Suburban Virginia Home

Working Around His Schedule, Not Ours

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons JC went with Dominion Energy Solutions was our scheduling flexibility. Reflecting back on the experience, he says, “Other solar companies were pushing me to get solar and had no awareness of my schedule and wouldn’t give me a calendar to work with. But I was able to schedule Dominion Energy Solutions around my time, have decent conversations, and email them with my questions. In return, they were able to do their due diligence and focus on what matters most to me.”

Our Planning Process

With a clear understanding of JC’s goals, his dedicated Energy Advisor walked him through all the steps needed to give him a clear and accurate quote. Our team looked at his 12-month energy usage to size his system accordingly. JC was happy with how “Dominion Energy Solutions gave me clarity and confronted the things I cared about right away. This allowed us to move forward in a swift manner.”

Winning the Business

Dominion Energy Solution prides itself on a combination of quote accuracy, best-in-class financing options/loan rates, and professionalism of both the sales team and installation crews. Months after installation, JC now looks back on his project and says the process “had everything I needed and was incredibly seamless. From installation to estimates on what my electric bill would be, and from working with my accountant to explaining what my impact on the environment would be…it’s been a home run across all these dimensions.”

Watch JC’s Video Testimonial and why he chose Dominion Energy Solutions!

System Design and Sizing

Total System Size

11.2 kW DC

Completion Date

March 2023

Location

Richmond, VA

Utility Provider

Dominion Energy

Financial Impact

Service may have sold JC on Dominion Energy Solutions, but he was already sold on the idea of going solar. “People buy stocks and bonds all the time looking for a return on their investment,” he stated, “and with this installation I’m looking at a 25% return on my investment.”

Before the installation of our solar system, JC’s average monthly electric bill was $147. After the solar system was up and running, and accounting for all incentives, his average monthly bill dropped to just $8.04, $6.74 of which is a basic customer charge to remain connected to the grid so he can take advantage of net metering.

Payback Period

Dominion Energy Solutions provides all customers with two payment options: financing or full payment upfront. Financing solutions often come with what is called a “breakeven point” whereby the monthly cost of a solar loan is less than the cost of the utility bill without solar. Of course, when the loan is paid off, the monthly costs associated with energy fall dramatically and include only what a customer needs to pull from the grid after solar production has been accounted for.

With a superior loan rate obtained through Dominion Energy Solutions, JC was able to save around $20 a month out the gate, and this savings will increase to nearly $90 a month in year 25 based on the expected utility rate increases in that timeframe. At this point, his electricity will be entirely “free” saving him upwards of thousands of dollars a year in what he would otherwise have to pay his utility.

Equipment Selection

Solar Panels

Dominion Energy Solutions realizes that quality energy production for decades requires hardware that will last. We recommended and installed REC Alpha Pure Series 400W panels on JC’s home. These panels use cutting-edge Heterojunction (HJT) cell technology for maximum efficiency and power output.

Inverters

As with our insistence on installing only quality panels, Dominion Energy Solutions installed Enphase IQ microinverters for every panel on JC’s home. These microinverters convert the DC power that solar panels emit into AC power that can be sent to any home battery and/or back to the grid. Microinverter technology also allows JC to remotely monitor his solar production using an app, and he can easily upgrade (or add additional) panels in the event his future electricity needs increase.

System Size

Facing the panels towards the sun – and on the front of his house – ensured a 99% offset. Dominion Energy Solutions sophisticated approach and use of satellite imagery and 3d modeling tools accurately sized his system, and it is producing as planned months later.

Incentives

In the best interest of its customers, Dominion Energy Solutions always leverages all available incentives to make the transition to solar even more appealing. In the state of Virginia, these incentives include Solar Renewable Energy Credits (commonly referred to as SRECs), Net Metering, and the Federal Investment Tax Credit (a 30% refund on the cost of hardware and installation).