Written on behalf by Madeline Acri, National Energy Storage Specialist at Soligent
When I joined the solar industry in 2016 I imagined someday I would buy a house and power it from solar. Fast forward to 2022 and now I am a proud homeowner with solar on my roof. The installation was completed last week so now I am awaiting my utility provider to inspect and activate the system. While being in the solar industry for 6 years, I have seen countless array designs and equipment options. Since the roof is one long stretch, should I install a string inverter or microinverters? How many panels would I need to hit a 100% offset for my electricity bill? Just recently I purchased an e-bike. While it is still a fairly small load, I still wonder if my array will be able to provide all of the energy necessary to meet my current and future electricity needs. In order to receive a rebate from my utility, I needed to collect 3 quotes from 3 utility-approved installers. One installer sent me a proposal and reviewed it with me over the phone. Another sent me a proposal and reviewed it with me via Zoom. The third installer, who I ultimately decided to install my system, sent me a proposal and reviewed it with me in my home. Each proposal had its pros and cons and I do not necessarily think the in-person meeting swayed my opinion one way or another. One tool that installers can use to help educate homeowners about the solar process is through a software platform called Bodhi.
Bodhi Solar is designed to help the homeowner answer the question “what is going on with my solar?”. From the time the proposal is approved, throughout the installation, and once the system is up and running, the Bodhi app provides updates and answers every step of the way. The app also provides a communication channel to the project manager if more detailed correspondence is needed. After the interconnection and commissioning is complete, the homeowners can understand at a glance if actual solar production is meeting the proposed solar expectations. This can help simplify and streamline the project management updates from the installers perspective as well! The waiting period from installation to inspection and commissioning is supposed to be 1 – 3 weeks. So, hopefully before the end of this month I can see my meter start running backwards.
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