Panelman Solar

Panelman Solar review: When I first was interested in residential solar power I read everything I could find trying to wrap my head around how it works. With the federal and state tax credits paying for 55% it was a no brainer. Then I contacted several companies for information, layout, feasibility, and cost quote. Jamie Eden ,owner of Panelman Solar, not only answered all my questions and explained the process but gave a quote that couldn’t be matched by the other solar installers. His knowledge of electrical systems and the fact he uses German solar panels instead of Chinese panels put Panelman Solar on the top of the list for me. Most companies use unverified Chinese panels. Solar is a big investment, so I was very nervous because I didn’t know anyone else who had installed it. Panelman solar was in constant contact with me, which if you ever used a contractor, getting a hold of them can be the most frustrating part. After a few weeks of weighing my options I decided to go with Panelman Solar, and I feel I made the right decision. Solar technology has improved recently with more efficient panels, inverter, and power optimizers. The other solar companies were using micro inverters and Chinese panels which in my opinion is old technology and less efficient. Panelman ran solar sun software to see where my panels would best be placed and how much energy I can expect to generate. I then had to decide which layout looks best and how big a system I wanted to install. Given that the tax credits pay for 55% I wanted a system that could offset all my electrical cost. My roof size and orientation made it possible for me to install a 7.1kw system. So my first step was to make sure I had enough tax liability to get the solar energy credit, I did and got all 55% back. Then I went to the bank and got a HELOC loan that I could pay back in around 5 years, and made the payment the same as my SCE&G electrical payment that the solar panels would offset. Panelman solar then ordered all the panels and equipment and within a couple of weeks I had the panels installed on my roof. Panelman solar was on top of all the permits and bureaucracy you deal with when getting city inspector’s to approve system. Within two weeks of the installation SCE&G had replaced my meter with a bi-directional meter and I was selling electricity back to SCE&G at a higher cost than they charge for it. It rained every day the week i got my system, but the first partly sunny day I was connected I made 31kwh in generated electricity and only used 15kw. So I sold back 16kw at higher price than I paid for the 15kw I bought to run my house that day. This was in January so I didn’t have many solar peak hours, but was still surprised about how much I produced. Of course, in the summer I will use way more electricity, but will have many more peak sun hours to produce. Since the sun doesn’t shine every day you have to think about solar as an average kilowatt hour per day produced. The first full month of producing I made 647kw, and that was with really bad weather. I am three weeks into my second month and making more electricity than we even expected. I have made up to 39kw in one day (February) and have almost surpassed last months energy. My house faces almost west so I didn't expect to be generating so much. I had a credit on my bill the first month, and it was a lousy month for sun so I can only see this getting better. The solar equipment Panelman installed sends real time updates to your phone or computer, giving me access to kilowatts produced at any given time. It is great software to see production and diagnose a problem with a panel, if that arises. I can see how much every panel is producing at any time with the solaredge software. I couldn’t be happier with the decision I made to get solar through Panelman Solar. So, now I am reducing CO2 emission, earning money by not paying SCE&G’s ever rising electrical cost, and when system is paid off in a few years I will be making money. In roughly 5 weeks the solaredge software says i have saved 1831lbs CO2, planted 47 trees, and produced enough electricity to power 3655 light bulbs for a day. The owner Jamie Eden was extremely intent on giving me a system that fit my budget and electrical needs, and making sure I was satisfied with all aspects of the installation and post installation. The other companies I got quotes from are not really local companies and that is what I like about Panelman Solar. The owner Jamie Eden is a native Charlestonian and if I need him I can go to his house and find him, I like that. I would definitely recommend Panelman solar to anyone interested in going solar. Panelman Solar Customer, Corbett