News > Julie – Washington, D.C.

Julie – Washington, D.C.

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June 27, 2024

What got you interested in solar?

My interest comes from a couple of perspectives. One is the environmental impact and just having some source of power that is not fossil fuel related is really appealing to me. And also the option to potentially save some money too. But it’s just the idea of being more sustainable. There seems to be at the individual level, arguably some things that are in our control and some things that we don’t have control over so this seems like one kind of small thing that maybe I could do that would you know potentially be a You know an individual contribution to sustainable community. 

How did you find out about Solar United Neighbors & Solar Switch?

I had done, what I feel like, quite a bit of research. I was looking online at Reddit, which has a pretty good group, and I had gotten estimates from about four companies on my own. Then I was talking to a friend of mine, and she said I needed to do the co-op. I didn’t really know anything about it then, but later I was really glad I applied for Solar Switch and I went through the process. 

How was your experience with Solar Switch? Was there a part of the program you found particularly beneficial?

I do appreciate that you guys are super responsive and helpful. That’s really nice because sometimes it’s overwhelming. The customer service and responsiveness has been really nice to have. That support and knowing that there are resources and questions that can be answered has been great. Knowing that you guys have expertise and that you are a nonpartisan, objective intermediary is helpful. It feels like a bit of consumer protection. I don’t know what the right word is, but it feels like someone’s got your back in this process. For me, I decided to purchase, and it’s not a small amount of cash, so I wanted some help. You guys did the webinars, which were also helpful to me. I will recommend those; I think they are a good part of your curriculum. 

Do you have any recommendations on what we can do better in the future? Any feedback on your installers?

I think you guys are great. I think you could share more about what benefits are available for people who are leasing. There are people that don’t realize the financial calculation of owning their own panels and if they’re able to afford them, so educating people about that would be helpful. 

My installers were great. I don’t have any complaints. They were with me the whole time, and their maintenance has been really solid so far. I had a minor issue with a breaker being off, and they were on it immediately, so I didn’t even know it was an issue.