and is well worth a watch. You might find that one or more of the questions address something you've been curious about. Tune in and get those answers, along with many others!
Harman Solar's Solar Town Hall Q&A
Speaker 2and we're live , we are yes , we should be live now finally we are yes , do we have proof ? Yes , we're live let me check all right so sorry about that little technical difficulty . Um , go figure first time for everything solar guys , real smart can smart , can't get stream live .
Speaker 1Yeah , we don't know how to do that stuff .
Speaker 2All right , so welcome to the Solar Town Hall for Harman Solar . I'm Ralph Romano , vp of Sales and Marketing at Harman Solar , and my partner over there , ben Walschlager . Mr Everything , as everyone knows from our podcasts , it's been a while since we've been on . We took a break from content , had a lot of content out there . I know that we've had a lot of good comments and people that have come to us because of the content , so we're really thrilled about that . So we wanted to put a town hall together because we have a lot of questions , that people are asking a lot of questions . I think we have like 35 of them , so I'm not sure we can get all of them in there . But and also we wanted to see if we can stream live and get some people to join us and maybe ask some questions live . Maybe we'll actually figure out how to see those questions Maybe .
Speaker 1Yeah , yeah , this is uncut , this is this . This is as raw as it gets . Yeah , there's no , no room for error on this one , correct ?
Speaker 2What if I had to go from there ?
Speaker 1so okay , should we get started or should we look at a zoom meeting where they go ? We're just going to wait a couple more minutes for everyone to join us no , I think we should get started .
Speaker 2We should probably get started , so let's do it . We got . Uh , I guess Julie , julie Walschlager .
Speaker 3Testing 1 , 2 , 3 .
Speaker 1Hi Mom , hi Mom .
Speaker 2Thanks for being our only viewer .
Speaker 1Oh geez , she was probably right at 2 o'clock .
Speaker 2Where are ?
Speaker 1they . Where's my sign Nice ?
Speaker 3Nice , she did mimic you . Yeah , testing 1 , 2 , 3 .
Speaker 2Oh good , so why don't we just start ? Let's just start asking questions that people gave us and we'll go from there .
Speaker 1We have no script here today , ladies and gentlemen . We're just going off of whatever you guys give us .
Speaker 2Really scary yeah , I know , so fire away .
Speaker 1We'll see if we can answer them honestly or not honestly .
Speaker 2So Vanna , or should we call you Hannah or Vanna ?
Speaker 3Why would you give me a show name ?
Speaker 2Vanna White , hannah White .
Speaker 3No , no , no , Just Hannah .
Speaker 2Okay , hannah , throw a question at us . Okay , are we ready ? Yeah , let's do it .
Speaker 3All right , just Ben , I did not word these , so I don't want to hear about it , and your mom
Panels Installed, Not On, Do I pay?
Speaker 3said you were late installed , but my system is not turned on . Do I still have to pay the payment on my panels when they aren't producing anything , leaving me with no savings and two bills that are high ?
Speaker 1Ralph , that's all you . No , that's you , no , that's you , that's you . Repeat the question .
Speaker 3Oh boy , if my panels are installed but my system is not turned on , do I still have to pay the payment on my panels when they aren't producing anything , leaving me with no savings and two bills that are high ?
Speaker 2So it depends . If you're paying cash , then obviously you pay nothing .
Speaker 3If you're financing it .
Speaker 2The most finance companies will wait I think it's 45 days , and after install , about 45 days until you start receiving your first payment . So you typically shouldn't have those two hit together . It's rare . Has it ever happened before ? Absolutely .
Speaker 1Yeah , it also depends on the finance company or leasing company that you go with , because they're all different . I know some of them have like a six-month no payment period or a 12-month no payment period . We've offered different ones like that . So it's going to depend . Which is pretty much a theme that we've had on all of our podcasts is everything's going to depend . So you know it , it depends . So , yeah , there's going to be some cases where that might happen because of certain delays . Um , you have to also keep in mind not all the delays are going to be your installers fault . There are times where you everything on your roof . Now it's up to the jurisdiction or the utility company to come out and set the meter or do their job . That has nothing to do with us , the install company . That's just the delays that are happening within the utility company . Yes , that's sometimes an unforeseeable future . Not always the case , though . There you go .
Speaker 2There's your answer . Hope that helped .
Speaker 1One down , 34 to go Next . If my system is there , you go . There's your answer .
Speaker 3Hope that helps All right One down 34 to go All right
Under Producing, Do I Get A Credit
Speaker 3. Next , if my system is underproducing and I do not notice for a month or two , is there any way that I will receive a credit on my bill or my bill for my panels , because my system was not working efficiently for those months ? Am I stuck paying the high bills and paying for a service call ?
Speaker 1You're stuck I guess that would be a me question because I do handle those . You're stuck , you are kind of stuck . So with your solar system you do get monitoring and it's important to pay attention to that monitoring because that tells you what your system is doing . I always tell people it's kind of like a check engine light with your car . When your check engine light goes on with your car , does the dealership call you or do you call the dealership ? You call the dealership , they don't call you , they don't know your check engine came on . So when your check engine light on your solar system comes on , it's important to pay attention to that , that notification , contact your solar company and say , hey , there's something wrong with my system I need you guys take a look at right away . Yes , there's been cases where you know people say , hey , my system's been offline for you know , four months . I'm like , well , why didn't you call us right away when it first came off ?
Speaker 3Oh , I forgot , and all this stuff .
Speaker 1Same thing with your check engine light .
Speaker 1If you're driving around with the check engine light on for four or five months , something's going to happen .
Speaker 1But yeah , so it's important to pay attention to that monitoring aspect and then contact your solar company for their maintenance on it . But yes , if it does go down and it's not producing , yeah , unfortunately you are kind of stuck with that utility bill and that payment if you are making monthly payments on your system . Now , if you're doing a lease again , depending on your leasing company , if the system does go down , they do give you a credit , because with a lease , you do have a production guarantee where it's supposed to guarantee a certain amount of kilowatt hours per year , and if it doesn't meet that production , then you get a credit on your account again . They usually take a look at that on a yearly basis , um , to see how did it do , and then they credit your account based off of your monthly payment . So , but if you finance it or purchase it , well , well , you own the system , so no one's crediting you that lost power . So that's why it's important to kind of keep an eye on your system .
Speaker 2Yep Check .
Speaker 1Yeah , look at that , See , I'm good Good at this stuff . Number three Hannah White . Good answer .
Speaker 3Okay .
Installer Is Out Of Business, Now What?
Speaker 3Next , my solar installer is no longer in business . Can anybody service my solar system and are there deals for customers like me that got screwed by a company and are losing their free services for a year ?
Speaker 2So this is a great timely question , because there have been a few solar companies in the last few months that have gone out of business . I read about one yesterday . Actually , what was the one ? You ?
Speaker 1read about I'm not going to say their , names no , no , yeah , upwind went out of business , so all those installs there's a couple behemoths that went out of business nationally .
Speaker 2The largest company in solar went out of business , um , and that's . There's a lot of reasons to that . I mean , whatever those internal reasons were , plus the way the interest rates have been and other things , but they're solely dependent on solar , on residential solar , which harman's not . So we don't have the issue . But anyway , if that happens to you , the good thing is your parts are still warrantied by the manufacturer . So your panel still has a manufacturer warranty . Your inverter still has a manufacturer warranty .
Speaker 2Unfortunately , what you do lose is you're going to lose any type of workmanship warranty , any type of roof penetration warranty that they were giving you , because they're no longer in business to go to honor it . So you are going to lose out on that stuff . But great news is , harman actually will come in and we can help service it at a cost . We are talking about putting together some kind of a plan for the amount of people that have recently had this happen to them and maybe offer you the ability to get us some kind of extra protection that we would help you out with . We're working on it Not there yet , like an extended warranty , right , like an extended warranty or something . But at the moment , yeah , you're basically those warranties are gone and you would have to rely on somebody like Harmon right now If you give us a call .
Speaker 2Our service department has picked up a lot of business because of the few companies that have gone out of business . But we're here to help you . We'll definitely service your system . We'll do things for you . Obviously , right now it's going to come at a cost , but if a part goes bad and it's under manufacturer's warranty , we can help you run that manufacturer warranty ticket . The panel , the inverters , whatever they are , we can do that stuff . Where you really miss out is the workmanship warranty that's just gone . There's nothing that you can do about that , which is why we talk about all the time . There's companies out there that say , hey , we'll give you a 40-year warranty on this . Well , if you're only around , you've been company for five years and you're offering 30 , 40-year warranty , hey , you might want to rethink maybe working with that company . We always say at Harman we're the only company in Arizona that's been around longer than the warranties we provide , and there's a good reason for that , and you're getting a great example of that this last few months with the companies that have gone out of business .
Speaker 1Yeah , I always like to relate it to once again cars because they're pretty familiar with people . But when you buy , let's say , a Ford Explorer from a dealership , if that dealership goes out of business , that doesn't mean Ford went out of business and all those Ford parts in your car you can contact other dealerships to service your Ford Explorer . Just because that dealership , and whatever their warranties they had , went out of business . You still have manufacturer warranties on what you bought , so you can still do those claims . Good question , though .
Speaker 2One that we've heard a lot lately .
Speaker 3Sure , yeah , so All right , our next question how often should I be cleaning my solar panels ,
Do I Need To Clean My Panels?
Speaker 3if at all ? Is there a product that cleans them the best , or do I just add water and will cleaning them ? Void a warranty .
Speaker 1The product that works the best is rain and wind . I was going to say that you don't have to pay for it , which is great , god's got you . Yeah , I don't recommend cleaning them at all . Yeah , there's probably some studies out there that show like , oh yeah , the cleaner the panels , they're going to produce more things like that . But you always have to ask yourself , okay , but at what cost ?
