Powerhome is a leading name in the renewable energy field. The company helps homeowners across the United States gain energy independence by providing a holistic service offering.
Powerhome promises a reduction of your electric bill while generating your own clean energy. The company boasts that the energy efficiency of its solar arrays is among the highest in the industry.
What is Powerhome Solar?
Powerhome Solar is a solar panel company that provides all your solar system requirements under one roof. The company was launched in 2014 by founder and CEO Jayson Waller and only uses solar panels produced in America and offers a variety of solar-related services. This includes the sales, financing, designing, and installation of solar panels and energy systems for commercial and residential solar markets. They also assist with getting the required permits.
Between 2015 and 2020, the Powerhome grew from 15 employees servicing 110 customers to over 2,000 employees bringing solar systems to more than 8,000 customers. Although these are the numbers stated on the company website, other sources report both more and fewer employees (between 1,800 and 2,200) and more customers (up to 30,000). In 2019 the company rolled out its commercial division in Michigan.
Powerhome Solar is dedicated to the mission encompassed by the company’s motto “Building A Movement®.” Their aim is to install “solar panels on as many homes and businesses as possible.” That means they strive to make solar energy systems more affordable and accessible to more American households and businesses.
Perhaps one of the more significant benefits of using Powerhome to install your solar system is that the company does not use subcontractors. That means each person involved in the purchase and installation of your solar energy system, from the salesperson to the technician and electrician, is directly employed by Power home. This way, the company ensures that each customer receives the best possible products and services.
While many companies claim that they are exceptional, Powerhome has the achievements and awards to back up this statement. The company made the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America three times in four years. Powerhome was listed amongst the top 300 companies on this list all three times.
In 2020 Solar Power World ranked Powerhome 7th on their national residential solar installers list. This gave them first position in the Southeast and Midwest. Power home solar was also the most awarded company at the 11th Annual Best in Biz Awards in 2021.
More than that, Powerhome has linked up with three pro football teams: the Detroit Lions, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have also entered into a partnership with NC State Athletics.
Where is Powerhome available?
The Powerhome headquarters are in Mooresville, North Carolina. They operate in 14 states in addition to their home state. These states include:
- Georgia.
- Kansas.
- Kentucky.
- Illinois.
- Indiana.
- Michigan.
- Missouri.
- Ohio.
- Pennsylvania.
- South Carolina.
- Tennessee.
- Texas.
- Virginia.
- West Virginia.
What services does Powerhome offer?
Powerhome does not only provide and install solar energy systems and Generac backup battery systems. They also offer “energy-efficient solutions designed to optimize your home’s energy consumption and further boost your potential savings.”
These solutions, packaged together as the SMARTPWR360°™ Solution, include a Nest Thermostat which enables you to adjust your home’s heating and cooling from anywhere. This could potentially help lower the amount it costs to regulate the temperature in your home.
Other solutions include LED light bulbs, specialized showerheads, smart power strips, faucet aerators, air sealant tape to seal air ducts, blown insulation for your walls, covers for attic staircases, and hot water heater blankets. In addition to this, Power home also provides a roll of plumber’s tape, a hot water temperature card, and attic baffles.
Powerhome believes that the SMARTPWR360°™ Solution could “offset your monthly electric costs by up to 25% more on top of your solar panel system.” They further recommend that customers get the SMARTPWR360°™ Solution as this could reduce their homes’ electricity needs and thus reduce the size of the solar power system needed.
What customers say about Powerhome solar.
Powerhome solar reviews vary widely. Naturally, the company features primarily good reviews on its website. The average rating on many review sites hovers around three out of five stars. This could be because people tend to leave negative reviews after a bad experience with a company than they would leave a good one after a pleasant interaction.
Still, most reviews speak about poor follow-up and after-sales service. Many reviewers speak about difficulties having repairs or fixes made, messes being left behind after the solar panel installation, and systems not being connected and functioning as expected months (in some cases close to a year) after their solar installation.
Failure to deliver on their promise has seen disgruntled customers bring a class action lawsuit against Powerhome solar in at least one case. In 2019 this matter was ordered to arbitration.
Other individuals have received excellent service both from the installations team and customer service team after installing a Powerhome solar system. It seems as though customer experience greatly depends on the individual Powerhome employee(s) with whom customers interact. Because of this, the service received significantly fluctuates throughout the company. Unfortunately, most responses to online reviews by the company are relatively generic, with little concrete information on how the company plans to address its unhappy customers’ concerns about their newly installed solar systems.
How much does Powerhome cost?
Powerhome solar does not state how much their products cost on their website. Instead, they invite potential customers to contact them for a quote. This is to be expected since the cost of a solar system will vary from home to home. This is because each home and family will have different solar power needs depending on where they live, the amount of sunlight that reaches the panels, and how much electricity your family consumes.
In some cases, you may be eligible for federal solar tax credits. That means you could receive up to $15,000 tax credit. This is a maximum amount that only applies if you have paid more than that amount for the year in which you apply for your tax rebate.
Participating utility companies could offer their customers a rebate when they install a Powerhome solar system. However, some of these utilities have long waiting lists or use a lottery system that only allocates rebates to some customers.
While Powerhome solar offers financing, in some cases, this requires consumers to pay a larger amount for the first 18 months. After this period, the loan installment will decrease. However, suppose this higher amount is not paid. In that case, you may end up paying more for your solar loan than you currently pay on your electricity bill.
Although Powerhome does not use subcontractors, some customers have commented on disparities between what is promised and what they receive when signing a contract with Powerhome.
What type of panels does Powerhome use?
Powerhome uses all-black monocrystalline solar cells with Generac inverters and backup battery storage systems. The inverter converts direct current (DC) power from your solar panels into alternating current power (AC) that can be used in your home.
A backup battery system stores the unused power from your solar system to be used when the solar system is unable to produce electricity. Using a Generac battery in conjunction with your Powerhome solar system gives you three options.
Self-Supply Mode charges the battery with any electricity that you don’t use in your home. Suppose your solar system produces more electricity than you use in your home, and the battery is fully charged. In that case, this excess electricity will be fed into the grid. This can possibly allow you to take advantage of net metering if it is available in your state.
Clean Backup Mode sends all the power generated by your solar system to your backup battery. This keeps your battery fully charged, ready to kick in, and power-protected loads during a power outage.
The Priority Backup Mode feeds all electricity produced by a solar system into the backup battery system, similar to the Clean Backup Mode. In addition to this, your Generac battery can also be charged to full capacity by grid-supplied power in the Priority Backup Mode.
If you decide not to install a battery backup, your solar system will function in what Powerhome calls Grid Mode. This configuration allows you to use the power produced by your solar system while the system is able to generate electricity. During times when your solar system cannot produce power, your home will need to run off grid-supplied electricity.
The company claims that its locally produced panels can withstand extreme weather conditions, including strong wind, high and low temperatures, and snowstorms.
Powerhome solar is a leader in the solar power industry. The company does everything in-house, including financing, getting permits, and installing your solar system. Although the company has mixed reviews, it has received numerous awards and achievements recognizing its contributions to the solar industry and business world. Find more Going Solar resources here.