Lloyd Athearn has spent most of his life playing in and around the mountains. "Seeing the dramatic declines of alpine glaciers around the world–and realizing that this may mean my son may not be able to have some of the life-changing experiences I've enjoyed–brought home the need to reduce our carbon footprint." The Athearn family began participating in Xcel Energy's Windsource Program a few years ago, but recently they came to feel that installing a solar photovoltaic (PV) system on their home in Golden, CO would be a "more personal and tangible way of moving toward a more sustainable lifestyle". The Athearn family rightly took several energy conservation measures before installing a solar PV system including adding insulation and changing out several light bulbs in their home as well as making more use of natural light. Their available sunny roof space was somewhat limited which caused them to aim for offsetting 80% of their electricity usage rather than all of it. They installed high efficiency SunPower solar PV modules in order to maximize the electricity production from their available space. Since the installation, their solar PV system has caused them to be even more energy conscious. The family now has a goal of limiting their electricity usage to match the average production of their solar PV system. Before choosing a solar company for their installation, Lloyd reviewed several contractors and spoke with people he knows in the renewable energy field. "The general consensus was that Namasté was the best outfit around in terms of the products offered, the engineering know how and customer service provided. Past customers I spoke with were uniformly positive about the experiences they had with Namasté." Lloyd has been very happy with his experience with Namasté Solar. "When we had a few things go differently than planned, without exception Namasté staff was courteous, professional, and went out of their way to ensure things were solved to our satisfaction. Everyone went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure we were satisfied with the product." Since the Athearns installed their solar PV system, their neighbors across the street have done so as well, and - being on a pedestrian thoroughfare in downtown Golden - they often speak with curious passersby about their experience. Lloyd feels good about the possibility of inspiring others to make the decision they made. He explains, "while our principal reason for installing a solar electric system was to help reduce our impact on the environment, this also was an investment that will pay off for years to come." The Plinke family chose Namasté Solar for their installation because of the company’s values-driven philosophy but was impressed with the superior level of customer service as well. Marc was attracted to Namasté Solar’s employee-ownership model, community involvement, and service. After receiving proposals from several other companies, he chose Namasté Solar because of the component choices available to him, our superior knowledge about solar PV, and our responsiveness and willingness to engage in several design iterations. Marc explains, “Of all of the contractors, Namasté Solar had the most professional, timely, clear communication. I always got an answer right away, even when it wasn’t urgent.” The Plinke family hopes that their home will serve as an example for others in the community about what is possible. Marc has made a game with his wife and kids about their energy usage and enjoys seeing his negative meter readings. He looks forward to programs such as Boulder County’s ClimateSmart Loan Program making it possible for solar PV to spread from our local communities around the state and the nation. Elon and Kasandra’s conservation habits meant they had plenty of roof space on their condominium to install a solar PV system that would generate all their electricity. They were also able to choose a highly cost-effective Sharp solar PV module. In the first few months of operation, their relatively small system has produced more electricity than expected. The O’Malias originally heard about Namasté Solar from an acquaintance. They researched the company further and liked what they heard and learned. They were not disappointed. “We feel that Namasté was knowledgeable and did a great job with our installation.” Since going solar, they have received nothing but positive reactions from people. They even inspired their neighbors to install a 42 module solar PV system right next to theirs. Because the O’Malias live in an affordable housing unit in the City of Boulder, they were able to be one of the first recipients of a ClimateSmart Grant.* The O’Malias are pleased to know that, “After capitalizing on the incentives, the system will pay itself off relatively quickly. Our primary motivation for installing our PV system was to do our part in combating climate change and preserving our natural resources. We view the financial benefits of PV systems as icing on the cake.” In the O’Malias experience, a lot of people are unaware of the financial incentives available for installing a solar PV system. They hope that incentives like the ClimateSmart Grant Programs, the Xcel Energy rebate, and the federal tax credits will continue – and that the real costs of using fossil fuels for our electricity generation will be reflected with policies such as a carbon tax – so that more and more people will be able to make the decision they made. *The grant covers a portion of the cost and the PV system can be counted as a capital improvement, increasing their real estate value.
Marc Plinke had a dream to live a net zero life. When he began the project of remodeling his home in Boulder, CO, he decided to include as many energy efficiency measures and renewable energy sources as possible. The result is a home with enough solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity to offset all their current electricity usage and that of their forthcoming plug-in hybrid vehicle.
Elon and Kasandra O’Malia already live in an energy efficient home complete with compact fluorescent lightbulbs, a low-flow shower head, and their electronics on power strips so that they do not consume energy when not in use. However, they wanted to take an even bigger step to do their part for the environment. “We felt that there was a moral responsibility to do what we can to combat climate change, pollution, and the overuse of our natural resources that result from using coal and natural gas to provide electricity.” This led them to install a solar photovoltaic (PV) system on their condominium in Boulder, CO.