Speaker 1Companies are not going to come out there and clean your panels for free , so you're going to pay X amount to get your panels clean . Is that going to translate to X amount of savings on your next utility bill ? You know like , oh utility bill . You know like , oh , I paid a hundred dollars to have my modules cleaned and then it only saved me an extra five dollars on my utility bill , like , okay , well , now you just lost 95 , so it wasn't that great of a you know investment . And the other thing that you have to realize too , with cleaning them , we live in a very unpredictable um weather system . Here in the phoenix area you can go out and clean your panels on monday , tuesday , dust storm yeah now what ?
Speaker 2it's a waste of money . Yeah , so I . That's an absolute waste of money , waste of money .
Speaker 1I have no disrespect to those companies out there who are charged , and you know to you know , clean it , that sure great , but at the same time , like I , I'm totally against it because you don't need it I've had the panels in my house since 2017 .
Speaker 2I've never cleaned them once .
Speaker 1You don't go up there and spray it down with a hose . No , you go down there with a toothbrush .
Speaker 2So no , you can clean them . Some people shoot water on them . I wouldn't recommend that . Garden hose and ladder works just fine . That's what Cody said , of course . Thank you , Cody , for that . Really bad advice , Right .
Speaker 1Why don't you want to use our , our garden hose on a modules ?
Speaker 3what's unique about our water ?
Speaker 1here we have hard water , yeah , and so you get those calcium deposits on your panels . And now that's not a good idea . Not a good idea unless , yeah , if you're going up there with you know ro water and cleaner and all that stuff , you're just wasting time .
Speaker 2Let the rain do it . Yeah , rain and wind . Yeah , you're fine . So there we go . Next , hannah White , next question . I keep calling you Hannah White
Solar Installer out of Business, My Warranty??
Speaker 2.
Speaker 3With my solar company out of business , does my equipment still have a warranty ?
Speaker 2Well , I just answered that . Yeah , we kind of hit that . Should I answer it again ? So if people weren't there , we're actually getting more people to view .
Speaker 1Are they chiming in with questions on there ? Just Cody who I'm about to block . It's just my mom . It's Cody . Yeah , I need to block him .
Speaker 2Again . So if your solar company went out of business , the manufacturer's warranty is still there and still good for whatever period of time it is , and a company like Harman will still help you manage a warranty claim for that part that goes defective . So don't worry , you didn't lose that warranty . You didn't lose any of the part warranties you're still good with . The manufacturers are still around , hopefully , depending on who you did , but most of them are still around . Where you're going to miss is you're going to lose your workmanship warranty . You're going to lose your roof penetration warranty , those things that that company was providing as their warranties . That's what's gone Right .
Speaker 1We can still help you , but now it comes at a cost , right , we'll still come out there and fix your roof or whatever issue that may have happened . But we can't honor their warranty if they went out of business . Right , but we can still contact the manufacturer if it's a manufacturer issue . Exactly , yeah .
Speaker 3All right . Our next question
Mobile Home Installs
Speaker 3is does harman not install on mobile homes ?
Speaker 2well , that's not 100 , true ? Yeah , um , we sometimes do it depends it depends on the mobile home . So a lot of the older mobile homes were built with one by one frames . Um , they're not going to hold panels . They're going to crash into your bedroom or your living room or whatever . They're just not structurally sound enough to handle the weight of a panel . These panels are heavy .
Speaker 1Yeah , you know , 30 of them are on your roof .
Speaker 2That's a lot of things on your roof and the structure just can't handle it . So we will install it on newer mobile homes . I think we look at 94 , 96 forward . They seem to have more of the two by four construction so we can look at doing those types of mobile homes . Where it gets tricky is financing . If you're trying to finance a system on a mobile home , if it's not a permanent foundation and you don't own the land , no one will finance you . So you have to own the land and it has to be a permanent foundation , because if you don't own the land and it's not permanent and you just drive it away there goes the system .
Speaker 1So companies won't do that . Yeah , and it's again , it's not just mobile homes , it's just the integrity of the structure . I mean , there's some non-mobile homes , there's some single family homes that we've denied . Just because we take a look at the , the roof and the structure and go this isn't structurally sound . We're not putting our name modules , you know , on on this roof because we don't want it to collapse later on . So sorry , we're not going to do this install . So it's not necessarily just mobile homes , it's just all homes in general . We're going to look at doing the right thing for the customer without having the entire roof collapse because of us . We don't want that .
Speaker 2Hannah White .
Ground or Roof Mount?
Speaker 3Which is better a ground ground mounted system or a roof mounted system ?
Speaker 1for what application ? Yeah , I mean that residential okay that depends I mean .
Speaker 2So , living in phoenix , you don't see many ground mount systems unless you go out the outskirts of the city . Yeah , because people don't have that kind of land to be able to put a ground mount system , because there are rules and regulations around , not only the space they require but the visibility by jurisdictions and by communities , so you don't really see them a lot . If you don't have good roof space , a lot of people will try to do a ground mount . If they have the land , it makes a lot of sense . You point it south , they're great for that person . If that person has no land and they have a roof that we can put panels on , then that's great for them . So again , that's a question that's unique to that person and their situation . If you're Hannah and you live out near New Mexico and you have all that land , then it makes sense . You would put a ground mount up there . Why would you even bother putting it on your house ? I would just face it south and move on .
Speaker 1I've talked to a few customers where they kind of want they wanted a ground mount . I took a look at their you know neighborhood and property and all that . I'm like where are we putting this ground mount ? You know you have no room in your backyard and because of your energy needs you need 40 modules . Where am I putting those 40 modules ? On a ground mount ? I don't . There's no space , so we have to use your . The other thing you have to realize with ground mounts is , instead of just putting it on the roof itself , we have to build a ground mount . So that's cost . The mount itself has a fixed cost as well , so that's going to eat into your return on investment , your overall cost and then your savings as well . So a lot of cases it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to do a ground mount unless there's again plenty of ample land . Your usage is high . It depends on how you pay for it , things like that . So if there are roof spaces available , take advantage of that .
Speaker 2Not to mention ground mounts cost more money because we're dealing with all that stuff .
Speaker 1We're dealing with ground mounts . Yeah , all the answers are steel .
Speaker 3Will Harman Solar install a ground mounted system on a residential house ? We ?
Speaker 2have in the past . Yeah , I know of a couple . Yeah , we have in the past . We stay away from it more than ever now because there's too many rules and regulations around the ground mounts in the different communities , not to mention the cost is very prohibitive for the savings . It takes away from your savings , because now you're talking about us using steel and different things to penetrate into the ground , having to do test samples of the land sometimes . I mean it gets very costly , um , so we really stay away from it .
Speaker 1The last one I can think of it was like a 10 000 square foot home on five acres . I think the grandma system alone was like 200 grand . Again , this is not a typical scenario situation , so it's going to be very unique . And that's not saying we won't do it , it's just we don't want to . We don't want to because let's take a look at your situation and most people it doesn't really make a whole lot of financial sense because your idea of going solar is to save money .
Speaker 3Okay , this question we kind of already touched on , but I'm going to read the whole thing anyways .
Bill Seems High, What Do I Do?
Speaker 2Perfect .
Speaker 3Hello , I recently moved to Arizona from Alaska and am also new to solar . We purchased a home with solar that was paid for , but we just found out that our company recently closed and went bankrupt in June . There was no notice . We only found out when we saw our electricity bill for this month , and it was almost double the last month's bill . My question is how easy or difficult is it to find another solar company to work with , and is it possible to have your own power bank , or do you have to plug into the grid ? I only ask because the people who use solar in Alaska have their own power banks . I am in Maricopa area .
Speaker 2I don't understand why their bill went up because the company went out of business .
Speaker 3Yeah , that's that . Shouldn't have any separate . Yeah , there's no correlation there .
Speaker 2Yeah , because whether they're in business or not , your system is working . There shouldn't be an issue . It sounds like your system may have an issue . Yeah , yeah , your panels don't know that your company went out of business . That's funny . I'm new to solar . I wanted to say you're new to the sun is what you wanted to say . Welcome to Alaska , to Arizona .
Speaker 1Quite the dynamic . But again , touching on the , you might build one up . There's other aspects to how your bill went up and I always tell people there's two reasons , and only two reasons , why your utility bill would be higher than expected . One equipment not working . So that's what we take a look at . First , is your equipment working the way it should ? And two , your usage has changed . So if it's got to be one of those two reasons , so if the equipment's working and it's not number one , then it's got to be one of those two reasons . So if the equipment's working and it's not number one , then it's got to be the second option with maybe your usage has changed . So it's important to look at all aspects and not just automatically assume like , oh , my bill went up , so therefore it's my equipment like . No , not the case all the time if I were you .
Speaker 2If it's a , if you , if you bought it or financed it , it's not a lease . If it's a lease , contact lease company because you still have still their system . Yeah , so if you purchased or financed it , contact a company like Harman to have take a look at it . We'll go out there and take a look at it and see what's going on , because something's wrong , sure ? So most likely you have an issue yeah maybe it's a inverter went down .
Speaker 2maybe some panel strings went down in a month . It could be what Ben said , it could be usage . That'd be some serious increase in usage , but it happens .
Speaker 1You never know as we hit summer .
Speaker 2That's very possible , but I would have somebody take a look at the system first . That would be what we would do first , like Ben said .
Speaker 3Okay , I don't know if we can answer this because we're not a law firm , but how do you ? Get out of a solar contract once you're in it . The solar has been installed for two years and I don't think it has worked at all since it's been installed . The installer has since gone out of business . How could I get out of the contract ?
