Step Four: Finding Panels and Getting it Done

If you've been following along, you know this takes a lot of thinking, calculating, comparing, etc. Well, once you recognized the possibility, set your goals, and found that it's possible and economically feasible, the real work begins. You've got some shopping to do. You can get competitive quotes for just about every element of the deal, so make sure to check out all of you options.

Our search for options started with a Google search. We found these sites-

http://www.apowersolutions.com/
http://www.txses.org/solar/
http://www.txspc.com/services-and-pricing.html
http://www.suncityenergy.com/about-us/north-texas-showroom/
http://www.sre3.com/

Fortunately and unfortunately, buying a solar array is more like buying a car than a fast-food burger. The same car might cost you thousands less if you go to the right dealer, whereas a What'a'burger costs the same, no matter which location you buy it from. Not to mention how easy it is to compare costs. You know how much it costs compared to a Whopper, Big Mac, or Hunger Buster. Jeeze, can you tell what I'm thinking about. But I digress... What this means is that it takes a lot of time and effort to get the best deal, but it's worth it. It would be stupid to walk into a car dealership and say, "I really want that one, let's do it."

We decided to get two competitive quotes, and thankfully they came to us. APS and Standard Renewable Energy were the companies we wanted to talk to. Right off the bat, we had a positive impression of APS. They got back with us very promptly, and we had a meeting scheduled within a week. We didn't hear back from SRE for about a month.

While waiting for our appointment, we worked hard to educate ourselves on prices, brands, options and industry standards.

We used these websites to bone up:

http://www.solarhome.org/
http://www.affordable-solar.com/
http://www.google.com/products

Most importantly, we learned that we didn't want to try installing it ourselves! Picking a company that would install and sell became a priority. Both APS and SRE will install.

APS's approach seemed to rely on customer education, flexibility, and a real desire to understand our needs as the customers. Jimmy, the APS sales person, was helpful and humble. We never felt like we were asking too many questions. He seemed just as committed to the project as we were and we hadn't even agreed to buy anything. He never applied any pressure, only answers and options. By the time our appointment was through, our initial impression was reinforced. APS had an edge. Jimmy couldn't give us the price we needed to move forward on site, but he promised to make an effort back at the office. He really seemed genuinely committed to helping us get it done. After some time passed, APS worked with us until we found a price that would at least work well enough to try and find other ways to save, like financing. Be we covered that thoroughly in an earlier post.

A couple weeks later, SRE showed up. Their late arrival was already a bit of a bad start. Then they started bad mouthing the competition. It wasn't going well. They did offer some positive points: They are a large and established company, have very experienced installers, promise to be around for a long time, and have completed some very large projects in Houston. Their sales approach was very high pressure, though. I remember continuously telling the sales person that price was my number one priority, because without affordability, I couldn't do anything. I also told him that I had a very favorable impression of APS, despite his opinion of them. I had to point out that he was also about a month late getting to the table. He made offers that would have saved me money, but it just wasn't enough for me to back out on APS. He really leaned on me to get a number that he could take back to his boss. I told him I would need SRE's quote to come in under $4.50 per per Watt for him to have a shot. He kept saying, "So If I can get it done at $4.50 is it a done deal?" I had to remind him time and time again that I valued APS, and that I would give them a chance to react. He persisted to the point of annoyance. "Look," I finally said, "I've been working with APS for nearly a month now, and I'm not going to just bail on them without giving them a shot." He got the picture, and left promising to push the $4.50 up the chain, but adding, "They're not going to like that it's not a deal closer."

He never called back...

Jimmy did. He came to the table at a very reasonable rate that was negotiated with little pressure or wrangling. We inked it with APS, and got the deal rolling.

We already had an interest rate lined up thanks to SACU, who was the best bank to work with. The local banks and national chains couldn't even sniff the deal they gave us. But beyond that, Greg and Eloise, at SACU, were instrumental in helping us make the numbers work and getting it done. It's a lot easier to shop for a loan, and the tools are easy to find on the internet. Having said that, we didn't find SACU through the web, but rather through APS.

So we had a bank and we had a seller/installer. All that was left to do was to keep everyone on the same page.

As you may have seen in the previous post, we ran into some trouble with the HOA, but it worked out. They just wanted to make sure it was a clean, black on black install that didn't have wires or conduit everywhere, and that you couldn't see under from the street.

