News > Michael’s Solar Switch Story in Virginia

Michael’s Solar Switch Story in Virginia

• Stories

August 29, 2024

Solar United Neighbors recently sat down with Michael in Arlington, VA who went solar through Solar Switch. Read on below to learn more about Michael’s experience.

This Solar Story is transcribed from a live interview.

Why did you decide to go solar? 

Ashley and I decided to go solar primarily for environmental reasons. With climate change being a pressing issue, we wanted to make more sustainable choices in our lives, including how we source our energy. Solar energy is a clean and renewable resource, so it was a natural fit for our commitment to reducing our environmental impact.

The other reason was the option over time to potentially lower our electricity or utility bills. Obviously, that’s not going to come right away. It’s a big upfront investment to go solar, but over the long term, there can be financial benefits in doing so.

And then not really a primary motivator, but also of note is we had just heard or read that adding solar can actually increase the value of your home on average by about 4%. So again, not why we did it, but kind of a nice potential benefit of going solar. 

How did you find out about Solar Switch? 

We learned about the solar co-op model and Solar United Neighbors (SUN) first from our neighborhood. We have several homes in our neighborhood that have gone solar, and I’ve seen the solar panels. I’ve seen the yard signs in maybe one or two yards, so that sparked an interest in us about solar, and the signs pointed to a co-op model, which previously we were unfamiliar with. I reached out to a neighbor to inquire about information, and they mentioned going through a co -op, and from there I learned about the organization of SUN. 

I contacted some folks at SUN to learn more about the process and the commitment and the timeline. That was probably a couple of years before we actually went solar. We were just kind of exploring the process, but it wasn’t the right time for us until a few years later.  So I contacted SUN again, and they pointed me to this upcoming Solar Switch program.

Was there anything that surprised you about the process of going solar?

I expected that by going through this program the process may be on a longer timeline than if I just went on my own as an individual to find an installer and get going. What surprised me was the amount of project management that I had to do in the process, like finalizing the plans, getting them approved, and getting the final thing set up. It was more of a time commitment than I expected, but the results have been very positive and pleasant. 

We are exceeding the forecasted production of solar month over month. We’ve had solar on our roof now for seven months, and six of those months, we have exceeded what we expected to generate in that month. I think since turning on our system, we are about 30 % ahead of where we even thought we would be in terms of production, which, of course, translates into no energy bills for us over that time frame. So, that’s been really a pleasant surprise. After our first bill, all of our bills have been “$0.” Really, we pay $7.58, which is the connection fee you have to pay, so you can’t get around that. 

What advice would you give to someone who is considering going solar?

I think having patience for the process is important, and also being clear on your motivations for wanting to do it. Is it financially driven? Is it environmentally driven? Is it to increase your home value? Is it something else? Being really clear with yourself about what the motivation is is important because if it’s financially motivated, then you need to know that it’s going to be a while before you’re going to see that payoff. When considering a solar system, it’s important to evaluate whether battery storage is a worthwhile investment. In Virginia, due to net metering regulations, the cost of adding battery storage might not justify the potential benefits. It’s essential to carefully consider your specific needs and financial situation before making a decision about battery storage.

Is there anything about the process that you think, you know, could be improved?

One sticking point in our installation process was obtaining the certificate of interconnection. It took much longer than expected and also required a portion of my time to get done. The problem was that our utility company, Dominion, took much longer than anticipated to approve our application, despite the legal requirement of 30 days.

Our installer actually advised us to contact our local political representatives to expedite the process. I was certainly surprised that I had to put pressure on Dominion to get this done because we know that installing solar on our home is such a beneficial project for the community, and we thought it would be promptly approved. It’s clear that there’s room for improvement in the interconnection process.

Was there a part of the Solar Switch program that you really liked or that worked really well? 

The communication that I had from the Solar Switch team was generally very clear. They had tons of FAQs that answered probably most of the questions that I would have had. They were also very responsive when I had additional questions or concerns. 

Is there anything else that you would like to share? 

While there were some bumps in the road, we’re super happy that we’ve gone solar. It’s great to see the system working as well, if not better than expected. For us, the knowledge that we’re pulling from a clean energy source gives us peace of mind.