AMECO Customers: Debbie & Joe in Long Beach

Location: Long Beach, CA
Solar System Types: Solar Electric (PV) and a Solar Hot Water System
Solar System Details: 10 PV Panels with a Central “String” Inverter and 2 Solar Hot Water Panels

Electric Bill Before: $35
Electric Bill After: $5
Reduced by 86%!

“Our electric bill wasn’t that expensive before we went solar, only averaging about $35 a month,” said Debbie, “We made the change to become a ‘sales tool’ for solar and hopefully motivate others to explore it as a renewable energy option.” With the couple’s solar electric and solar hot water panels easily visible from their corner home on the Alamitos Bay Peninsula in Long Beach, they have the perfect set-up to promote solar energy.

Joe explained further, “It’s a good conversation starter — many people see the panels and come up to ask questions. We’ve noticed a lot more homes in the neighborhood with solar since we had ours installed in 2006. While we can’t claim all the credit, we think we may have played a part in inspiring them to go solar.”

The couple has been happy with AMECO service from Day 1 when company owner Patrick Redgate visited their home for the initial site survey. He evaluated their shake roof to make sure it was in good condition and would hold up long enough to make solar financially viable. Then, he took the time to explain how solar electric would reduce their electricity bill and the solar hot water panels would provide the majority of the hot water used in their home.

Since they trusted his opinion and solar suggestions, the couple didn’t even look into other companies and signed a contract with AMECO. Afterwards, the AMECO installers arrived to install the two solar systems. “They were very polite and quick, the installation was complete in a few days,” Debbie commented.

During the past 7 years, the solar panels have not required any maintenance at all. Moreover, there has been no need to clean the panels either. They merely allow the rain to wash away any dust that might have accumulated in the past months and the panels continue functioning at peak performance.

Whenever questions have come up, they appreciate that AMECO is very responsive and calls them back with answers in a timely manner. “The best part about working with AMECO has been the people. You can tell that they are passionate about solar and really believe in what they are doing,” she continued, “It’s nice to be working with like-minded individuals.”

Debbie and Joe are hoping to invest in a plug-in vehicle soon, and are considering a Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid or the BMW i3. They are planning to install additional solar panels to offset the electrical use of the EV. Though they haven’t made up a decision about which car to purchase, there is no doubt in their minds about who they will hire for the solar installation — AMECO Solar, of course.