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Publish Date: November 4th, 2024
Nelson Chen went solar after the windstorm in April of 2024 left him without power for 23 hours. Previously, he wasn’t going to look into solar until retirement. But that event pushed him to secure solar and battery backup so that his home would be resilient in the face of future storms and outages. Read on to learn his full story.
What inspired you to start thinking about solar?
Originally, I wasn’t planning to think about solar until I retired. But back in April, we had that windstorm. Xcel preemptively cut our power for 23 hours. We weren’t very happy. So, that got me thinking that I need a Powerwall for backup. And the more I thought about the Powerwall, I figured that it would be better to pair it with solar. This way the Powerwall can be charged from the sun and if the power goes out, like it did last time, we’ll be covered.
So, I started looking at different things. And then a coworker, Brian, told me that Namaste Solar did an install on his house 10 or 12 years ago. Namaste Solar is highly regarded by him, so that pretty much set the thing in motion. I got an appointment with Aubrey [on the sales team] and the rest is history.
What was your decision-making process like going solar?
I wanted to save on my electricity bills, and that’s one thing that I know solar can do. And the motivation of trying to do good for the planet was there, too. Since I don’t have an electric vehicle, I thought that solar panels were something good that I can do for the planet.
What motivates you to do good for the planet?
Well, I have children and a grandchild. I think it is for their future. But also, for the present. In Colorado, we have these ground level ozone issues which cause the air quality to be bad in the summertime. Air pollutants combined with UV rays cause ground level ozone to be bad. So, that’s another thing I’m trying to help with.
How has solar positively impacted your lifestyle?
I thought that I’d get solar and then have to wait for the bill to show up to see what it’s like. But with the Powerwall, it gives me information about power usage in real time. So I’ve become more conscious of what I’ve got running and when I should turn things off so they’re not on all the time. Now I can see how much power my A/C uses, how much my electric dryer uses. So it’s been very educational and made me more aware of our energy usage at any given moment.
"I’ve definitely seen the bill go down. My first month with solar my bill was $10 and the month before it was $150. My average monthly payment was $146 before solar. I don’t know how many more years we’ll be staying in this home but either way, it’s definitely worth it."
Speaking of the battery app, can you speak a little about other features and how you use it?
I like the energy usage data. And how it shows how much energy is coming from solar and how much is coming from the grid.
With the Powerwall, I have it programmed to be in the time-based operating mode. So, during peak hours the Powerwall discharges itself to power my home. And energy from my solar panels is exported to the grid. During off peak hours, I charge the Powerwall.
With the orientation of my house and panels, I’d have to use a lot of peak power if I didn’t have the Powerwall to offset it. So far this whole system has balanced out pretty well. This is a way for battery backup to be advantageous for the whole system.
How has solar financially impacted you?
I’ve definitely seen the bill go down. My first month with solar my bill was $10 and the month before it was $150. My average monthly payment was $146 before solar. I don’t know how many more years we’ll be staying in this home but either way, it’s definitely worth it.
Are there any other reasons you chose Namaste Solar?
My coworker’s endorsement alone was enough. And later on I found out that y’all are an employee-owned company, which I liked. I also found out later that one of your designers is a member of my same church.
What was your experience like working with us?
The whole process was very smooth. The whole process took about four months – I started the process in April, our install was finished in August, and our system was turned on in September. We had company visiting us in July, so we couldn’t do anything that month. But everything went according to plan and the install team was very professional. All four of them were great and they got the install part done in two and a half days. And our permission to operate happened quicker than we expected at three weeks.
If you were recommending that someone explore the benefits of solar in three sentences, what would you say?
I think solar will definitely help reduce your energy usage. The Powerwall will provide backup during a power outage. And the Powerwall can be used for rate arbitrage (discharging during peak rates), which will generate more value for the whole system.