Speaker 1So when people say I don't think my solar is working and we do get some of those calls from customers who say my company might have business , can you guys take a look ? I don't think my solar is working . So then what we do is we go okay , what is your system supposed to produce ? It's supposed to produce X amount , okay . Well , what did your system actually produce ? It produced X amount , like okay . Well , if it was supposed to produce 10,000 kilowatt hours and it produced 11,000 kilowatt hours , well , not only is it working , it's working better than expected . So your system is working . How your utility bill is , that's a completely separate issue . Now , if your system is supposed to produce 10,000 kilowatt hours but it's only producing 2,000 kilowatt hours , okay , well , now you have an issue where your system isn't working , so it's important to take a look at that .
Speaker 1Just because you might be unhappy with your utility bills doesn't necessarily mean like , oh , solar is messed up , something's wrong . Like , no , let's figure it out the logical way . But as far as getting on your contract , well , if that's all you .
Speaker 2That's not going to happen . It's a contract , especially with them out of business , so I would assume that you financed it . So if you financed it , I mean you could go to the finance company and request something . But the problem is they have no leverage because they can't go after the solar company that maybe misled you about something . Sure , you're in a legal contract . Chances of you getting out of that are slim , very slim .
Speaker 1Yeah , unless unless someone did something illegal . If you said , hey , I signed a contract for 50 modules and this company only installed five , like okay , well , there's a huge discrepancy there . But if you're saying I signed a legal contract to get 50 modules , they installed 50 modules . The contract said it's supposed to produce X amount and it is producing X amount , Well then , everything has been taken care of . What you may have been promised by the salesperson , that's a separate issue .
Speaker 2Yeah , and if they're out of business , there's nothing to go after .
Speaker 2So that's the problem with some of these flat-by-night companies they come into Arizona because it's such a great place for solar . They sell you a bag of goods and then they bail , yeah , and they don't care about you , they just want the commission . So you got to look , you got to do the research on who you're buying solar from . Yep , you can't buy it from these guys that have been around for a year or two , because chances are they're not gonna be around in a year or two . But he looked good , he sounded cool . I'm good . He had this big , pretty website and it had colors on it and stuff . He made me sign it . Yeah , sorry , yeah , hannah White .
Speaker 3Is that she was laughing ?
Speaker 1Don't laugh my joke of
Do You Offer Discounts?
Speaker 1the day .
Speaker 3What kind of discounts do you offer , if any ?
Speaker 2Discounts ? Yes , you don't get no discounts . What are you talking about ?
Speaker 3Military teachers senior citizens .
Speaker 2So everybody's really big on that . First of all , let me tell you something about discounts . Let me tell you something they're not discounts . Yeah , you're paying for it , it's in the price . So what we do is don't offer those things . We give you the best possible price up front period . So , whether you're military , whether you're a senior citizen , whatever it is the category that you fit , that you hear discount on , yeah , we're giving everybody that discount up front because we're just going to give you the best possible price and treat you the right way and be here , be around for years when you need us .
Speaker 1But I have 25 off at kohl's no , they're just they're just charging you 25 more . Normally right now , you're just paying the different price for it . Um , here's my thoughts on on discounts too . Um , I'm all about giving people the best price possible . Um , simply because that's how I would want to be treated as a customer . This goes back to my previous days before sales . Um , I had someone coming to my door , you know , knocking , trying to sell me a five thousand dollar vacuum , like that that was good sound effect yeah , we don't have actual sound effects here , we kind of make them here in the studio but anyway .
Speaker 1So I had someone come to my door selling me like a you know five thousand dollar vacuum , great vacuum , sure it worked as it said and all that stuff . And you know he was like , okay , the price for this vacuum is five grand . I was like , geez , five grand .
Speaker 1Yeah , that's sorry , I'm not gonna do it and he goes hold on a second , I can do it for 3500 I wait a minute If I would have said yes to $5,000 and now finding out later that I could have paid $3,500 for the exact same vacuum .
Speaker 1That to me is unethical . If my neighbor bought the same exact vacuum and I paid $5,000 and he paid $3,500 for it like wait , we both have the same vacuum , but you got a better price on it , that's just going to make me upset as a customer . So I always tell people this is my lowest and best price . And I do have customers come like , oh , can you do it for this price , this price , and I'm like no , the only way I can get a lower price is if I talk to our owner and say , hey , does the company want to make less money off of this ? Because I gave you my best price I could . I don't do a whole lot of haggling or anything like that . The price is the price and that's what we offer . That's my thoughts on discounts . I'm with you .
Speaker 3All right . How many batteries would I need to power my house , air conditioner included ?
Speaker 236 .
Speaker 1Yeah , that's a very open-ended question . It could be one , it could be none , it could be 10 .
Speaker 3Would it ever be one to power an air conditioner ? No , in a power outage .
Speaker 2Not in Phoenix , no not here .
Speaker 1Yeah , maybe in Flagstaff .
Speaker 2We recommend that a minimum , that you get two batteries . That's always the minimum that we recommend . If you want one , we'll sell you one , but we're going to be honest about what it's going to really cover . That'd be more to cover some outlets and stuff like keep your fridges going , have a computer that you can log into . You know your internet , all stuff . But if you want really you do two . Two can cycle your ac for a little bit . Um , you know , give you the other things that you need , and then three is typically optimal if you really want to get into it , but with one battery yeah , think .
Speaker 1if you gotta think about it too , we are right now towards the end of summer , so we're like we're in the dog days of summer , as they say . So when you're talking about my battery , what's the air temperature outside ? It's 115 degrees in the hottest part of the day , and at night it still gets 100 degrees .
Speaker 3Right .
Speaker 1You're running your AC pretty much 24-7 to keep your home somewhat cool in the summertime , pretty much 24-7 to keep your home somewhat cool in the summertime . So if you're relying on just your battery at nighttime , when there is no solar production , that battery is going to be drained real quick , you know . So one , two batteries , two batteries might not even do it , three batteries might not do it . It all depends on how much power you're drawing , how many AC units , how big your home , what temperature you want to set your thermostat to , things like that . So it's very I don't know open-ended question . It's going to vary , but even then it's not going to cover all of your demand during that time . Nope . So don't rely solely on the battery . Good question , hannah White .
Does Harmon Have After Hours Support?
Speaker 3Does Harman offer 24 seven service or service after hours ?
Speaker 1Um , yeah , ralph's number is hold on , let me pull it up here 602 .
Speaker 2Um , no , we do not . We're not 24 seven . Um we ? I mean if , if something happens and you call in and I think there used to , we used to have an emergency line I'd have to ask the service department if we still have that . I don't think we do . Um , it was , it's just something we did for a period of time , but right now , no , I think what we would do after hours is if you left us a message we'd get with you next morning yeah and try to help you , so unfortunately no yeah , usually with solar , if there's something goes wrong and no , it just kind of kicks off .
Speaker 1So I don't know any any type of real emergencies that could happen in the middle of the night or you know it's hot outside and you're I don't know what my solar system is not working on sunday night like well , it's , it's nighttime wait , we have those night panels , the moon panels .
Speaker 2You remember those ? We bought them .
Speaker 3I do okay , sorry okay , what services
Are All Your Services In House Or Contract?
Speaker 3are done in-house at har Harmon , and which ones do you contract out for ?
Speaker 1We do laundry service um pool service , home cleaning , cooking , all sponsored by Ralph .
Speaker 2Yeah , that's exactly it Um . So in house I mean almost everything . I would say , uh , we really do everything . We , um , we do the audit process in-house for the most part . We do the design in-house .
Speaker 3For the most part the sales , we do the sales in-house , we do the engineering in-house .
Speaker 2I mean we have the marketing for the most part . The marketing for the most part when someone decides to do something is in-house .
Speaker 1Marketing for the least part when we to do something is in-house um marketing for the least part .
Speaker 2Um , when we do , we do ground mount . I mean , probably the only thing we don't do in-house that I can think of . Well , there's two things . So steel when , on commercial projects , yeah , we contract the steel out , um , not because we have to , we just that's just what we do . We could do it if we wanted to , and I think we have done it sometimes , um , but for the most part we'll contract it out . As far as roofing , we do have a roofing division and we can do a lot of the roofing ourselves . If it's a big roofing job and we're just got a lot of stuff going on , we might contract it out to do some roof work . But we have a couple of vendors that we utilize that we've been with for years . So , but typically we're doing mostly everything in house . I mean same with , like design . Sometimes we'll contract that out if we're really busy .
Speaker 2We want to keep things moving yeah we might ask for some overflow service things like that .
Speaker 1So it doesn't mean that we don't cross-check things . Yeah , no , we still have .
Speaker 2We have a full engineering team in house , full design team in house . Uh , we're 20 . You know , we're one-stop shop in-house . We have everything we need , all our service work is done in-house . We don't contract that out , um , so yeah yeah , I mean , drive by our office .
Speaker 1It's a big office , we have a warehouse , we have our own solar system in the back . There we look like a one-stop shop because for the most part we are a one-stop shop , whereas other companies it's running out of their mom's basement or something .
Speaker 3Yeah , not us , Not us . We need t-shirts that say we're a solar company for the most part .
Speaker 1See what I mean about our marketing team .
Speaker 2And this is why we don't allow her on camera ?
Speaker 3Next question
Free Estimates For Service?
Speaker 3If I just need my system looked at , do I have to pay a fee ? Or is there a free estimate and then I pay if I decide to have the labor done ?
Speaker 1I'll go on Google Maps right now and look at it .
Speaker 3Yeah , I'll go look at it . There it is .
Speaker 1There it is , thanks , thanks $10 .
Speaker 2So if you want someone to come out and look at it because there's an issue , maybe yes . Yes , We'd have to charge you for rolling a truck . Obviously there's time and money that goes into sending a technician out to a home .
Speaker 1Well , let's back up a little bit . It depends , it depends . So if there is an issue , we have all these capabilities to look at it remotely .
