View photo/Kristen M. White From left, Bob Harford, Barbara Satterfield and J.D. Johnson of Yes! Solar Solutions want to help homeowners reduce or eliminate their electric bills through the use of solar energy.

PW solar company helps residents reduce energy costs

Yes! Solar Solutions owners say their panels can reduce energy costs by 80 percent or more.

By KRISTEN M. WHITE
The Pueblo West View

Imagine reducing your electric bill by 80 percent, or even wiping it out all together. No, it’s not just a fantasy, but reality with solar panels.

Yes! Solar Solutions, a new Pueblo West business, wants to help local residents “go green” by installing solar panels on homes and small businesses. Owners J.D. Johnson and Bob Harford know their business is one that will be growing by leaps and bounds in the coming years.

“I don’t look at this (renewable energy such as solar energy) as a fad or a bandwagon thing,” Johnson, general manager of the company, said. “I think these are serious issues with long-term permanent consequences, and something that we have some control over as a society.”

Harford and Johnson opened Yes! Solar Solutions a couple of weeks ago. The business is a franchise through a parent company based in California. And for Harford and Johnson, it was a good fit.

“I’ve been in the construction industry, construction sales, for about 16 years, and (Johnson) has been a home builder for about 10,” Harford said. “With home building sliding like it has been, we were looking at other business opportunities and solar just came along as a great prospect.

“Where it’s headed, and with the government incentives and rebates making it really affordable for people to do now, we got in at the beginning and started learning about it.”

Through Yes! Solar Solutions, a homeowner can get an integrated system of solar panels designed specifically for the home. Harford said the company first examines a year’s worth of utility bills to determine usage and designs a system of panels to best fit the home’s need.

Depending on factors such as usage and roof space available, utility bills can be reduced by 80, 90 or sometimes 100 percent.

“There is a certain pay-off period, but then the return on investment is great,” Harford said.

Indeed, Johnson noted that utility rates are always on the rise, increasing about three and a half percent every year. So by the time the system of solar panels has paid for itself, a homeowner will begin to save more and more money.

Because of the big push by federal and state governments to take advantage of more renewable energy sources such as solar power, there are tax credits and incentives to help with the cost of panels.

Harford estimated that, after rebates and tax credits, the price for an average system is $8,000-$12,000. That cost might take an average family eight or so years to recoup - but the panels have a life of at least 40 years. That means after the payoff period, a homeowner will save a bundle of money.

And savings begin immediately. After the panels are ordered, it takes about three days to install the system on an existing home. Then, the panels soak up sunshine (even some on cloudy days) to power most or all of a home’s energy needs, reducing or even eliminating the utility charges.

“Basically, it creates electric watts, and if you’re creating more than you’re using, it returns the energy to the grid system and creates credits for your home,” Harford explained. “You carry those credits over until the next day or week or whenever you might need them.”

Harford said he and Johnson are working on educating people about solar energy, and hope to target the new home market. With all their contacts in the building industry they’re establishing good connections.

Installing solar panels while constructing a new home makes complete sense, Harford said. The cost of the panels is rolled into the total mortgage cost, and while it will increase a homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment by $20 or $30, the homeowner benefits by not having an electric bill - something that would surely be more than $30 per month.

“Before, it was only the environmental community pushing (renewable energy like solar power), but now we’re making people realize there are serious financial incentives coupled with it,” Johnson said. “Anytime you can replace (the use of) a limited quantity of something like fossil fuel with something that has no emissions and is replaceable, that’s great.”

Johnson and Harford are both Pueblo West residents, and they said locating their new business in their community just made sense.

“We feel there is a strong sense of community here, and a generally positive attitude toward environmental and energy issues,” Johnson said.

Yes! Solar Solutions doesn’t just help people in Pueblo West, but has a large service territory. It follows county lines to the west and north, and extends east to approximately La Junta and south all the way to the state line.

“We’re lucky to have one of the most progressive incentive programs in the nation and we’re at the very top for solar radiation in Colorado, based on climate conditions and elevation, so solar here is really good,” Johnson said.

Yes! Solar Solutions is located at 609 E. Enterprise Drive No. 120 and can be reached at 547-2929.

YES! SOLAR SOLUTIONS

• Who: Owners J.D. Johnson and Bob Harford.
• What: A firm that provides installation of solar panels for homes and small businesses.
• Where: 609 E. Enterprise Drive No. 120
• Contact: 547-2929.

Email

Print