Romney, West Virginia — Cindy Fulton and Joe Doyle like to be as independent as possible and it was a goal of theirs to be less reliant on utility power. They figured, “We collect our own rainwater, why not collect our own energy as well!”
Beyond being more self-sufficient, it was important to them to be good stewards of the earth and they felt strongly about integrating renewable energy into their plans for their home.
They began researching solar installers that service West Virginia and started to gather quotes. They were just about to sign with another company when Cindy did one last search and Solar Holler popped up on her screen. Somehow we hadn’t appeared in Cindy’s previous searches, and she wanted to make sure she was covering all her bases so she checked out our website.
It was when Cindy read over our mission statement that she knew she wanted to get in touch for a solar analysis, “I felt bad because we were so close with the other company, but we were so impressed with your mission– we just really felt like we should give you a shot.”
“We were so impressed with your mission – we really felt like we should give you a shot. We liked the fact that you were trying to make solar energy affordable to common people and that you were training workers in the area of renewable and clean energy.”
After we showed them their numbers and reviewed the financing options, they knew they wanted to sign with Solar Holler, “We liked the fact that you were trying to make solar energy affordable to common people and that you were training workers in the area of renewable and clean energy.”
Cindy and Joe live on the top of a mountain with a nice, clear southern exposure. They preferred to not have the panels on their roof and, since they had the yard space, they opted for a ground mounted array.
To determine how large their system should be, we got started with an analysis of their usage history. We knew they also had plans to upgrade to electric heat, so we were careful to factor in an expected increase in their usage.
It’s now been more than a year since their system was installed and Cindy reports that they’re usually not paying more than the $5 customer maintenance fee to the utility each month, “In the wintertime when we’re running the heat, even though our electric bill goes up it is manageable and it is only, at most, 3 months out of the year that we see an increase.”
“It’s money we’d be spending on electricity anyway, but now we are investing in long-term renewable energy.”
Friends and neighbors are not shy about asking about their solar panels, and Cindy and Joe love to tell folks how much they’re saving each month and how manageable the costs were. As they pay down the financing on their system, they have greatly reduced how much they pay to the electric company. “It’s money we’d be spending on electricity anyway, but now we are investing in long-term renewable energy, which we feel strongly about participating in. Instead of using whatever non-clean energy the electric company supplies, we are using clean energy and perhaps sending a message to the electric company and others to do the same.”
“I get a joyous feeling knowing my panels out there working away. We love them. We don’t have one regret.”
Knowing that they’re producing the cheap and clean electricity they use has really shifted the way Cindy sees a solar array. She doesn’t grimace at the sight of solar panels – she thinks her panels are beautiful and says they make her feel like doing a little happy dance whenever she looks at them. “I get a joyous feeling knowing my panels are out there working away. We love them. We don’t have one regret.”