Speaker 1Yeah we do , we can take a look and go , okay , if it's our system , yeah , if it's our system , we take a look at your monitoring and go okay , there is no issue . We have green lights across the board . Everything looks like it's producing . You still want us to come out , because if we do , then we're obviously going to have to charge you because everything looks good on our end . But if we something is wrong , well then it's going to be covered under warranty , things like that . In that case you might not get charged Again . It's going to depend . We'll take a look at it remotely at no cost , but then the decision of us coming out there or not is going to depend on if there is something actually wrong .
Speaker 2One million dollars .
Speaker 1Yeah , that's part . It's in the contract . Fine print .
Pigeons!!
Speaker 3Are pigeons known to eat wires under the panels or cause damages other than debris .
Speaker 1Only if they're hungry . Yeah , I don't know , the pigeon diet , isn't it just like seeds and insects .
Speaker 2So if you have a pigeon neighborhood that you live in and you put solar up there are pigeon neighborhoods A pigeon neighborhood . You put a house in the middle of a neighborhoods pigeon neighborhood .
Speaker 1If you put the house in the middle of a pigeon neighborhood . Do they have like their own hoa , like they do pigeons ? Are us a little playground , little community , if your neighborhood does ?
Speaker 2have pigeon issues . Okay , I'll say it that way like my neighborhood has pigeon issues , yeah , um , you have to put bird blocking up . If you don't , there is a really good chance that they're going to chew on some wires . Sure , like little rats , they like nesting , they like to nest and they like to chew . It seems like and we have seen that where you go out and there's the cables that are messed up , and so , yeah , it's very real and you find the pigeons , just like this . This is dead .
Speaker 1It's that smell .
Speaker 2Yeah , that's roasted pigeon . Dinner's ready , yeah . So yeah , you definitely can have pigeon issues and them doing that . They can destroy your system here and there . So if you're living in that kind of neighborhood , put bird blocking up . It's worth every penny .
Speaker 1Yeah , yeah . And sometimes people just do it after the fact too , because they don't know , like , hey , I may or may not have a pigeon issue , so it doesn't necessarily have to be done at the time of install . It could be , it could be after . But you know , just sometimes it's safer to know oh , I do have a pigeon issue because of all my neighbors are playing the same thing . So we'll do it beforehand . But if you're one of the types of persons that wants to do it after , we can do it after . Just remember , just remember . Can we get a picture of that ?
Speaker 3yes , on our website , dead pigeon dead don't move into a pigeon's neighborhood , right , yeah , because they .
Speaker 2They're not very nice , they're very clicky too . That's pretty much what I got out of that . They're extremely clicky . Tiny houses yeah .
Why Not Off Grid?
Speaker 3Why can a solar company not install solar off-grid ? Why does it have to be grid-tied ?
Speaker 1Why can they not ? There's so many negatives in that one . Why can they not install ?
Speaker 2it . Yeah , that's very negative , so , that's very negative . So why can't they so if someone calls us ?
Speaker 3up and they're like hey , I want off-grid solar , I do not want it tied to the grid .
Speaker 2Why can't we not install it ? Is the grid established ? My first question is where you live . Is the grid there ? Yeah , if it is , you need to be attached to the grid .
Speaker 1Yeah , looking at this neighborhood behind me , that's a grid-established neighborhood .
Speaker 2Yes , it is .
Speaker 1Yeah , there's already houses . If it's like where Hannah lives , then probably not Just to clarify . I have a home .
Speaker 3She drinks from well water or something you call it a home , and it's not a pigeon's neighborhood ?
Speaker 2It sure does look like it . It's an emu neighborhood . If you live in an area where there is the grid , you cannot disconnect from the grid , right ? If you don't believe , us call APS , if that's your utility , and ask them what they require for you to move off grid Say .
Speaker 1I would like to be disconnected from your grid .
Speaker 2They'll laugh at me $70,000 later because that's about what it would take to get approved by them . It's not worth your time . If you live in an area where there's no grid and you want solar , then that could be done and you use batteries and all that stuff . Is that something that we do ? And use batteries and all that stuff ? Is that something that we do ? Not really . We don't typically want to do that . We stay in the areas where the grid is and we work with grid-tied system . There are companies that do you know that's their thing . They like to do off-grid systems and I would suggest searching out those companies and looking at doing it with them . We're just could we do it ? Of course we could . It's just not our business model . It's not where we want to be . We're focused in other areas , more grid-tied .
Speaker 1The grid is not a bad thing , ladies and gentlemen .
Speaker 2No , it's not .
Speaker 1It's a good thing for , like okay , I have a solar system , I have batteries and I'm connected to the grid . Okay , that grid is kind of like your backup , just in case you know , it's nighttime and your battery is completely drained and I still need power . So those off-grid applications , you know , way out in the middle of nowhere , it's the middle of summer and solar system's working , okay , but it's night and then solar system's not working anymore . My battery's completely dried and my home is now heating up to 100 degrees because I don't have any power to my AC . Where's my power going to come from ? Hopefully you know you got a backup generator , maybe it's going to come from a generator .
Speaker 1Yeah , usually that grid is your backup . You got a backup generator . Maybe it's got a government generator . Yeah , usually that grid is your backup . Like , hey , I need that extra power . It's going to be pulling from the grid , so that's what the grid is kind of important still .
Speaker 3Yep , okay , there's a follow-up question that kind of fits with that , could I have a company install my solar and then can I make it off-grid Legally ? We did actually have an engineer that we installed solar on attempt to do this .
Speaker 2So now yeah , I don't think that's a good idea . Legally , or if it's tied to the grid and you try to remove it from the grid , you're probably going to have an issue with aps or srp or whoever it is . Your utility is yeah um I don't think . I don't think you can legally do that you can call them and ask .
Speaker 2See what it takes but again , you can , you can call them and ask and they'll give you the requirements because it's their area , the grid's there and you've got to tie into it , yeah , so if you don't want to be on the grid , go get a house in munns park somewhere or I don't know where . There's just a bunch of land and there's nothing there , and yeah , and you can do that . But when there's a grid there , you're kind of stuck . You're kind of stuck okay , okay .
Speaker 3Next question my neighbor
SRP, AC Stopped Working, Why?
Speaker 3had solar installed in SRP and their air conditioner stopped working . It had something to do with their demand . Why would that happen ?
Speaker 1Next question .
Speaker 2Pass . I'm going to let you take this .
Speaker 1So the demand management system is there to protect you . We have a whole podcast , we have two podcasts on SRP . Yeah , we do Demand and all that stuff . It's there to protect you . We have a whole podcast , we have two podcasts on SRP , demand and all that stuff . It's there to protect your bills from getting too high .
Speaker 1I always tell people it's kind of like a governor on your car . Your car speedometer could read 200 miles an hour . Does that mean if you're going down the freeway and you floor it , that speedometer is going to go there ? No , it's going to eventually get to a certain point . I know crazy what . The governor's going to go . Hey , you're going too fast , so we're going to stop you right here . The governor's going to come . Tell me that . The governor's going to come knock on your door . Wow , you are driving too fast down the freeway , sir , he's in the backseat of your car . That's why I didn't vote for her .
Speaker 1So the demand manager is like a governor for your house . So when you start stacking high demand items like you're cooking dinner and your pool's running and your AC kicks on , you do all these things at once it's going to spike your demand . So your demand manager and your smart thermostat are going to start communicating and go hey , wait a minute , ralph , you're stacking all your demand and your demand is starting to spike . We need to cut back something . So it's going to start cutting back on your high demand items like your AC unit or your dryer or whatever's running , whatever's connected to that demand management system is going to start cycling those to keep your demand under that threshold and you want it to be under that threshold because , again , that's what keeps your bill low . So when people say like , oh yeah , my AC went off during this time , I usually say , well , you're welcome , because that's what kept your bill low this month .
Speaker 1You can always adjust your demand management system and I always tell people it's a kind of a learning curve and we kind of have to find that sweet spot for you to where your bills are low and you're comfortable . But we don't know what that is for you . We don't know your comfort levels on your home . Some people like the home at 76 . Some people are okay with it being at 82 . We don't know what your comfort levels are in your home . So when you have that demand management system and that smart thermostat , you've got to find what's a good demand threshold for you we can set it at . Is it a four kilowatt or a six or a 10 or a 12 ? I don't know . We've got to figure out what that is for you and your situation so that you're happy with your low bill and you're comfortable in your home .
Speaker 1So when the AC does kick off , that's not a bad thing . That's a good thing because it keeps that demand from spiking too high . And then we always tell people to stagger your stuff . If you are cooking dinner , don't be doing laundry and running your pool and your AC doing all that stuff at once . Run your pool at night when it's non-peak times , or do your laundry on the weekends when it's non-peak times . If you are going to be cooking dinner , just be prepared that , yeah , your AC might cut off for like four or five minutes here and there , just because you know you're running a lot of high demand items . But that's okay . That doesn't mean your house is going to heat up or anything like that , it's just it's doing its job . It's doing its job . It's doing what it should be doing . So don't panic . You're welcome , wow .
Speaker 3So , that being the case , if your air conditioner goes out late at night and we don't offer after hours , is there a way for you to adjust your own demand ? Manager .
Speaker 2Sure there is . You'll have software that you can log into and adjust it . Yeah , we can also teach you how to do it manually as well .
Speaker 1There's an app , there's a website where you can kind of adjust it . If your AC is kicking off at night , I'm probably asking yourself what's your demand set at , first of all , and what other items are you running late at night ? And secondly , nighttime is off-pe peak time . So your AC being controlled via the smart thermostat and demand manager is not a thing unless someone did something wrong as far as programming , because the demand manager and your smart thermostat are already pre-programmed to SRPs on peak times .
Speaker 1So , like between two and eight o'clock . So anything that happens after eight o'clock , that shouldn't have anything to do with us or the solar system or demand management . That's something that's going on internally . Did I answer your question ?
Speaker 3I mean , I guess we'll find out . I guess we'll find out . They might have a rebuttal
Generator Or Battery?
Speaker 3Is a generator a better fit if I want to power my entire house in an outage , or are batteries worth it ?
