Lorrie DeCoursey

Summary

In the interview, the guest shares their experience with going solar, highlighting their interaction with Daniel Ginsburg, a sales manager who provided valuable insights into solar financing and federal incentives. The guest chose Green Home Systems due to the company's balance between size and personalized service, as well as the support from Daniel. The guest offers advice for those considering solar, emphasizing the importance of research on federal tax credits and financing options, transparency about electricity usage, and proactive communication with the project manager to understand each step of the installation process. They also suggest planning for contingencies in case the initial solar panel plan cannot be fully realized, as they had to quickly decide on an alternative plan. The guest expresses excitement about the imminent activation of their solar system and satisfaction with their decision to go solar.

Takeaways

• 🤝 The interviewee appreciated the opportunity to discuss their solar panel experience, highlighting the importance of research and communication.
• 💼 Daniel Ginsburg's role as a sales manager was pivotal in providing detailed information about solar financing and federal incentives, which influenced the interviewee's decision.
• 🌟 The interviewee chose Green Home Systems due to the company's reputation and the personalized support they received from Daniel, emphasizing the value of a good company fit.
• 🔍 The importance of researching and understanding federal tax credits and financing options was stressed, as it is a significant part of the decision-making process.
• 🧮 For those not mathematically inclined, it was suggested to seek help from a friend, accountant, or knowledgeable individual to understand the financial implications of going solar.
• 📊 Transparency about electricity usage is crucial to ensure the correct number of solar panels are installed, as it directly impacts the system's efficiency.
• 🛠️ The interviewee regrets not being more proactive in understanding the installation process and recommends engaging with the project manager to clarify each step.
• 🗓️ Having a clear schedule and understanding the order of operations can help avoid confusion and ensure a smoother installation process.
• 💡 It's important to consider alternative plans (Plan B) for solar panel installation, in case the initial plan does not get approved or is not feasible.
• 🏡 The interviewee suggests considering the placement of panels if the initial plan doesn't work out, as they had to make a quick decision on an alternative plan.
• 🚀 The interviewee is excited about the imminent activation of their solar system and feels positive about their decision to go solar, offering encouragement to others considering the same path.

Q & A

Who was the sales manager that the speaker interacted with?

Daniel Ginsburg was the sales manager that the speaker interacted with.

How many companies did the speaker consider before talking to Daniel Ginsburg?

The speaker considered three companies before talking to Daniel Ginsburg.

What was the speaker's initial feeling about the solar industry?

The speaker had a good feeling about the solar industry and thought they had a good understanding of how it works, especially related to financing and federal incentives.

What did Daniel Ginsburg provide that made the speaker's decision easier?

Daniel Ginsburg provided additional information that filled in the gaps for the speaker, making them realize what they didn't know about the solar industry.

Why did the speaker ultimately choose Green Home Systems?

The speaker chose Green Home Systems because of Daniel Ginsburg's ability to understand their needs, the research they did on the company, and the assurance of having a support person.

What was the speaker's main concern when choosing a solar company?

The speaker wanted a company that was big enough to be reliable but not so big that they would get lost in the system.

What advice does the speaker have for someone new to going solar?

The speaker advises doing a lot of research on federal tax credits, understanding financing options, being transparent about electricity usage, and asking questions about every step of the installation process.

What was the speaker's experience with the installation process?

The speaker had a few hiccups in understanding the schedule and who was going to come when, suggesting that communication could have been improved.

What was the speaker's strategy for planning the number of solar panels?

The speaker did not have a Plan B in case the initial plan for the number of panels was not approved. They suggest that others should consider alternative plans in case the preliminary plan does not work out.

How did the speaker feel about the solar installation process?

The speaker felt that the process happened fairly quickly and they were satisfied with their decision to go solar, despite some minor issues.

What was the speaker's final sentiment towards their solar installation experience?

The speaker was feeling absolutely great about the whole experience and was looking forward to having the solar system flipped on.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Selecting a Solar Company and Manager

The speaker begins by expressing gratitude for the interviewee's time and readiness to answer questions. The interviewee shares their experience with Daniel Ginsburg, a sales manager at a solar company, which was their third company considered for solar installation. They discuss the importance of research and the thorough information Daniel provided regarding financing, federal incentives, and the overall process, which helped fill in knowledge gaps and influenced their decision to choose Green Home Systems. The speaker then inquires why Green Home Systems was chosen over other options, and the interviewee cites Daniel's expertise and the company's balance between size and personalized service as key factors.

