Historic Virginia Home

Understanding Our Client

In speaking with her dedicated Energy Advisor, it became clear that Teresa was looking to do all she could in pursuit of a greener future. She understood the benefits of solar and wanted a practical that was both good for the planet and her pocketbook.

Our Planning Process

With a clear understanding of Teresa’s goals, her dedicated Energy Advisor walked her through all the steps needed to give her a clear and accurate quote for what her home could produce and how much energy her system would offset her annual energy needs. Our team looked at her 12-month energy usage to size her system accordingly. We accounted for the efficiency of her system (or how much electricity her system would be expected to produce) based on the angle of her metal roof and tree shade on her property. Because Teresa wanted maximum offset, we designed a system that would link two sets of panels – one on her main home and another on her guest house – to produce enough energy to offset her annual needs.

Winning the Business

Dominion Energy Solution’s point of difference was in our combination of quote accuracy, best-in-class financing options/loan rates, and professionalism of both the sales team and installation crews who walked her through the process in detail and maintained clear lines of communication as the project proceeded.

System Design and Sizing

Total System Size

19.2 kW DC

Completion Date

March 2023

Location

Richmond, VA

Utility Provider

Dominion Energy

Financial Impact

Before the installation of our solar system, Teresa’s average monthly electric bill was $278. After the solar system was up and running, and accounting for all incentives, her average monthly bill dropped to only $44.

Payback Period

Dominion Energy Solutions provides all customers with two payment options: financing or full payment upfront. Financing solutions often come with what is called a “breakeven point” whereby the monthly cost of a solar loan is less than the cost of her utility bill if she were to never choose solar. Of course, when the loan is paid off, the monthly costs associated with energy fall dramatically and include only what a customer needs to pull from the grid after solar production has been accounted for.

Since Teresa chose to pay upfront, we provided her with a “payback period” that acts as a timestamp for when the upfront payment matches the total cost of electricity the customer would have otherwise purchased every month from the grid. Teresa’s payback period was 13.5 years, at which point the system would be paid in full. Importantly, this timeframe accounts for only a conservative 2.5% increase in the cost of electricity from the power company.

Considering her panels are projected to work for decades, we were able to provide her with a conservative estimate of her 30-year savings: $70,387. And, as noted above, this accounts for only a 2.5% increase in the cost of electricity; if we had estimated what other solar companies use (upwards of 4% or 5%) then the 30-year savings we estimate would easily be a six-figure number.

Equipment Selection

Solar Panels

Dominion Energy Solutions realizes that quality energy production for decades requires hardware that will last. It recommended and installed REC Alpha Pure Series 405W panels on Teresa’s home. These panels use cutting-edge Heterojunction (HJT) cell technology for maximum efficiency and power output.

Inverters

As with our insistence on installing only quality products, Dominion Energy Solutions installed an Enphase IQ microinverters for every panel on Teresa’s home. These microinverters convert the DC power that solar panels emit into AC power that can be sent to any home battery and/or back to the grid. Microinverter technology also allows Teresa to remotely monitor her solar production using an app, and she can easily upgrade (or add additional) panels in the event her future electricity needs increase.

System Size

While the original goal was to design a system that provided 100% offset, space limitations on her roof prevented us from obtaining this initial goal. However, through a disciplined approach whereby Dominion Energy Solutions used satellite imagery and 3d modeling tools to accurately size her system, Teresa was able to achieve 85% offset through 48 panels on her two roofs.

Incentives

In the best interest of its customers, Dominion Energy Solutions always leverages all available incentives to make the transition to solar even more appealing. In the state of Virginia, these incentives include Solar Renewable Energy Credits (commonly referred to as SRECs), Net Metering, and the Federal Investment Tax Credit (a 30% refund on the cost of hardware and installation).