A Bright New Idea

It’s not the physical installation of the new solar system for his home that excites him.

For Stephenville resident Graham Slaughter, who co-owns Diverse Suspension Technologies with his wife, Tiffany, his home’s new solar system is more of a tool and a long-term investment rather than a toy or a status symbol.

The system’s job is to generate electricity and help offset electrical usage, he said. The Slaughters assessed the economics of the system’s generation, along with paying for it in cash and receiving a government tax credit, and determined it to be a wise business choice for them to make.

Besides, he said, he’s already installed one system for his business that went active last year.

What Slaughter said that does excite him is the opportunity to become United’s first member to take advantage of the cooperative’s new solar installation offering that now takes members from solar education all the way to installation through a third-party installer.

The experience is intended to not only thoroughly educate members about solar, but also offer them a no-pressure, trustworthy quote with the installation performed by a reputable company subcontracted by the cooperative, should members decide installing solar is right for their needs.

During the installation process last year, the couple met with Ryan Hoerner, United’s energy solutions supervisor. As Hoerner guided them through the completion of their solar system on their business, he told them about the new solar offering about to go live at United.

“I think getting the cooperative to sign off on our system was very beneficial for us,” he said. “A number of the contractors designed a system that was significantly larger than we needed and also astronomical in cost. Even the contractor that we ended up going with for the project still didn’t understand how the cooperative had things structured for the maximum size of a solar array in order to maximize the reimbursement for the energy that I produce.

“Talking to Ryan Hoerner and having him look through those things for us was super beneficial. It helped us see things we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.”

When the couple decided to move forward with solar for their home, Slaughter said he could tell immediately a difference in the way they were handled by United as opposed to other companies. Like many consumers, Slaughter said he had experienced plenty of overpromising, overpricing and obfuscation as he received bids from multiple companies when purchasing the system for his business.

Ryan Pruitt, United’s energy solutions coordinator, drew up two possible proposals to meet the couple’s energy needs at their home and gave a bid on price for installation through United’s third-party installation team, S&H Solar & Electric. After deciding on one of Pruitt’s solar designs and sending his bid to other solar installers to see if United’s price could be beaten, the Slaughters decided to use United.

“We ended up getting a bid from the contractor we used for our business and through Ryan Pruitt and the co-op,” Slaughter said. “United’s bid came out lower than our contractor we previously worked with. It’s a pretty sizable amount of money.”
It was also a refreshing change of pace not to feel pressured to make a purchase, which was something he said he encountered regularly as he took bids for his business’s solar system.

“A number of times, Ryan Pruitt told us, ‘Hey, listen, you don’t have to buy anything from us. We’re just here to help educate our members. If it is beneficial for you to not buy something through us and to go with this other contractor, that’s great. But let me just walk through this with you. And if in the end, you don’t sign a contract with us, that’s fine.’

“Ryan was the opposite of a salesman. He was just an educator. Anybody who’s going to get a bid needs an educator anyways, especially if you’re not experienced in receiving those bids.”

A New Way To Build an Array

For years, United and its team of energy solutions specialists have been available for members to use as a resource for ideas on solar systems, for cheaper alternatives to solar installations and also as a backstop for catching unscrupulous promises made during high-pressure solar sales pitches, said Seth Rosser, United’s energy solutions manager.

However, as interest and installations by members began to skyrocket across the territory in the past five years, he said the cooperative wanted to do more for members to educate them on the front end about the pros and cons of installing solar as well as help them through the process by finding an installer the cooperative trusted to provide a quality installation at an affordable price.

That growth in interest, coupled with issues members faced with high-pressure sales, prompted the new solar offering to members in 2024.

“If we look at 2019, we had 95 solar installations,” Rosser said. “That number jumped to 686 in 2022 and then 745 last year, and that’s mainly due to Winter Storm Uri in 2021, higher electric costs in the ERCOT market and predatory solar sales in the service territory. We had a lot of solar contractors that were hitting our territory and saying that electric rates are always going to be high, and if you don’t do something now, you’re going to be making a mistake. They also tell members that they’ll no longer receive an electric bill, or that their power will stay on, even during an outage, which simply isn’t the case.”

That’s why Rosser said the co-op hired Ryan Pruitt, who not only spent his career in the solar industry, but also worked for a company that prided itself on selling quality solar installations that depended upon high-quality work and word-of-mouth to promote the company’s work.

When it comes to solar installations—good and bad—Pruitt said he’s seen and heard it all. As a United energy advisor, he said he’s trained to distinguish truth from fiction in the solar sales pitch, how a quality system should be installed and where to look in a solar installation that falls short or cuts corners.

“I’ve always had an internal battle with the solar industry,” Pruitt said. “It’s a great industry to work in. It’s fun and exciting and always evolving. But there’s a dollar to be made in the industry. What starts out as really good intentions can end up as a money-hungry craze. I’m excited to be a part of this process at United because there are clear buffers in place that combat this—specifically, our mission. We’re here to serve our members, period. And we get back to the basics and educate members about solar first. That’s probably the most exciting part for me in coming here and starting this program.”

Education and design work will be at the forefront of his new position, he said. He recommends all members interested in solar start by booking a free home energy audit, and then complete any recommended energy-efficiency projects proposed by United prior to installation. This will help reduce the home’s average electric usage and can mean it needs a smaller, and less expensive solar system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once Pruitt and the members decide what solar system will work for the member’s needs, Pruitt will design a system for them. If the member wants to proceed, each solar system installation is individually evaluated during the application review process to determine if United’s infrastructure will accommodate the system, Pruitt said. If any upgrades to accommodate the member’s solar system are required, the member will know up front and will not be blindsided by hidden fees.
Pruitt said before signing the agreement, members must speak with a tax advisor for the best advice on understanding the qualifications for any federal, state or local energy tax rebate or credit or any tax liabilities that may exist. The member must also consult with a member’s homeowner’s insurance carrier to find out what coverage adjustments should be made to cover the new system.

Members should consider consulting with a realtor or other real estate professional to gain insight into potential changes to market value and desirability of homes equipped with residential solar systems, he said.

Once United, the member and the contractor/installer enter into a Solar Power System Purchase and Installation Agreement, the terms of  the agreement will control the purchase and installation of the member’s residential solar system.

Rosser said United chose S&H Solar & Electric as its third-party installer because of the company’s exemplary record with United members and quality of their solar construction.

“We chose them because of our past experiences with them,” Rosser said. “They have quality installations, and they always take care of the members they’re installing for. I met them more than a decade ago when they were cleaning up another solar installer’s mess. We’re confident that they’re going to follow United’s lead in providing our members with the same exceptional service and value.”

Slaughter said he will be interested to watch how United’s new solar program works after experiencing the difference in sales experience he received from United.

“I asked Ryan Pruitt, ‘If you never sell anything, are you in trouble,’” Slaughter said. “And he replied, ‘You just totally misunderstand. The purpose of the program is to educate our members. Full stop.’

“I don’t know. It’s a totally different class of human being that you’re talking to at that point, you know, instead of saying, ‘I’m invested in this, I’m going to lie to this person as much as I possibly can just to seal the deal because I want my bonus I’m going to get from this sale.’ Ryan’s just out there like, ‘Man, I really hope that when we’re done with this that you’re really happy.’  He just has my best interests at heart. I really appreciate that.”