05:03

🤔 Advice for New Solar Customers

The interviewee provides advice for individuals considering solar energy, emphasizing the importance of understanding financing options and federal tax credits. They suggest seeking help from a professional if the financial details are complex. Transparency about electricity usage is also highlighted as crucial for determining the correct number of solar panels needed. The interviewee reflects on their experience, noting that they could have been more proactive in planning for contingencies, such as having a Plan B for panel placement if the initial plan was not approved. They also stress the value of communicating closely with the project manager to understand each step of the installation process. The interview concludes with the interviewee expressing excitement about the imminent activation of their solar system and satisfaction with their decision to go solar.

Keywords

💡Sales Manager

A sales manager is a professional responsible for overseeing a company's sales team and driving sales performance. In the context of the video, Daniel Ginsburg is mentioned as the sales manager who provided valuable insights and information on solar energy systems, financing, and federal incentives, which helped the interviewee make an informed decision.

💡Solar Energy

Solar energy is the power generated from the sun's rays, which can be converted into electricity using solar panels. The video's theme revolves around the interviewee's decision-making process for choosing solar energy for their home, highlighting its environmental and financial benefits.

💡Research

Research is the process of gathering information and conducting a thorough investigation. In the script, the interviewee emphasizes the importance of researching solar companies, contractor's licenses, and understanding the financial aspects of solar energy systems before making a decision.

💡Federal Incentives

Federal incentives refer to government-sponsored benefits or tax credits that encourage the adoption of renewable energy sources like solar power. The interviewee discusses how the additional information provided by the sales manager on federal incentives was crucial in their decision-making process.

💡Financing

Financing involves the methods and options available for funding a purchase or investment. The video discusses the importance of understanding financing options, such as federal tax credits and offers to buy down interest rates, when considering a solar energy system.

💡Green Home Systems

Green Home Systems is the company the interviewee chose to work with for their solar energy needs. The decision to go with Green Home Systems was based on the interviewee's research, the company's reputation, and the personalized support provided by their sales manager, Daniel Ginsburg.

💡Electricity Usage

Electricity usage refers to the amount of electrical energy consumed by a household or business. The interviewee advises being transparent about one's electricity usage to ensure the correct number of solar panels are installed to meet the household's energy needs.

💡Project Manager

A project manager is a professional responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. In the context of the video, the interviewee suggests that engaging with the project manager to understand each step of the solar installation process is crucial for a successful outcome.

💡Installation

Installation refers to the process of setting up and configuring a system or device, such as solar panels on a rooftop. The interviewee shares their experience with the installation process and the importance of clear communication and planning to avoid misunderstandings.

💡Decision-Making

Decision-making is the cognitive process of selecting a course of action from among multiple alternatives. The video's narrative focuses on the interviewee's decision-making journey, including the research, consultations, and considerations that led to their choice to go solar.

💡Investment

An investment is an asset or item acquired with the goal of generating income or profit. The interviewee describes the installation of a solar energy system as a significant investment, emphasizing the need for careful consideration and understanding of all aspects before proceeding.

Highlights

The interviewee had a positive experience with Daniel Ginsburg, the sales manager, who provided valuable information on solar financing and federal incentives.

The interviewee chose Green Home Systems over other solar options due to the comprehensive support and understanding provided by Daniel Ginsburg.

Research on companies, contractor's licenses, and the size of the company was important to the interviewee.

The interviewee appreciated having a dedicated support person, which provided assurance throughout the process.

The interviewee suggests that potential solar customers should conduct thorough research on federal tax credits and financing options.

Seeking help from a friend or a professional, such as an accountant, to understand the financial aspects of going solar is recommended if the customer is not mathematically inclined.

Transparency regarding electricity usage is crucial for determining the right number of solar panels.

The interviewee emphasizes the importance of understanding each step of the installation process and asking questions.

Having a preliminary plan for solar panel installation is necessary, but it should be flexible to accommodate any required changes.

The interviewee advises considering alternative plans (Plan B) in case the initial plan for solar panel placement is not approved.

Clear communication with the project manager is essential for avoiding misunderstandings and ensuring a smooth installation process.

The interviewee shares that the installation process can happen quickly, but it is important to stay involved and informed.

The interviewee expresses excitement about the imminent activation of their solar system.

The interviewee feels great about their decision to go solar and is happy with the overall experience.

The interviewee's feedback is expected to be helpful for anyone considering solar energy.

The interviewee appreciates the opportunity to share their experience and insights with others.

