Getting In The House
(at the door) So what's the program?
In order to know the program, I'll have to submit in page 3 of your electric bill and ask a few questions about your home to verify what you qualify for. From there, we'll be able to see if there's a program.
How many panels am I getting?
You are getting enough panels to give you 20% more electricity than what you are currently using. The engineers will have the exact number after the inspection is done.
I don’t want the panels to damage my roof
There is a 25 year warranty on your roof if you end up qualifying. The inspectors are very
strict on what they approve, and when they do it, it’s professionally mounted to code and
permitted by the city.
What does "PV" stand for?
Photovoltaic
How many panels am I getting?
You are getting enough panels to give you 20% more electricity than what you are currently using, and the engineers will have the exact number after the inspection is done.
Are you with LADWP?
Green Power Network. All the programs are approved by the LADWP, and that's how they're able to reflect on your bill.
(we work along side all major utility companies, but we are a private company)
The term is too long, I don’t want to pay it off for 25 years
How long have you been with dwp for? Do you think that DWP will end at any time in the next 25 years? The good thing about the program is that at least it has an end date, whereas DWP is paid for life.
What does the lightreach production guarantee mean?
They are guaranteeing that you are getting that 110- 120% offset that we talked about earlier. If, for whatever reason, they don't give you what they promised, you will be credited back what you are billed from lightreach.
What's the difference between a microinverter and a string inverter?
A mircroinverter maximizes the efficiency of your system by giving you a brain under each panel, instead of one brain for the whole system.
My neighbors said they are getting 2 bills
Did they get it through a program? So the reason that someone would get 2 bills is because they are using more electricity than what their system is producing. So, if you go through a sales coompany that just wants to slap panels on your roof, that is something that can happen as they probably didn't do a proper inspection. Going through a county-approved program, they have specific check boxes that they have to hit in order to approve you.
What does Green Power Network do?
Green Power Network is a program facilitation company that verifies if you are being impacted on your electric bill, and if you are, there are a few different programs that you may be eligible to qualify for. As of right now there are 13.
My neighbors said they are getting 2 bills with solar. How can you guys make sure this doesn't happen here?
So if you go through a sales company that just wants to slap panels on your roof, that is something that can happen as they probably didn’t do a proper inspection. Going through a county-approved program, they have specific check boxes that they have to hit in order to approve you (120% offset).
How do you go over the CPUC in Edison?
These first few pages are going be a guide from the utility company giving you basic info on different solar programs. These are going to be the colorful pages. The actual agreement starts on the black and white pages on page 25. (just make it not a big deal)
What is "net metering"
Selling excess solar electricity back to the grid
Can I pay cash?
I looked at your reviews and they're all for the solars. I thought you guys said this isn't solars?
AHH I see so that is one of the bigger programs. Typically people get really excited when they get qualified for that one, excited enough to leave a review. Most people that get the other programs like a box of lightbulbs aren't excited enough to leave a review. (laugh) It's actually the hardest one to qualify for.
Can I do an inspection and then sign after?
So no. We need to make sure that a couple things are in order. First, that you have fully qualified for the funding and that the package is complete. Second, we need to make sure that the guy that is going on your roof is covered under liability insurance and workers comp. God forbid the guy slips and falls off your roof during the inspection, we need to make sure that they and you are fully covered.
How would you explain total of all payments on a PPA with $150 payment and a monthly escalator of 2.9%?
This is going to be your total of all payments over the full term. Your first year your payment is $150, with a 2.9% escalator. Next year your payment will be $154, then $158, and eventually on year 25, $306, totaling $65k. This is much less than the $150k you would've paid to LADWP, with a DWP payment being much more at that time. Does this make sense?
Which tax credit will still be guaranteed through 2027?
Commercial Investment Tax Credit
(the tax credit that allows businesses like Lightreach to still offer PPAs)
What separates you from other solar companies?
Because we are not a sales organization we can't just come and slap the panels on your roof. Your house actually needs to qualify through a few different things. All of these programs are county-approved, and they have specific check boxes that they have to hit in order to approve you. They need to make sure you get 20% more electricity than you currently use and your house can qualify.
If these programs are "free", how does your company profit?
I'm paid hourly, but because they are county-approved, each program gets funded differently based on what you do qualify for and the kickbacks available.
My friend said he got solar for $15K, but this loan is $40K. Why is yours so much more expensive?
Understand that it is an unfair comparison because there are so many things that can make your house different from theirs. Every house is like a THUMBPRINT, they are all different. How many people living, how many ACs, how old is the AC, what temperature do they keep the house, etc...
A homeowner is hesitant to put in their bank information with lightreach. What do you do?
This is in place in order to protect you. They don't want you to miss your first payment, which starts only after your system is turned on. This is an unknown date at the moment, so you want to make sure you don't miss the first payment and affect your credit. After the first payment, you can take off autopay if you would like.
How does solar work?
It converts sunlight into electricity
I'm going to wait for solar to get cheaper
It follows the trend of the utility company. The goal of it is to save you about 20% on your bill, so as utility rates go up, it follows the path. It has been around for over 25 years and there hasn't been one year in that standing where it has gone down in price. All of the evidence points that it is going to get more expensive.