The approval took longer than expected, and I would encourage you to give that part of the process 15 to 30 days. We had to reschedule closings with SACU and APS twice thanks to the HOA process, but it got done.

All in all it was a stressful, but worthwhile endeavor. One that you shouldn't be intimidated by. I hope this blog, in some way, makes it easier for you if you give it a shot. It is possible for the average family to do this if the conditions are right. We believe the conditions that exist right now, are making it right for a lot of folks. They just don't know it.

Next, we'll share our installation experience and show the finished product. But first, a little tease... Our meter hauling in reverse!

A surprise twist (or two)!

We knew going in that this was going to be a difficult process, but we faced resistance from an unexpected place: the home owners association.

The meeting did not go as well as we'd hoped. We met with three members of the board one evening to request approval. Approvals for easy stuff, like mending fences, painting your house with an approved color and the like, can be granted on the spot. We were hoping to get such an approval. After all, in our case the panels will be mounted flat to the southern side of our roof, and would be no more of an eyesore than a satellite dish. Of course, that's a matter of opinion.

The board was kind and gracious, but had obvious concerns about setting precedents with quick approvals. They asked several times if the system would be visible from the street. Without doubt, folks driving north on our street will see the panels. We disclosed that yes, they would be visible from one side of the home. This appeared to be unacceptable to one board member who made facial expressions that couldn't be missed. We reassured them that the panels would be flat on the roof, black on black, and mounted very close to one another in an orderly and attractive way.

The next concern was how far away from the roof they would be. Apparently, the closer the better. Next, "would there be any exposed wiring or conduit" (an appropriate concern for sure). No, there will not be. "How about the pitch of your roof? Is it flat so they are less visible?" No, The roof is rather steep, which makes it perfect for the panels, but more visible. "Could you put the panels in the back?" I would not be able to afford the expense of rigging the panels to face south if we were going to mount them on the east facing part of our roof (in the back). Plus, mounting them in the rear would mean we couldn't mount them flush to the roof.

This went on for some time. One board member, who may have been sympathetic, said, "Well, what about the other home we approved for panels on the side?" This was the bone we needed! If they'd approved panels before, how could they say no to us? The answer came from the more apprehensive member, "Well, that house had a much flatter roof, and it was a two story home."

I really couldn't believe that this wasn't just a formality. Could they really keep me from installing panels? I hoped I wouldn't find out, but it sure seemed like they were certain about their power. Jeff from the company rep chimed in, "Here are some pictures of our previous installations, and as you can see, they are very flat to the roof." He also seemed surprised, and it appeared like he was really trying to jump in a provide some reassurance to the board.

After more questioning from them and re-assurance from us, they began to politely shoo us off. Before standing to leave, I reiterated how important this was to my family, and shared why we we're trying to do this. Two of them seemed to care, but the other had his 'so what' face on.

Jeff talked with me for about 20 minutes outside, telling about some laws in Texas that may prevent HOA's from standing between home owners and solar in the future. We say, the sooner the better.

We were frustrated. After wrangling up a loan, listening to some very smooth sales people, and crunching numbers like crazy to make it work, it really was going to come down to the decision of a Home Owners Board.

Our hackles were up and we were getting ready for a fight. In our previous neighborhood, we'd been to war with our HOA over painting the front door, but that seemed like nothing compared to this. If we'd done what we could to make sure it was a good thing for our home without disturbing the aesthetics of the neighborhood, how could they say no?

Long story short: they didn't say no! It was approved with stipulations. The panels have to be very close to the roof, and baffles must be installed to prevent folks from seeing between the panels and the roof.

With all the insanity we see from those with power these days, it was nice to see some pragmatic thinking.

We had a mini-celebration... The coming Tuesday we were supposed to close. Remember that the refinancing of our second loan is a very important part of making this work from a numbers perspective. On Monday evening, the bank called and said that they couldn't do it. They said they couldn't see the second loan on our title. Turns out, there was a paperwork error when we refinanced our first mortgage. We were stressed again?

Could it be fixed? Was this what was going to deep six everything we'd been through? Nope. VantagePoint did our first refinance. The second we made them aware of the problem, they sprang into action. As of today, they claim everything is now corrected. We're just waiting on the bank's Lawyers and the new title company to give us the OK to schedule another closing.

We'll keep you posted!