Speaker 2So it depends , everything depends For the most part . Harm and solar in an outage , or are batteries worth it ? So it depends um everything , depends it , just again .
Speaker 1That's yeah it's for the most part harm and solar , everything depends , that's our new motto a generator can be a good option .
Speaker 2Sure , it's not a bad option , it's a big option . In the midwest they use them a lot tied to solar . When we were doing stuff in oklahoma we sold a lot of generators versus batteries because they're cheaper and you can you know you can have if you have propane running there and all that . For instance , generac has propane run generators . If you have a propane system in your home you can just feed that to your generator and it kicks in just like a battery would , and a lot of people like that option . It's a good option . Some people like the battery option . It just depends . The battery option is a great option too . The prices have come down . They've gotten a lot cheaper . You can get into a Powerwall 3 like for about 9,500 bucks right now $10,000 , that ish area , uh , which you couldn't do before . It was more like 16 , 17 , $18,000 .
Speaker 3They've come down a lot .
Speaker 2Yeah , um , the nice thing about a battery is you can do a lot more things . As far as you can start doing peak shaving , you can set when you want to load , when you want to dump all these different things . Generators not so much that they're more for emergency backup . So I guess it depends really , are you looking for emergency backup ? Are you looking to work with your solar and try to save money on peak time ? It just depends . If you're looking to really manage with your solar system , I would stick with a battery if you're just looking to have that backup . So when the grid goes down because you have a grid problem and you want something to come back up , then I would look at generators . How much does a generator ?
Speaker 1run . You Just depends . I know that Depends on size , I mean .
Speaker 2I've seen anywhere from you know 5,000 to 12,000 , 13,000 , depending , okay let's say , middle of the road , 8,000 , then Sure , so then .
Speaker 1And then sure . So then you got to ask yourself am I living in an area where I do have grid problems ? So , ralph , we live in a you and I live in a pretty residential area .
Speaker 2When I'm the I would call this residential . Yeah , yeah , it's not very out , it's not very industrial yeah , exactly .
Speaker 1Uh , when was last power outage you had here at the house it's been a couple years . And how long did that outage last ? Maybe an hour ? I don't even think it was that long . I had one , I think , about two weeks ago , about 15 seconds , I don't count those I know . Well , power went out at the house . It was like 15 seconds Because you didn't pay your bill . That's probably it actually . That's what I thought .
Speaker 1So , you've got to ask yourself I'm going to for a generator , for a 15 second insurance policy yeah , is it worth ?
Speaker 1it no but , on those areas where , yeah , we're kind of outside and the grid isn't very , as you know , isn't stable , and the grid might be down for two , three , four , five hours . Okay , now I'm paying eight grand for four hours . In policy , sure , do it . And these are the questions that I ask people . You know , do you have problems with the grid going down in your area ? Because I'm sure a lot of companies would love to just sell you batteries and generators because they want to make a commission , they want to make money off you . But I'd rather you be happy .
Speaker 3I know crazy right .
Speaker 1I'd rather you not call me a year later and say it , ben , this was a horrible idea . So we asked these questions so that you can , you know , have informed . You know , conversations with your sales rep right ? Good answer they're always good . No , not always .
Speaker 3Yeah , it's true for the most part that voice has got an attitude . It depends
Solar Financing A Scam?
Speaker 3is financing solar a scam , like everyone says it is ? And if you say no , why not ?
Speaker 1I would like to know who these everyone's are so again , scam , what ?
Speaker 2I don't know what you have to define what a scam is , but I can tell you what financing is . Financing solar has fees attached to it , just like financing anything has fees attached to it . Where solar is different is some of those fees are pretty big .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2So when you start seeing long years low interest rates , the fee is probably pretty enormous . When you see long to mid years more reasonable interest rates like right now , I'd say 8 , 4 , 9-ish that area they typically don't even have fees on those loans . They're actually really great loans to use . So you've got to kind of look at the scenario you're being pitched . We live in an 8% to 9% interest rate world right now . That's just where solar lives .
Speaker 2If someone's offering you $399 , $299 , $199 , there's probably a pretty significant fee attached to it . Ask the question . Yeah , um , doesn't mean it's a scam . It's not a scam . It's just a high fee loan which , depending on your scenario , could still work out just fine yeah , um it doesn't mean that it's a horrible thing yeah .
Speaker 1I mean , if you think about it when you do do decide to , you say yes , you're a rep and you want to sign the documents on the finance company . You get the loan documents , you get the trust . It shows you what your monthly payment is . It shows you what the interest rate is . It shows you what your finance charge is , your total loan amount . It shows you all that . So if it were a scam , I don't know , is the sales rep editing the PDF and changing things . So it's all written there . You know , kind of black and white for you this is what I'm paying . Here's my terms of the contract . And if you're just going through and just blindly signing it and you're not knowing what you're signing , then here's where it gets tricky . They didn't really scam you , right ?
Speaker 2So here's where you might be using that word . Here's where it gets tricky , okay , first off , the idea with solar is if we combine what you're paying for your loan and your bill , is it less than you're paying now ? If it is , there's savings , there you go and those savings will increase year after year because the utility increases year after year . But your loan should stay stable , right , okay , so there you start seeing gains over a period of time , Right ? Here's the tricky part . The tricky part is , if you give a solar loan , there is a tax credit portion of it . So let's say your tax credit is $20,000 . You have 18 months to pay that $20,000 back into your loan . If you don't do that , your loan re -amortizes and your payment will go up 80 , 90 bucks a month . So you have to understand that process when you're looking at a loan .
Speaker 2There are loans out there right now I was talking about before where there are like , for instance , there's an 849 loan with no dealer fees and they start off as if you're not going to pay back that tax credit . That is a great loan because you start off payment one at the worst case scenario Exactly , and you can look at that into your finances and see if it makes sense . And if you decide to pay into that loan 10% increments , you can bring your payment down . It's up to you , but you control it . You don't have the surprise balloon at month 18 or 19 .
Speaker 1Yeah , because wouldn't you want to be okay with the worst case scenario and then realize 18 months from now you're like , oh wait , my loan payment just went down , or would ? You rather be paying your loan payment and then , 18 months down the road , go wait , my loan payment just went up . What the heck ?
Speaker 2I'd rather have a start off worst case scenario and then my payments just get smaller after that , and I think that's where you're getting the scam word from , because a lot of dishonest sales people talk to you like the first payment is what it's always going to be and that's just not a reality and they are scamming you in a smaller payment .
Speaker 2Yeah , but if you do your due diligence and actually read the paperwork , the trust and lending agreement , you will see yeah , that the truth . You'll see that it does increase at month 18 or 19 typically , yeah . So just know the kind of loan you're getting . That's the key is you have to educate yourself on the loans , that's all . So there are really good loan opportunities out there right now . You just have to make sure you get in the right one . Good question , good answer .
Speaker 1Good answer Debatable .
How Long Do Solar Panels Last?
Speaker 3Okay , how long do panels really last ? If it takes me 20 years to pay off my system , is my equipment even going to work by then ?
Speaker 2well , I mean , panels have been around since the 70s , yeah , so almost very close to the efficiencies that we see today . Um so , and they're still working . So do the math that's 50 something years . We've had panels that work . They're tested by the manufacturers . They do stress testing that will show a 40-year lifespan of what the panel would go through . They give you an idea of how they're going to produce in that 40-year period . That's pretty common in the industry . These things will last . The thing that's not going to last is your inverter . The inverter is going to go bad . If it's a string inverter , it's typically going to go bad year 12 or 13 , right around there .
Speaker 1Repeat that your inverter is going to go bad . It will go bad , no matter what . Keep that in mind . It will go bad , it will go bad Keep that in mind .
Speaker 2Your inverter is going to go within 12 to 15 years . That's just the way it works , and if you have microinverters , they're warrantied 25 years , so hopefully you know 25-year warranty on a microinverter . Yeah , you're doing pretty good . The Tesla inverters are really good inverters . I love those inverters . They're string inverters , they're liquid cooled , which is great for our environment here , and I think I believe they have a 10 , no 12 and a half year warranty on them . They just have to understand that they're not expensive . But you're going to replace them .
Speaker 1Yeah , I mean , if you think about it , if your system is working , your panels and inverters are working , they're starting to save you money day one . So if you've had your system on your roof for 22 years , think of all the savings that you've had for the past 22 years . You're doing fine If it decides to go bad at .
Speaker 1You know your warranty is 25 years and it decides to go bad at you know your warranty is 25 years and it decides to go bad at year 26 , 27 , guess what ? You did pretty good for yourself . Absolutely 25 years of savings . You know what ? I saved 50 , 50 grand on a 15 000 system . Okay , I'd say you did good . You did good , that was the goal , good job so that's oh yeah , I've talked with the customer .
Speaker 1I remember she had her panels installed . It's like early 2000 , maybe like 2001 , 2002 , and they were still that's way back in the day . They were still on the roof , still producing . So , um , she wanted to add more panels to her system because use has changed . But her current system was just fine .
Speaker 2So the only thing that's really changing with panels slightly efficiency , not a big deal , but it's more of this the wattage size of the panels .
Speaker 3Yeah , when .
Speaker 2I got my panels back in . I want to say it was a 17 . I have 260 watt panels up there . Nowadays we're selling a 445 watt panel . So that I mean that's the big difference is the amount of farther back you just see lower wattage panels . But they all produce . They don't go bad typically , unless somebody throws a golf ball in one and starts cracking them or I don't know , I don't think a pigeon's going to break a panel . That'd be pretty interesting to watch . Do the pigeon thing again .
Speaker 1Yeah , there it is the dead pigeon , there it is .
Speaker 2So , yeah , I mean , panels are going to last . They can have issues once in a while .
Speaker 3It happens . That's what we got warranties for and they replace them .
Speaker 2They're not that expensive .
