Western Solar Q&A: What you need to know about solar

The Northern Light sat down with Western Solar Inc.’s Brandon Provalenko, director of sales and business development, and Trish Merriman, design manager, to discuss what people should think about when considering installing solar electric systems.

Established in 2002, Western Solar is a Bellingham-based solar design and installation company that also works on battery backups, electric vehicle charging stations and ductless heat pumps, according to its website.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

How has the solar energy industry evolved since Western Solar was founded?

Trish: The prices were a lot higher before the incentives came into play in the mid-2000s and not as many people were getting on board with solar. Now prices have been coming down and people have been able to take advantage of them. We’ve seen it take off pretty dramatically.

Brandon: Solar panels were 170 watts and maybe $4 or $5 per watt around 2011 and I’m sure they were a lot less wattage for Western Solar in 2002. Now, I think the biggest solar panel we installed was 530 watts and the installation can be as low as $2.20 a watt.

The technology has improved to become a lot more efficient to produce a lot more in the same amount of space. It’s continuing every year to be higher wattage and lower cost.

What residential and commercial projects has Western Solar worked on in the Blaine and Birch Bay areas?

Brandon: We just finished the Birch Bay Water and Sewer District. I think the first site we did in the city of Blaine was 2014.

Trish: We’ve done a handful in Birch Bay Village and some in Semiahmoo.

What has Western Solar’s work with the city of Blaine looked like?

Brandon: We work in collaboration with them. We worked with Blaine to begin its net energy metering program and put in the first installation to be that meter.

Trish: That was in 2019.

What should people consider when deciding if solar is the right option for them?

Brandon: I think it varies for so many people on what they want to consider and why it could be important for them.

I talk to people reaching retirement age who know they’re going to be on a fixed income and don’t want to worry about huge rate increases like we’ve been seeing.

Some people really care about climate change and they’re doing it to help the community reach solar goals. Some people don’t want to depend on foreign oil. Others don’t want a weak grid and want to have diversified energy on our grid.

Some people see the economics of it. They say, “If I go with solar, I’m going to be hedging energy price increases that are inevitable.” With the government currently paying 30 percent of it through the [investment tax credit], the payback period can be quick.

Could you give me an overview of what the process looks like if someone wants to install solar?

Trish: We recommend someone look into whether they are covering any other energy efficiency beforehand and are not putting more into solar than they need. For example, finding out that your bill would be lower if you go with a more efficient furnace or put in installation.

Brandon: For somebody with a home older than 1970, we recommend they get a home energy audit through Sustainable Connections’ community energy challenge because there’s likely so much room for saving energy, and it’ll be much more worth it, dollar for dollar, to make their energy more efficient before they start producing energy. After that, we understand their goals.

Trish: We then start looking at how much electricity they use on an annual basis because there’s no benefit to oversizing a system and we don’t want to sell more than what they need.

We start with a preliminary remote analysis that allows us to do a 3D model of the roof that picks up the trees and height of the home. We then put a model and quote together. If it looks good, we get our onsite measurements, making sure we have the appropriate size of the roof and that the roof has at least 10 years of life left on it because we have a 10-year workmanship warranty. We handle the permitting and interconnection application.

Brandon: It’s all in-house for us. It takes about a month to get it interconnected to the grid. It’s adding something that’s going to be making money for you.

Are there other incentives in Washington state that can help people plan for solar?

Brandon: The programs vary. There’s the sales tax exemption, so you’re paying no taxes for solar. If you’re a commercial entity, you may qualify for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant, which will pay up to 50 percent of your solar.

If you’re commercial and want to add solar, you can get up to 50 percent of a grant to pay for it, 30 percent tax credit for the federal earned income tax credit. Whatcom and Skagit counties are currently considered energy communities, which is an extra 10 percent on top of the income tax credit, so you’ll actually get a 40 percent tax credit for a commercial installation. For commercial enterprises, it can be up to 90 percent of everything paid for.

Can you explain how well solar energy works in our region?

Trish: Washington has ideal temperatures throughout the summer for the production of solar energy. Solar panels actually don’t like the heat, so the hotter it gets, like in the middle of the desert, the efficiency goes down. You might have dark, drizzly days throughout the winter, but the bulk of your production on an annual basis happens during the summer. We’re changing looking at the way energy is produced from a monthly basis to a yearly basis because of the net metering program we have.

Brandon: We tilt the panels at 33 degrees here and it goes well with most people’s roofs. A lot of the time we don’t have to take up all of the roof. Germany is on a very similar latitude and they are exporting more solar energy than they need.

How much does it cost on average to install solar for a residential or commercial space?

Brandon: It’s not that easy. If you have more kids, you’re going to be using a lot more energy than a retired couple. It’s really about how much energy you’re using and what your load looks like. Are you in the habit of turning off your lights, or do you have lights on everywhere? I would say the majority of our residential installations are somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000, but sometimes we’ve done much bigger installations.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Trish: For anyone who has been thinking about it, it’s always worth seeing the numbers. I was a skeptic before I installed solar on my home, but the numbers made sense for me. We focus on providing education and resources. It’s not always going to be the right fit for somebody.