If you are installing solar on your home or in your yard this spring, Cherryland needs your help to avoid a problem this fall. Every year, we see members giddy with excitement about saving the earth, reducing energy bills, or both. Every year, we see these members upset that their solar arrays didn’t produce as promised and the savings are not close to making the payments on the investment. This is when the member gets upset at Cherryland even though we neither sell the product nor did they seek our opinion. We are just the only one they can find who will listen to their complaints.
When a member deals with a local installer with a history and reputation in the solar business, the member never gets upset with Cherryland. Sadly, we have out-of-the-area companies and installers who make the rounds every spring. They promise the moon and stars, while covering their backsides inside the 30-some-page documents that the excited member barely reads, in a rush to some vision of perceived neighborhood green leadership.
So, if you find yourself holding a contract with a salesperson working hard for your signature, there are a few things we need from you to avoid the uncomfortable call this fall. First, double-check the cost and savings numbers. Ask another installer or call Cherryland before signing. You can also plug in the specs at pvwatts.nrel.gov and do it yourself.
Second, ask if they are using Cherryland’s actual rates and your actual usage. Our kWh rate is 11.91 cents, and your usage is on the SmartHub app on your phone or available through a quick call to the office. Don’t let them tell you the 11.91 cents applies to the energy you put on the grid, because it doesn’t. It only applies to the energy saved inside your home. The energy you put on the grid is less than half of the 11.91 cents (the reason for this could make up a whole other column).
Third, make sure they will point the panels to the south. If you have a roof that faces the west with no obstructions, it may seem like an easy thing to toss some panels up there. If you do, the output per panel will be at least 14% less than that of south-facing panels. This will have a dramatic effect on your results.
Fourth, if the installer/salesperson/contractor doesn’t have a local address, good references, and a service center within 50 or 100 miles, please think twice. Our region has many reputable solar dealers and installers who are trusted and respected. If you purchase from a company outside our region and sometimes even our state, please take no offense when I refer back to this column during our October call. We can’t help you in the fall if you don’t let us help you in the spring.
Finally (I’m begging now), get multiple bids. A solar array will likely be thousands of dollars and tens of thousands in some cases. Do. Your. Homework. We are fortunate to live in a region where this is very easy to do. The hard part is asking your co-op to fix your decision months after the fact. We just can’t.
Last year, Cherryland kept the lights on 99.987% of the time. Today, we have a power supply portfolio that is over 60% carbon free. Every member at Cherryland is already a green leader using a reliable source. You could just send the fly-by-night solar salesperson down the road, knowing you are already saving money and the environment (without talking to me in the fall).
Excellent article Tony! Thank you for its content and so timely!
Very helpful article Tony. Your comments here I will refer to when speaking with any solar sales rep. Super informative points raised.
Does Cherryland have a solar program for customers to join ?
We have engineer friends in Rochester Hills with less sun than us and they are pleased with their program.
Their program had no upfront costs, just an agreement that they will always use the system for their home’s energy needs.
We have a wonderful shade free southern exposure and would like to stay members if we can.
You can contact Energy Use Advisor Tammy Squires at 231-486-9200. She can give you all the solar options we have. You can also find information on solar programs at our website http://www.Cherrylandelectric.coop.
Great article – thank you for thinking ahead for us.
Having the ability to remove the snow from the solar panels is important for me. Ground based panels is the best if there is room. A squeegee works great.
Outstanding article and thank you! Last year, my sister asked me to join her in a meeting regarding solar panels. One of these outside of the area vendors was proposing solar for her small farm. It sounded terrific. As an IT Engineer for over 25 years she wanted my opinion even though I deal in computers not solar, other than I have a 100 watt portable panel I take camping with me :). The sales pitch sounded great! He had a model on his laptop, brought up all kinds of info on Cherryland, showed how it would work, had animated graphics, etc. I asked him questions (the only one I knew about Solar) if they were Mono vs. Poly panels (I have whatever one is less efficient and cheaper, again just for camping). He answered that instantly, told me how they were built. I was really impressed. Really a pleasant guy, etc. Well…….. Deposit made, nothing had happened yet and my sister received a call from Cherryland with the dreaded “Um… this might not be what you think you bought.” The great part… Cherryland, might have been Tammy? helped my sister get out of the contract, spent a ton of time on it, even though it wasn’t Cherryland’s fault or job. Great job Cherryland! My sister still got stuck with a $1,000 cancellation fee or something, not sure how that worked out. So, you are spot on, lots of great local installers who know their stuff. Stick with the local and give the Coop a call first. 🙂
Yes, as the sun hours decrease in the fall, new solar customers are often disappointed. Less hours of sunlight, lower angle of the sun in the sky, lake effect clouds and snow, all lead to lower levels of production during November – February. And solar user will see little, if any, reduction in their electric bill. But MARCH is here. I get some of my best production in March! The cooler temperature with clear sunny skies, increasing hours of daylight, and as the sun appears higher in the sky, solar production will be greatly augmented! Depending on the size of your system and your summer usage, your production may be greater than your Kilowatt usage. The credits from Cherryland on your bill maybe enough to make you giddy. 🙂 I have a 12 panel ground mount system at my home and own a few panels in the Cherryland Solar Garden. Thank you Cherryland.
Very sound advice in this column, thank you Tony. I am one who has been considering solar panels. I will definitely include Cherryland in my decision making process.
I bought two solar panels from Cherryland Electric at your solar field. I didn’t do it to save money. I did it to say I’m interested, even in a little way, to get green energy in our area. As alternative energy becomes more widely available and cheaper more people will be interested in this energy source. I think it’s in Cherryland’s interest to become more involved in this area ( possibly installing panels on homes and businesses and owning and maintaining them?) so that people don’t go off the grid. This is a win win. People can help with the environment in a less expensive way and it will bring jobs to the local community.
Solar panels would be an option if Cherryland didn’t keep the lights on 99.987% of the time. What is the point of those with this quality of service. Just ask Texas how green energy works for them?
Cherryland Electric is a (BASA) Buy all Sell all company. Net Billing. Any time your Solar Panels produce more power than your house is using and your Battery is full, the meter sends the power back to Cherryland. Cherryland gives you $0.065 per Kwh above 20kwh
and $0.056 per Kwh Credit. Your actual electric bill should be used when ever a Solar company is building you a proposal. They should never build you a system too big. People don’t go Solar to save money. They buy Solar to have back up power and have Energy independence. Going Green and being self reliant is a beautiful thing.
Thats exactly the way Kermit the frog feels also.
Thanks for this great article, Tony. My wife and I decided last spring to go solar with net metering, but I didn’t trust the out of state companies and the only company I found near me never responded to my inquiries. I live in eastern Benzie county. I just searched the internet and see that more local companies are shown, but one has poor reviews and the others have no reviews.
Can you provide a list of installers in Benzie, Leelanau, and Grand Traverse counties that CEC members have used and been happy with?
Roger, We will get something posted later today. – Tony
Hi Roger – there are several good solar installers in our area. Here are a few that our members have had a good experience with:
CBS Solar 231-378-2936
Harvest Energy 877-788-0220
Peninsula Solar 906-235-0340
If you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Tony – We know we’ll need a new roof in the next year or two and we started to look at Tesla’s new solar roofing system. Clearly, I’d call you well ahead of time. Are you familiar with their system?
I am not familiar with the Tesla roof system. I will do some checking and circle back. Stay tuned. – Tony