Speaker 3That kind of goes into the next question , which is do you or Ben have solar on your house ? Has it been beneficial , and how many times have you had to have it serviced ?
Speaker 2So I have solar on my home . Had it since 2017 .
Do You Guys Have Solar? Have You Needed Service?
Speaker 2So we're seven years in . When I first moved in here , this is an all electrical house . It's electric house . It's a two-story house . It's about 2200 square feet electric everything . Our first summer bill that we hit was like 750 and I was like that's not happening , yeah , so I went and got solar . My worst summer bill nowadays worst is probably about225 is my worst summer bill . My winter bills are nothing $30 , $40 , $50 .
Speaker 3Did you purchase your system I ?
Speaker 2leased it . I actually leased it through Sunrun . I have a fixed lease at $0.08 a kilowatt hour . My lease payment is $100 a month . That's for 20 years . That's a pretty good deal .
Speaker 1That's a pretty good deal . Must have had a good sales rep , yeah , myself .
Speaker 2So yeah , it was very beneficial . I've saved a ton of money in the first seven years . If I didn't have it I would be in trouble . So no , absolutely I have it and it's very beneficial .
Speaker 1And I do not have solar because I rent .
Speaker 3I don't know you can't have solar if you rent , you can't have solar .
Speaker 1Well , I mean you can , but if you don't own the home , then you can't make that decision for the home Sure you can . As a renter , you would have to get the landlord's permission to get solar .
Speaker 2Look , buddy , you're getting this . This is not a conversation .
Speaker 1I got a number . I got a guy . It's not Harman .
Speaker 3Harman will not do that . Harman doesn't come over and go , hey pistol whip you .
Speaker 2Well , we've had some . We learned that it's in the contract . We did have one guy . He's gone .
Speaker 3Okay
Why Isn't Solar Covered Parking Mandated In Arizona?
Speaker 3, solar panels in parking lots make so much sense . Why don't we mandate this in Arizona ? We have so much sun , we could have free power .
Speaker 2I wish we would mandate it . Yeah , because we would love to mandate it because we do a ton of parking structures . That's what .
Speaker 1I do as a commercial PM .
Speaker 2It's parking Ben , yeah , so we do . A lot of our commercial work is exactly that it's covered . Parking structures Makes total sense . People always say , well , look at all those parking structures there that don't have solar . Can we just take the roof off and put solar on it ? No , because they're not engineered to hold solar panels , and if you put panels on , there they go .
Speaker 2Yeah , exactly On your house or on your car , so it is a good idea . We've actually done a lot of pitches on the commercial side where we scrapped what they have there , now put the right stuff on there , so beneficial , save a ton of money . Yeah , it's just a matter of the owner of the businesses and a lot of them . We mean we do a lot of commercials , so we have been doing it , mandating it . I mean , we don't live in communist russia , so I just don't think that we can force people to do things not our decision . Yeah , you know , maybe if certain things happen in November we will , I don't know . But anyway , it's just , it's not . I would love to see that as a mandate . I think it jurisdiction and who's the general contractor and the owner , like who's paying for it .
Speaker 1Sometimes we do a lot of utility provided commercial systems as well , but then also there's just individual owners who want to purchase it outright themselves . So it depends , yeah everything depends . Everything depends .
Speaker 3Ben , this question I'm going to say is for you , because you're going to love it .
Speaker 1I don't appreciate that . 6'2 and 220 pounds and he's got a shiny head .
Avg Cost For Solar On 1900 sq ft Home?
Speaker 3The question is what is the average cost for solar panels on a 1,900 square foot house in Arizona ? I ?
Speaker 1mean my calculator . So a 1,900 square foot house in Arizona . Okay , here's my follow-up question for you , and this is what every sales rep should be doing . They should not be just spitting out a number to you , because a 1,900 square foot house and their neighbor's 1,900 square foot house could have two very different usage histories . That 1,900 square foot house could be a two-story , could be a one-story , could have a pool , no pool , hot tub , electric cars , could have five people living in there and they're all home because they all work from home and they're teenagers . Or they could have just one person who's there , maybe they're a snowbird . So that 1900 square foot home , they could be using 16,000 kilowatt hours , or they could be using 50,000 kilowattatt hours , and solar is going to be tailored to how much you're using . So if you are using more , then you're gonna want a system that's going to produce that much what I know . And then here's me . I know it .
Speaker 1But in here's the other aspect too , and what a lot of people don't realize two-story homes have a smaller roof than a one-story home . I know Because you're building up , the roof is smaller , whereas one-story it's . You know . Well , it's almost always true , I know Almost always , almost always . So usually on a two-story home your usage is higher because hot air rises . You're going to be using more power I'm getting into the science of it but your roof is smaller so you can't really get . In some cases I'm not going to say all or a lot In some cases you can't really offset all that power . So again , it's going to depend .
Speaker 1But I guess if we're just going with a 1,900-square-foot home let's say no pool , no hot tub , maybe they have an electric car I'll go there and three people living in the home , their usage history could probably be I would say , just for the sake of numbers , let's do I don't know 20,000 kilowatt hours , which is kind of a lot for that size home . But who knows what they set their thermostat at and who knows how old the home is and all that stuff . So there might you know , if it's a south-facing roof , they might need an 11-kilowatt system . And then , if it's me selling it or if it's Ralph selling it or if it's Dennis selling it no , I'm just kidding it could be a , I don't know . It depends on if you're financing it too . It could be a close to , I would say , $20,000 system . If you're paying cash , there's your number , but again , I would never give that quote out to somebody without getting all the information .
Speaker 3So if you're For a 10K ?
Speaker 1I don't know , I'm just throwing out numbers , oh okay .
Speaker 3I don't even think he knows what he's talking about . No , he's just throwing out numbers .
Speaker 1For a 10K . I just said $20,000 .
Speaker 3That's cheap .
Speaker 1Well , that's Ben Walsh . Really Call it Ben if you want to only pay that much . But again , so if you're sitting there and go oh okay , I have a 1,900 square foot home , I'm going to get a solar system for $20,000 . No , you're going to ask all those follow-up questions to figure out what's good for you and your situation as far as your family , because you don't want to get that $20,000 system and then realize a year later wow , I overpaid for something , or I got too many panels , I don't need this much . Or I got not enough panels because now I'm not seeing a great savings on my utility bill . So you can't really do . That is the correct answer , I concur .
Speaker 2There you go . That was a long , you can't really do that answer . Correct answer . I concur there you go .
Speaker 3That was a long . You can't really do that answer .
Speaker 1Well , I had to explain myself .
What Incentives Are Available?
Speaker 3What incentives can save you money with solar , whether it's like the federal tax , the federal solar tax credit or the local and state incentives . What are they ?
Speaker 2So there is a 30% federal tax credit if you are eligible for it , which that's between you and your tax accountant . Harmon does not give tax advice . What was that ? That's my little disclaimer . Harmon does not give tax advice .
Speaker 1We're live , so I don't know how to do that . Just look at the bottom of the screen . Oh , I can't do that now .
Speaker 2But there's a 30% federal tax credit if you have a tax liability , that can apply toward that liability . Again , talk to your tax guy and see if that would work for you . There's up to $1,000 state tax credit in Arizona . That could also work for you . Again , talk to your tax guy . And currently that's really the only incentives I'm aware of .
Speaker 1Sometimes utilities give a little bit of incentives here and there , like for battery incentives , but it's so small it's not really that significant .
Speaker 2Maybe a couple hundred bucks here and there .
Speaker 1I've even heard some cities give some incentives too . I'm not going to say which cities , but I've heard like oh we'll give you a city tax credit of 200 bucks .
Speaker 2There are a lot of places outside of arizona that offer pretty good incentives . There's , there's states that do things what's called an s-rec , where they will pay you , up to 10 years , a certain amount of money every year , based on what you produce . So basically , let's say you produce , you know , 20,000 kilowatt hours . They'll give you I don't know , five cents , ten cents a kilowatt hour and they'll give you that every year for 10 years . That was a really cool thing . Can Can you imagine if Arizona did that ?
Speaker 1I wish they would .
Speaker 2That's more typical in the upper Midwest and the Northeast . You'll see a lot of that and some places in the Northeast will do city and township incentives at all . There's areas in Massachusetts where going solar almost costs nothing because of all the incentives . So Arizona's just not . We're not in that . We don't play in that ball field for whatever reason . Um , they used to be . When I first started 12 years ago , there was a tax credit or a credit from aps , I think it was . I want to say it was 50 cents at the time or something like that nice I don't know what it was .
Speaker 1There's one . There is one incentive with you know , go with harman um that you can put a dollar amount to it's talking with me if you want to .
Speaker 2Yeah , that's definitely an incentive if you're lonely .
Speaker 1I mean it's almost like a free solar system . That's right Well harm in dating .
Speaker 2But in Arizona there's not a whole lot of incentives outside of the federal , which is great at 30% . There is a way to get it to 40% . That is something we're all trying to figure out . That has to do with using American-made everything and there are companies that are building plants to kind of coerce with that , make that work , not coerce but coincide with that . So we'll have more information about that stuff at the end of the year because we're looking at stuff like that . But you can get up to a 40% , but the standard is 30% .
Speaker 1Nice , good answer , good answer . Next , good answer , good answer .
Speaker 3Next , what
Upgrade Potential As New Technology Becomes Available?
Speaker 3are the policies and processes for upgrading the solar system technology as the new advancements become available ?
Speaker 1Ooh , is that going to be me ? That's all you , that's all me , perfect . Yeah , we do get this a lot . Some people say call in , like , hey , I don't think my system is producing enough . Like , I know it's working , but my usage has changed or my panels are old , I'm thinking about getting more . I always tell them well , what's the value ? What are we getting ? What are we putting on your roof ? What are the pros and cons to it ? Because , again , I'm sure every company out there would be like , yeah , let's just maximize your roof and throw some panels out there , let's do it . I want to take a look at well , okay , well , how much is your system producing , how much are you using ? And then what's the cost of adding more or replacing your old ones ? And then what's going to happen as far as utility ? Because in certain utilities they have I don't think punishment is the right word repercussions Punchment , well , like if you'll lose your grandfathering .
