Look before taking solar panel leap

Batavia Russell and her husband, John Russell, plan to put solar panels on the roof of their Denia neighborhood home this year, but they will wait until fall in hopes they can qualify for a rebate from the city.

They had to hunt a bit, too, for the right company to do the job, she said. They will hire a neighbor who has experience with the work.

“Do business with someone you know,” Batavia Russell said.

The first company the couple signed to do the work decided to stop doing residential installations, John Russell said. He didn’t fully understand the company’s relationship with the city until he started asking more questions about the city’s programs.

The city of Denton offers rebates for a variety of energy-saving home improvement projects, from smart thermostats and attic insulation to energy-efficient windows. Through Denton Municipal Electric, the city-owned utility, the city also offers a limited number of rebates each year to its customers who generate their own electricity with rooftop solar panels.

The rebates are part of the city’s annual budget, which is often depleted soon after it becomes available each October.

But the city doesn’t have partners or any kind of approved list of contractors for the programs.

For practical reasons, the utility doesn’t maintain a waiting list for solar rebates either, according to Brian Daskam, spokesman for DME, which has 55,000 customers across the city.

He confirmed the utility has received complaints from customers about solar installers and contractors, including promises of rebates long after the money has been depleted.

DME also has heard complaints about installers making exaggerated claims of energy savings.

The owners of North Texas Psychiatry and Psychotherapy put solar panels on the roof of their building, a house converted into an office suite on North Locust Street, in late 2012.

The installation is one of about 60 around Denton, most of which received rebates from DME, according to Daskam.

Kerri Vellotti, office manager for the medical office, said the installation qualified for a rebate and the owners also noticed a big difference in the electric bills once the panels had come online.

“It was as much as 75 to 85 percent less,” Vellotti said, although not every month.

Their installer told them it would take six to seven years before the panels would pay for themselves in electrical savings, an estimate Vellotti said was about right.

DME requires solar installers and other energy-efficiency contractors to register with the agency before their customers can qualify for a rebate, but that does not mean the company has been vetted or endorsed by the city, Daskam said.

The city recently began publishing a list online at www.cityofdenton.com with other information about the rebate program, which is called GreenSense.

Before investing in solar panels, Daskam recommends homeowners and business owners take advantage of a free energy audit from DME to learn what upgrades are best for their property.

Solar panels have become less expensive in recent years, dropping about 30 percent in price between 2010 and 2013, according to a report from the Union for Concerned Scientists. But investing in the recommended 5-kilowatt system for the average home remains on the same scale as buying a new car, or about $23,000 before tax credits and rebates.

For the customer ready to invest, Daskam and the Better Business Bureau recommend homeowners and business owners research the contractor’s history.

Jeannette Kopko, spokeswoman for the BBB Serving Dallas and Northeast Texas, said the nonprofit compiles information on all businesses, not just BBB members, in 13 North Texas counties, including Denton and Collin counties.

The group publishes the information online for the public for free at www.bbb.com/dallas. In addition to complaints made to the nonprofit, the BBB also gathers and publishes any records of recent government investigations.

Businesses are given a rating, from A+ to F, and the reasons for that rating, Kopko said.

Businesses that join the BBB must agree to meet standards for truthfulness in their practices to be accredited by the nonprofit, Kopko said.

Each of the member’s advertising and marketplace practices must withstand continued scrutiny to maintain its BBB accreditation.

Kopko recommended that consumers be sure to read and understand anything they are being asked to sign, too.

People often sign agreements thinking they are estimates, she said.

Review any agreement for information on the scope of work, the time period it will be completed and for what price. Check, too, for cancellation privileges and how problems are resolved, she said.

For those who cannot resolve a problem with the company directly, Kopko recommended filing a complaint with the BBB. A representative will help try to get the complaint resolved.

In addition, the complaint and the company’s response becomes part of the record with the BBB, she said.

If someone believes a solar installer has made misleading claims, Kopko recommended complaining not only to the city utility, but also to the BBB.

“If we can substantiate that [claim], we will tell them to modify it — it must be truthful or they have to stop using it,” she said.

PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881 and via Twitter at @phwolfeDRC.

Look before taking solar panel leap