Making the Solar Decision
When Danny T. began looking into going solar, he had a good example to follow. Danny’s father had hired Longhorn Solar to install solar on their family home years ago. Danny knew that the system had delivered substantial savings for his family as well as environmental benefits for the community. Now that he was married, with a house of his own in Austin, Texas, he was interested in learning more about solar.
Danny did his homework. He researched solar technology and reached out to several installation companies, including Longhorn. He was about to pull the trigger on a Tesla solar system because the online price appeared attractively low. But Danny’s rep at Longhorn, Ron Martin, explained to him all the important aspects of solar ownership and provided options that would allow Danny to get much higher solar production from the same space on his roof.
“The thing I liked about Longhorn was that there was no pressure,” Danny explains. “Ron gave me some options in my price range, and answered every question I had.”
Why Choose Solar in Austin
Danny and his wife were interested in solar for three reasons: environmental benefits, financial savings and energy backup.
“We wanted to stop wasting electricity and do something to help sustain the planet,” he recalls. “We also wanted to have a battery backup for our power.”
The couple opted for solar only, and within a few days Longhorn installed a 12-kw system on their new home. The solar system was designed to offset 100% of their electricity use.
“The installation was really fast,” Danny says. “The Longhorn team was very professional, and installed the system in a day and a half. The process was very smooth.”
New Baby, New Power Needs
Not long after their PV system was installed, the couple welcomed a new baby into their family. And like many people, they had no idea how much electricity a baby could use – from the additional laundry to just keeping the home temperature comfortable. Still, even with the higher energy use, the solar system continued to offset most of their energy use.
Battery Backup to Ride Out any Storm
When the family lost power during two separate winter storms, they decided it was time to complete their home energy system with battery backup.
“The last ice storm pushed us over the edge,” he recalls “We lost power again and our baby was only a few months old. We couldn’t even heat milk.”
Danny called his buddy Ron, who explained the benefits of the Tesla battery. Not only would the battery protect the family during power outages, it would enable them to schedule use of the backup power to times of day when the house used the most electricity, typically at night. The result was even more savings – and peace of mind when the next storm hits.
“During the last few hail storms we’ve had, those hail were golf-ball sized, but when Ron came out to check our system, the solar panels survived and everything was still working perfectly.”
Protecting their family from power outages is just one of the many benefits of their combined solar and storage system. It also protects them financially – from the ever-rising utility rates that happen in a deregulated market like Texas.
“Every year the rates go up and you have to factor that into your financial calculations,” Danny said.
All in all, going solar was the right decision for this Austin family. Danny shares his enthusiasm for solar with anyone who is interested.
“One thing I always tell people is it has to make sense for you and your house,” Danny says. “But when anyone asks for a recommendation, I always tell them to call Longhorn first.”