Speaker 2Oh , okay , like , well , like , if you you'll lose your grandfathering .
Speaker 1Oh so if you , you know , change your system size over one kilowatt , then you lose your previous grandfathering . So there are cases where , like hey , you , you know , you , you got your system a long time ago on this rate plan with this buyback , and if you want to add panels , you're gonna be losing that rate plan . You're forced to be on a new rate plan , which is not as attractive . So then you have to ask yourself am I okay with doing that ? And it's going to be very case-by-case scenario . For example , if your system is only producing 10,000 kilowatt hours but you're only using 11,000 kilowatt hours and you're like I just need that extra 1,000 . It's not really going to be worth it to add a few extra panels and lose your grandfathering , plus the cost of just adding those extra panels . Not worth it . Exactly , I was going to get to that as well . Oh , I'm sorry , I cut your thunder . I was going to get to that , ralph , wait your turn . So whether you're adding one panel or 100 panels , there's still permitting fees , there are still design fees , there's still all these other fees associated to it .
Speaker 1So I always tell people , if you are going to make those major changes , then your usage changes should be dramatic , like , oh , I used to be a snowbird and now I'm not .
Speaker 1Now I live in the home full time and we got an electric car and a hot tub , so our usage almost doubled . Okay then , yes , you , for your situation , situation , it would make sense to maybe get rid of your old panels and upgrade or add new panels and I know you're going to be losing your grandfathering , but the savings is now going to be a little better and actually have a customer that they got their system installed six months ago . That was their situation . They originally got system from us because they were snowbirds and it was fine for them and their situation then , but things changed down the road and then they wanted to add more , so they lost their grandfathering . I originally got a system from us because they were snowbirds and it was fine for them and their situation then , but things changed down the road and then they wanted to add more , so they lost their grandfathering , which was fine because I looked at all the numbers for it and I said , yeah , for you and your situation it would make sense .
Speaker 1But then I've had people that I've had turn away because it just didn't make sense for them . So it depends .
Speaker 2Okay , ralph , you're allowed to talk now . It's a common theme here , right ? Everything we talk about it depends , because everything is it's it's customized to you and your situation , not just your home , but the way you live , the way you use power . Everybody's different . We've said this a million times on the podcast Everybody's different the way you live , the way you use power . So every situation is going to be different . So it's going to always depend . We should see if we get sponsorship from them , from Depends for all the wrong reasons it depends what you got , hannah White .
Speaker 2Let's go with good questions good questions .
Speaker 1Wow , so you're saying that all these people that ask questions weren't good not good enough for me , wow . You're like Mr Wonderful on Shark Tank , it's probably just my mom chiming in with all the questions actually .
Speaker 2I'm surprised your mom's not cursing you out on text .
Speaker 1My mom would never curse , ever . No , she is the most Christian lady ever .
Speaker 3Truly do it now . Catholic , sorry , not Christian .
Speaker 2I'm not touching that . I don't want her to be like .
Speaker 1I'm Catholic . I don't know why I make my mom sound like an old-timey prospector .
Speaker 2I know right , Does she have like a picture ? Why are you ?
Speaker 1like that , oh boy .
Speaker 2Now she's a three-stooge , okay .
Do Solar Panels Compromise Roof Integrity?
Speaker 3Do solar panels compromise the integrity of the roof ?
Speaker 2I mean they talk bad to it .
Speaker 3I don't know if that compromises the integrity .
Speaker 2I mean , again , you're putting weight on your system . So okay , so let's always look at this . So is it compromising the integrity If it's installed correctly ? I would say no If it's installed incorrectly .
Speaker 2I would say absolutely so the way we install . So again , when we install a system , the stanchions , which is , the things that come out of the roof that attach to rail , that then the panels sit on the rail we go into the trusses of the home . So we're not compromising the roof , the plywood , because we're going right into the truss and then we're double flashing it to make sure that it's not going to leak , knock on wood or fake wood , as this would be . Um , so we don't typically compromise the integrity . Now there are people out there that will just drill into the plywood and not seal it the best and , yeah , that's compromising the integrity of your roof . Or they'll put tile hooks . That's compromising the integrity of your roof because those tile hooks might just rip your entire panel , the the stuff off . We've seen that happen . I guess , if I'm understanding this correctly , my answer is , if it's done correctly , no , it depends on the installer . It really does .
Speaker 1Yeah , I guess you can look at the question another way too . Let's say you have a typical home . One side of the roof has panels . The other side of the roof doesn't have panels .
Speaker 2So the home's going to lean .
Speaker 1Yeah , the roof itself is getting beat up by the sun all day . One side of the roof that does not have panels is getting the full exposure to the sun . The other side of the roof that does have panels , the roof itself is not getting the full exposure to the sun because there's modules on top of that . So that part of the roof isn't getting beat up by the sun because the the panels are absorbing all that light and and heat . But again , he doesn't have anything to do with solar panels . Okay , but they the roof itself is underneath the module , so it's not getting beat up . So that's another way to look at it . I mean , you could .
Speaker 2You could do it that way too you're creating like a little vacation shade for your right little shade canopy for your roof .
Speaker 1So again .
Speaker 2You know these are concrete tiles typically and what we're really talking about after , after 20 after 20 years you take off the modules and you look at both .
Speaker 1You know yeah , they're probably there's probably going to be a difference so get as many panels as you can all over your house . If you want to protect your roof , just make a giant shade canopy of solar modules .
Speaker 2Spy it .
Speaker 1I actually had someone who wanted to do that .
Speaker 2I don't doubt it .
Speaker 1They had a house and they wanted to build a house on top of a house .
Speaker 2Know who's installing your stuff , because again , there's people out there that they don't do a very good job and they don't care . So you got to know who you're working with . Sometimes the price is cheap for a reason .
Speaker 3Yeah , right , and then they go bankrupt
How Do I Sell Back Energy Credits?
Speaker 3and moving on .
Speaker 2We don't talk about our former competitors .
Speaker 1do I sell solar energy credits back to the grid like this you go to auction 25 , 45 sold srp for . So each utility has their own export rate . It's a pretty easy answer Export rate , you know . And that export rate is governed by the utility and however they want to do it . So when your system is producing power , that power has to go somewhere . It's going to go to your house first and then anything extra goes to the grid . Well , what happens when it goes to the grid ? The utility company buys it back at that rate , if that utility company has net metering .
Speaker 1Well , there are utilities out there .
Speaker 2I can think of one right off the bat . San Carlos Utility does not have net metering . So if a sales guy comes out to you and you're in that utility and they want to give you this big system , just know that everything that you produce that you're not using , they just take for free .
Speaker 1That's a good comment , because a lot of course it is I made it here we go .
Speaker 1So a lot of people will think like , oh , I'm using 20 000 kilowatt hours , this system's producing 20 000 kilowatt hours , 100 offset , I'm good . Well , if the utility doesn't buy back that extra power . And , as ralph's favorite thing is like to say , the sun doesn't just sit over your house all day , 24-7 , producing except at Ralph's house , of course . The sun doesn't just sit overhead your house producing power of that 20,000 kilowatt hours . So you have to look at it on a daily basis . How is power being used in my home ? How is the solar system producing power ? Where is that power going ? So , yes , you're going to be producing 20,000 kilowatt hours , but not all of that is going to be going into the home . Some of it's going to be going to the grid . What happens when it goes to the grid , if they're not paying you for it or they're paying a very , very low rate do you really want to send that to the ?
Speaker 2grid , just giving it to your neighbor yeah exactly , and they're paying full price for it like hey , guess what ?
Speaker 1I bought all this solar power and I'm going to give it to you for free .
Speaker 2And they're going to pay regular . They're going to pay the high price for it .
Speaker 1They'll pay the high price , but you're helping the utility out . Yeah , good job .
Speaker 2But just remember , if you live in one of those utilities where they don't have net metering probably a good idea to make sure you get a battery too , because at least then you can you can take some of that extended . If I lived in an area like that , I would do a smaller system and I would have a battery . Yeah , I wouldn't want to give power back , but I'd want enough to keep my battery full yeah , which is why we don't really export a whole lot .
Speaker 1Depending on the utility company , you know if you're buying power , if you bought solar power for you know eight cents and you're gonna sell it back to the grid for two cents .
Speaker 2That's why why would you do that , why do you want to overproduce exactly ? So don't overproduce it , it's not . Bigger is not always better . I know you've heard this a million times , ben , a million times , but bigger is not always better . I'll stop going to the weight room then I well you need to hit back there anyway , and that's just a fact . So don't let a salesperson tell you a bigger , bigger , bigger , because that's bigger , bigger , bigger works for them and their commission .
Speaker 1Sure .
Speaker 2It doesn't work for you technically . You got to make sure you understand what that really means for you .
Speaker 1But there are some utility companies where if I'm buying power for $0.08 and I'm selling it back for $0.10 , you're like , oh , srp , it's different . Now I want to export a lot because I'm buying it at a low rate and I'm selling it for a high rate . I'm buying low , selling high . Let's do that , then .
Speaker 2Let's export a lot if you live in srp , you know what the buyback is 2.81 cents exactly good luck 2.81 cents is what they give you for your power that you'll produce .
Speaker 2So when you come to me and say I want a 25k system on my roof and you're going to be overproducing like crazy , why would you want to spend nine cents to get 2.81 cents back ? You're losing , losing money . You are buying high and selling low . Right , that's not good . Yeah , so we've talked about that in many podcasts , but yeah , so just understand your situation .
Speaker 3Next , Next
How Does Shade Impact Solar?