Transcripts

hello thank you so much for joining me

here today I really appreciate your time

I just have a few questions for you are

you ready um yeah thanks fantastic can

you share with us who your sales manager

was and how did your experience go um

Daniel Ginsburg was um the sales manager

and I um well this was uh the third

company we talk to um once we decided to

consider solar um and I'm not sure if I

should have done more than three because

I think the research was important but

as much as I had a good feeling um

from one of the others that I actually

thought I was going to go with when I

got a chance to talk to Daniel and even

though I thought I had a good

understanding of how it all works

especially related to financing and the

the um Federal incentiv and all of that

um the additional information that

Daniel was able to give me in terms of

how of all that worked um was astounding

in terms of me realizing what I didn't

what I I didn't know what I didn't know

um so it really sort of filled in the

gaps for me and sort of sent me more

more off to um U making a decision to go

with green home that's fantastic that's

wonderful and with that being said why

did you choose to go with greenh home

systems instead of all the other solar

options you might have had yeah so I

think um davel was was probably number

one in terms of being able to understand

that um I myself did some research on

the companies even looking up

contractor's licenses and all that

because you know to me I I wanted to

have a a big company but not a big

company where I would get lost in that

company and I think you know what I

learned from researching green homes um

I got the sense although I didn't look

up D on Brad street or any of that I

probably could of but um um I really had

that comfort from that and then from you

know the multiple calls I had had with

Daniel to have the assurance that I

would have a support person uh and this

is long before I before I before we

signed um call with

Daniel okay okay very good

now one more question for you what is

some advice you would give to anyone new

to going solar what are some things that

you've learned so far that you can

probably share with someone you yeah so

um I I think I think a couple things on

the sort of the making the decisions and

understanding the financing because

there's you know uh you know do a lot of

research on the federal tax credit um do

a lot of research on you know the offers

to sort of buy down the interest streate

and understand those and if you're not

sort of of the mathematical prowess

where you can understand how that all

works I would suggest just talking to

someone either a friend or or you know

paying accountant to help you understand

the meaning of all that because that's a

big part of it in understanding what

you're getting into and and what the

best option would be for you is is very

important um I think also

um be really transparent about your

electricity usage this is not a time to

like hide anything you know because you

really want the right amount of panels

and since we're we haven't flipped it on

yet so we don't know we hope we're going

to be okay but you know it seems like

you know we we vetted that a lot um I

would say from the the installation

Point um uh you know and I I think

there's some steps I could have done

differently but um it it all H it all

can happen fairly quickly and there's a

lot of different steps I mean if I would

have done something differently now I

would have sat down with my project or

gotten on a call with my project manual

man manager and Daniel and let's walk

through a little what are each of the

steps and what's the detail what are the

what is the order of operation kind of a

thing because a really busy time for me

and I was getting texts from the project

manager and a few phone calls and the

thing is I think for every single step

you should really I think the best way

would be to get on the phone with a

project manager

and ask questions about every single

step what does every single step mean

who's going to be there what's it what's

it going to involve and there's some of

the you know we had a few little sort of

hiccups in understanding what the

schedule was and who was going to come

when and I think that would have really

that that would have really helped

because because um you know as I've said

it might be seem like a simple task to

someone that does this every day all day

but to us it was a big investment and

and and and so that would have been

useful and I think one of the other

things too was

um I would you when the plan is made for

how many panels are going to go on your

roof it makes sense that that's a

preliminary plan and they made clear

that that was a preliminary plan

and that all had to be

approved right I should have thought of

this myself is that we knew how many

panels we wanted and if that wasn't

going be approved what would plan B

Be and none of us did that and I think

that would be a good thing to do to say

okay what if like say for example we

have a very sunny the back of our house

you know we have a two-story house

that's high like we can't even see our

panels from the backyard our roof is so

high but um if they would it all fit on

that back roof in the ideal location for

the sun um what would plan baby and um

so we ended up having decide on Plan B

literally in 5 minutes you

know and and so that that that was one

of the things um that was the the

courage of Me Maybe all of us should

have thought about doing that 100% 100%

And I think that is fabulous advice I

think that anyone new to going solar can

really take that on and consider that uh

while they're going through their

process and maybe ask some of those

questions yeah exactly so like if a few

of the panels have to fit on the front

front of the house where do you want

those you know exactly I'm sorry sorry

um anyway so yeah so but um yeah I I

can't really I can't really think of

anything else I mean we're really

anxious for it we're you know I think

just an inch away from having it flipped

on and so we're really looking forward

to that

so we're feeling absolutely great about

the whole experience and so happy we did

it amazing well thank you so much for

your fabulous feedback I know that it

will be super helpful for anyone need to

go on solar and we appreciate your time

you're welcome