Office location: 3302 Canal Street Suite 21, Houston TX, 77003
05/21/2022
Mike Green
Sugar Land, TX
My Solar System 6 months In After the Freeze last February, I was desperate to find a solution for our electrical outages in the Texas Grid. The problem was I live in all electric neighborhood, with strict deed restrictions. This eliminated a generator and made solar the most viable option. The problem occurred when looking for the best installation option. If you’re looking at solar, you have probably discovered there is no limit, to the companies that will slap panels on your roof and be gone tomorrow. It is incredibly complex process, that needs a team of knowledgeable individuals. There are city permits, homeowner association approvals, and most all feasibility measurements. What I wanted was an experienced company, with specialist in critical areas, and a credible relationship with all of their vendors. I found this in Astrawatt Solar. Astrawatt Solar took measurements of the Sun on my roof and used a software program to compute the potential Solar output from my roof. I really admired the fact, that Astrawatt would not sell a system that could not produce adequate solar energy. The most remarkable thing was that the owner of the Houston site, and the owner of the company took a personal interest in my installation. They were incredibly concerned that I have power in case of an outage. They really wanted me to be able to get an adequate battery set up and have the Solar power to run it during outages. Systems are designed to fit the greatest needs of their customers. They bent over backwards to make sure 2 5KW batteries were affordable to give me a more than adequate backup system. For less than the price of a generator, and none of the maintenance cost, I have enough reserve energy to power my house for days of outage. It was so nice to have them explain which panels they would use and why, and which batteries would work best for me. The best part of this process was that they explained all my choices, and what costs would be involved. The results is I have a beast of a system that has great production, and I have an incredible back up system for a power outage. I chose to get a Lumin panel that will allow me to control my usage during a power outage, and get the most from my available power. I not only got these things but the software and training to use them to their maximum potential. Let us talk about why I really like my decision to go with Astrawatt. After the installation one of the panels was bad. There speed of repair was amazing. I was included in an email to the vendor and kept apprised of each step to get my panel in and installed. The new panel was installed and working before my system was commissioned. Before leaving after commissioning, I was given a laminated troubleshooting sheet and a phone number to contact in case of any problems. The system has been working for 6 months now, and they always respond promptly to my questions. We also hit a major snag when my old electrical box did not meet current code. This was an endearing moment when they offered to replace the box at close to their cost. I know this because I researched what another electrical company would charge to replace it. My bid was less than 60% of the other companies price. You don’t get this kind of service unless you have a local connection with a true investment in the community. The last thing that impressed me was each one of the companies that had to give approval, had a representative that the project manager was on a first name basis with. Needless to say, I got a high quality install, with the security I need and a 3.5% to 5% return on my capital investment. The bonus of having advice on how to tweak the system to get remarkable preparedness for coming power failures. What most people are curious about would be how does the beast work in Houston climate. I was commissioned on November 2, which could not be a worse scenario, for a Houston home. My first bill was $8.00 followed by $85.00 and $158.00. What I was seeing was I got into the shortest days of the days and the inefficiency of electric heat. Starting in March the bills were -$0.89 and $9.05. Currently I am using between 15 and 20KW from the grid and exporting between 25 and 30kw a day. The summer months will definitely give more than enough surplus to pay for the winter. This is the most important part, if we get rolling blackouts during the summer heat, or long term outage from storms we will have an incredible amount of power. In the oppressive heat the system produces between 8 and 10 kw hrs and I am using a maximum of 3Kws an hr. During peak usage I am sending enough electricity downline to power 2 other houses. In summary, I got a huge prize for my investment. It is enouh energy to offset my electrical usage for a year. It takes a strain of my neighborhood, during peak usage, and it pays me more interest than if I had left the money in the bank. I also get the peace of mind, that my wife will be comfortable during any power outage. Most importantly, if I need warranty work, I am confident Astrawatt will be there and give me incredible service. It is good for the country, kind to the grid, gives me security, and is an incredible capital investment.
System size (kW): 32
Year installed: 2021