Publish Date: September 22nd, 2025
Farhana and James chose Namaste Solar after working with other companies started to feel untrustworthy, like they were being duped. They considered grid instability, rising electricity prices, and future plans when deciding to go solar. Read their full story here.
What inspired you to start thinking about solar?
We live up in the mountains and are always thinking about being sustainable. I also work in sustainability and have for several years, so I’m very aware of renewable energy and the benefits. Living rurally, we wanted to get a reliable power source from solar, and at some point we’ll expand to batteries, too.
Are you dealing with grid instability where you live?
Last year, the power went out a few times. After that we considered regular generators and battery storage but then we thought that if we went solar, we could actually use that solar power to fill our own batteries. Where we live it’s pretty remote, and so it’s nice to know in the future we’ll have our own storage, and if the grid goes down, we could rely on that. Both my husband and I work from home, so when the power goes down, we can’t work, which is a big problem.
What was your decision-making process for going solar?
Besides what I’ve already shared, rising electricity costs were a big motivator. The only appliances left in our home that run using gas are the stove and our heating. I’d love to transition to 100% electric so that everything in the home can run off our solar power.
You mentioned that rising electricity costs are something that’s on your mind. Can you tell us more about that?
Definitely. More people are pulling from the grid based on their lifestyles We’re using more power as a community, and as a society. And naturally it has an impact on energy cost. If we can create our own power by generating it with solar panels and use that to power our home, it’s a win-win situation for all
I think that Colorado is in a unique position because unlike places like California, Colorado has been really flexible in terms of what we can use and bank. We’ve been able to receive big benefits from our solar system via our state and federal refunds.
How has solar positively impacted your lifestyle?
We’re able to wash our dishes and do our laundry and know it’s powered by the sun, which is great. In Colorado, we have even more sun than California and even in the winter, the sun is out. We’ve been learning how to use our system the most efficiently by way of some behaviour changes, such as using appliances that we have more control over during the day when the sun is out.
How has solar financially impacted you?
Lower bills! We received a loan from your in-house credit union for the system, and we’re still paying that loan towards the system, plus a small energy bill, but despite that, the bill has still gone down significantly. Before solar, our bill would be as much as $250 for a 2,000 sq ft home with just me, my husband, a dog, and a cat living here. Now the bill is very reasonable, even if we’re not at the $0 point yet. We’re definitely saving money each month.
What made you choose Namaste Solar?
I had heard great things and read client testimonials. I also knew someone who used to work for your company, who also had a system installed by Namaste Solar and had great things to say about the company, in general. It was a referral, ultimately for us. When I read about the co-op aspect, I was impressed as I like to support these types of businesses that really care about their own employees.
When we actually began the process of retrieving the quote, it was the most honest and reasonable process that we came across. With other companies, it felt like they were out to trick us or get us into a situation that we wouldn’t have been happy with, financially. Your process was very honest and transparent, and I loved that you work with a credit union. The other companies were giving us these bizarre loans that just didn’t seem correct. For me, honesty and humility are important qualities, and that’s what was displayed throughout the whole process. Even when the system was installed, it was done very efficiently, and we were very happy with the whole process.
Can you tell us more about the process of getting the loan through the Clean Energy Credit Union?
We did put down some cash and then financed the rest. I have a Master’s in Finance, so I did the math. I considered when we’d break even, if the interest on the loan made sense, and other logistics. I knew the numbers and that’s why when those other companies were being misleading, I could see that it didn’t make sense. The loan provider didn’t check out, and the terms of the loan didn’t either. I felt bad because there are some people who don’t have a financial background or knowledge and therefore could be easily duped into deciding to go with a company that is not as trustworthy.
Do you have any advice for people who might have less knowledge and are vulnerable to unethical solar practices?
I would say do the math and compare companies. I obviously would recommend Namaste Solar, but if they’re leaning towards someone else, make sure you have them show you the numbers side by side to prove that their model is better.
I’m sure there are some other good, wholesome companies out there that are not duping people, but the ones we came across just seemed really untrustworthy. I would say to do your research, ask people, even those who have had negative experiences. You learn a lot from people’s negative experiences, and folks who have had one are always quick to tell you about it. You can use tools like Nextdoor or Yelp for that. I’d also recommend asking the company you’re considering for referrals so that you can ask questions to their customers yourself. This way, you might hear of things that went wrong, and in that case, it’s all about how the company remedied it. Things go wrong, and that’s okay, but how did the company respond to that and remedy it? That tells you a lot.
What was your experience like working with us?
It was extremely professional. Usually, when you’re having work done in your house, you feel it. You know that people are there, and it can be kind of distracting working around them, but that wasn’t the case with Namaste Solar. You were professional, efficient, and fast. Our project manager talked us through everything so there were no surprises.
We actually wanted to install an extra panel compared to the original design specifications, and initially, that wasn’t possible because of the snow guards on our roof. We were able to remove the two snow guards, and they redesigned the whole system to fit the extra panel, at our request. The fact that you were willing to go back and redesign the system to accommodate the extra panel was really wonderful.
When you have construction people on your property, you want to be able to trust them. As a woman, you don’t want untrustworthy workers on your property because that can make you feel unsafe. Your crew was just very professional and comfortable to be around and there were no issues whatsoever. Working with companies that have folks who are vetted and make people feel safe is very important for me when it comes to contractors, and you did that.
Even the person who sold us the system was great as he didn’t feel like a salesperson. I never once felt overtly pressured. It was very educational, and it felt like he was there to help and guide me. He explained that he didn’t work on commission and that he made a living wage, regardless of my purchase. That allowed me to let my guard down as I knew that I wasn’t going to be pressured to buy something that wasn’t a good fit for me.
If you were recommending someone explore the benefits of solar in three sentences, what would you say?
I would say that you should pursue installing solar because you could experience lower bills. You’ll have an efficient and stable power supply, especially if you go the route of batteries. Hopefully we’re all working towards improving the environment and being sustainable, so you get to save money and be sustainable at the same time.