Speaker 3, how does shade from trees or nearby buildings affect the efficiency of solar panels throughout the day and across the season ?
Speaker 2It doesn't ? They work at night . Done Next .
Speaker 1Solar panels day and across the season it doesn't they work at night .
Speaker 3Done next solar panels solar , so okay , but the trees in nearby buildings I know nope , as a former teacher , no question's a bad question .
Speaker 1Yes , there are no no , it's fine .
Speaker 1Um , it's . It's a common question we get because sometimes people do they take a look at their monitoring , be like , hey , it's the middle of the day and I noticed half my panels aren't working . So we go on their monitoring site like , oh yeah , you're right , we look at , you know this , half the system is working . This one isn't automatically . A lot of people think something's wrong , but then we kind of have to go like , well , let's pump the brakes a little bit . Let's look on google maps . Oh yeah , your neighbor has a giant shade tree .
Speaker 1So , as the sun , moves throughout I know , hey , get him a pet beaver get him a pet beaver as the sun ? Um well , not necessarily the sun as the earth rotates and the shadows move um across your you know system yeah it's going to produce less .
Speaker 1It's , you know , just as a cloudy day . It's going to produce less on your , on your system , but it's going to be a temporary thing . Hopefully it's a temporary thing . Being in this industry , you know you drive around town and you do take a look at , you know , other homes . You , I can always , you know , take a look at other homes and go , yeah , um , I guarantee we didn't install that one or this one or that one . Because there's some times where , like , the panels are just installed under a forest and I'm like , you know , these panels work off a light , sunlight , and if the tree is blocking that sunlight , your panels are not producing . So you shouldn't have a whole lot of shade issues . Um , when you're looking at going solar , it should be a shade free environment we're lucky in arizona because we don't have a lot of shade .
Speaker 2There are neighborhoods and areas , like Arcadia , that have a lot of shade , but for the most part not a big issue here . Where it's a big issue is back east in the Midwest .
Speaker 2You see tons of trees . This brings up a really good point . So in Arizona especially , people hear the word string inverter and they go oh my gosh , I can't get a string inverter because I have to get a micro inverter because I want it on every panel in case they're shade . If you don't have a shading issue which we've determined , like 92% of the people don't have a shading issue a micro inverter is not necessary and you're paying too much for something you don't need . You can easily put a Tesla liquid cooled inverter in your garage and get way more efficiency and benefit out of that than you would out of a microinverter yeah so , again , understand how shade impacts it , what kind of shade you have , if any .
Speaker 2If you don't have shade , you don't need to overkill and pay more money for things that are not going to help you right , if you have partial shading on your roof , well then , maybe don't get a straight string inverter , so or ? Maybe we do the panels a different way to where they're not hitting the shade yeah , there's ways around it , right , and it's not going to be that bad .
Speaker 2So sales people always want to sell the easiest thing . A micro inverter is easy to sell because it's a micro inverter , it's one per panel , it's this and that , and you can have panel level monitoring , because everyone's going to sit there and monitor all their panels . Of course you are . I do so .
Speaker 3Yeah , well you're , you're a freak on the system that you don't have I don't , I never said my , I said I do ? She made a great point .
Speaker 1I didn't say who invited her .
Speaker 2I do monitor other people's systems , I think we're going to have her on our podcast from now on . Like Ralph , we should just have her on , so she can keep you honest . No .
Speaker 1If she's on , then I'm off .
Speaker 3Wow , why can't you miss everything ? Your new co host ? That's fine .
How Does Solar Impact Property Value?
Speaker 3Anyway , I'll be in charge of marketing Next . Okay , well , we can't have that . How will adding solar panels affect my property value and homeowners insurance premiums ?
Speaker 2A million-dollar increase , millions and millions of dollars .
Speaker 1Well , it depends . So property value is going to be in my opinion . I know there's probably data out there that proves like , oh , it's increased your value by X amount . But I always look at it as what's the marketable value of the solar system ? Because there's benefits of having solar just because of the grandfathering alone . Like , hey , you got solar back when net metering was a thing with APS and now you're on this really low rate and the buyback is incredibly high . You're grandfathered into that . So when I'm showing you people utility bills , I'm like , hey , this is what they were paying beforehand with solar . There's that aspect .
Speaker 1And then just having it already installed , already done , everything already taken care of and hopefully maybe it's already paid off , things like that . You have that automatic built-in value of the home . So how do you put a dollar value on just the peace of mind of that aspect I don't know . But as far as the actual dollar amount , I'm sure Ralph knows .
Speaker 2There's data out there I mean I can't give you the exact numbers there is data out there that shows and proves that homes with solar sell faster in the state of Arizona and they sell for more . I mean . So that data is completely out there . You can find it on the internet . Go look , go research it . There is a dollar value to it . Um , there used to not be 10 , 12 years ago because , um , the people that evaluate your homes , that come out and look at homes , would not , did not understand solar and they didn't put a value to it . They do now , as they've understand it , and then the industry has gotten smarter about solar . They've actually been able to put a dollar value to it now . So there is a number out there . I think it's different in every area and every state . You just need to go and look it up in your head .
Speaker 1Yeah , I wouldn't expect it to be something to be like oh , I put a $50,000 system on my home . So therefore , now I can increase the value of my home by $50,000 . No , that's not how it works .
Speaker 2Right , and you know , think about it . If I was selling my home , the first thing I would do you know , as I could do the open houses and stuff I would put my bill , my electrical bills , on the counter and say , here's my bills , and you can see However comma yeah . However , I know it's tailored to me show them .
Speaker 1I went to a couple homes like that . I was like that's , that's their bill , but it's still impressive to see that .
Speaker 2Hey right this is how it works . You can see where I'm getting credits .
Speaker 1You can see how I'm saving money yeah , when I was looking at homes I just I liked looking at those bills because I just want to see what rate plan they were on . I was like that's cool that they that's what they were paying . But we're , oh they're on that rate plan . And now you got my attention so we have four minutes left . Oh , wow Time flies .
Speaker 2How many more questions do you have ? One Last question . This is great timing . We planned it , we planned it like that . Last question yes , Ben is available .
Speaker 3What .
Speaker 2Well , you know , I rent you out . Ben is available to answer the question . There you go , you're rentable . Let's be specific about this oh , I was talking , you're rentable , I'm rentable .
Speaker 3The question is if all
Why Is Harmon Solar Better Than Others?
Speaker 3of the solar companies in the Valley are using the same equipment , or at least like the same level of equipment , why is Harman Solar one of the better companies ?
Speaker 2Ask the customers of the three companies that just went out of business why we're better .
Speaker 3Yeah , everyone says everyone says but they're asking us , so then Everyone says we have the best equipment .
Speaker 1The best equipment . No company's out there going to be like we have mediocre equipment .
Speaker 2It's all the same stuff .
Speaker 1It's all the same stuff . We can get all the same things . We all get them from the same supplier . This is what you're looking for .
Speaker 2You're looking for this . Number one you want the company to be around so they can honor the warranties they're giving you outside of the manufacturer . We talked about that in this podcast in the beginning . Number two it's how do they install the equipment Right ?
Speaker 2A lot of companies cut corners and do things the easiest , most cheapest way because that's how they make the most money . We have the knock that we cost a little more because we don't do it the easiest , cheapest way . We do it the right way . So that's where we differentiate ourselves from the , from the competition . We want to do it the right way . So that's where we differentiate ourselves from the competition . We want to do it the right way the first time because we don't want to have to go back and deal with it , because you're our customer for the next 25 years , so we have to make sure it's done right and we're here to service you during that period of time , because things will break and we know that and we'll be here for you , unlike some other companies that are no longer around . And we're going to install it right the first time because we don't want to have to deal with all the issues that come with poor workmanship . Our workmanship warranty is 25 years Again we've been around since 1975 or so .
Speaker 2I mean we're not going anywhere , so we're a little bit longer than our warranties . Other companies come and go , stay five years and leave . Give you a million year warranty infinity warranty , we call it . It's a big infinity warranty , but they're not in business anymore .
Speaker 1Yeah , I also tell people to look at just the financials of the company itself , harman solar . We don't just do residential solar , we have commercial solar , commercial electric , ev , we have service . We have a lot of different revenue streams . So you know if something were to happen with the residential solar market , you know , and the company has sure , which you know .
Speaker 1If you're looking at your company that you that you want to go with , and they only do residential solar , you got to ask yourself , well , what if something happens and that aspect now gets taken out ? Is that company gonna be around ? Probably not , but Harmon , we're so diversified with a lot of different things that we do that if one part of the industry , kind of you know , gets into a funk , we're still okay because we have all those other revenue streams . That's why we've been around since the 70s , because we've seen the ups and downs of the economy .
Speaker 2As tough as the last few years have been . We're pretty good , we're still here , we're not having any issues , we are thriving , our business is thriving right now in so many areas and we right now in so many areas , and we will continue to thrive . So there you go . That's a differentiator . We're not just a residential solar business as well .
Speaker 3yeah , that's it , that was our last question that's it all right we are 30 seconds over we are 30 seconds over .
Speaker 2It's 3 30 . We said we would end this at 3 30 . We also said we started at 2 . We didn't started at 2 0 7 , I blame Ben 100% that's because I wasn't fed that's .
Speaker 1There was no food here . I come here for food and there was nothing .
Speaker 2All right . Well , we hope we answered your questions . Thank , you . And we did answer a lot of questions . I hope we answered your questions . We did answer them .
Speaker 1We answered a lot of questions , but it was good stuff .
Speaker 2We'll have a replay available , and we had some people come in and go out as we were doing this . We never , so it's you know . Again , people watch this on replay . That's where it's all going to be . Thanks , mom . Your son's all right , he's okay . All right , he's well , he's you know Anyway . Cut the feed . Thanks for joining us and we'll see you again next time . We're going to start doing some more podcasts . Put more content .
