Energy systems
Solar Installation Designed Around Backup Power
Most solar gets sold on the bill. We design it on what you want still running when the grid is down, because that is the part homeowners regret getting wrong.
Start here
Grid-tied solar does not power your home during an outage
A standard grid-connected array stops producing the instant the utility drops. That is not a defect and it is not something a better installer can work around. Anti-islanding protection exists so a rooftop system cannot energize a downed line while a lineman is on it, and every code-compliant inverter behaves this way.
People find this out during an outage, standing in a dark kitchen under twenty-four panels in full sun. If nobody told you before you signed, that was a choice somebody made. Producing power while the grid is down takes battery storage or a hybrid inverter with backup capability, plus the isolation equipment that separates the property from the utility.
We come at solar from the backup-power side rather than the sales side, so this is the first conversation we have, not the last. If outage protection is the real motivation, the answer may be storage first, or a standby generator and no solar at all. We would rather say that than sell you an array that goes dark with everything else.
Three levels
What each configuration actually does
Solar only
Produces whenever there is enough light and offsets part or all of your annual consumption. Exports go to the utility on whatever terms your provider offers. No outage protection.
Solar plus storage
Stores production for the evening and for outages, powers selected circuits or larger portions of the property, and reduces how much you depend on an unfavourable buyback rate.
Solar, storage and a generator
Solar produces by day, the battery covers the gap and the quiet hours, and the generator handles the long event. Load controls decide what runs when capacity is tight.
The third configuration is the one we build most often for rural properties, and the Generac complete home energy system is one coordinated way to get there. It is not the only way. Tesla, Enphase and Sigenergy storage all pair with solar we install, and the right platform depends on your equipment and your loads rather than on a logo.
Our process
Five steps from first conversation to startup
- 01
Energy consultation
We go through your electric bills, your backup goals, what you expect to add in the next few years and how much space you have to work with.
- 02
Property assessment
On site: roof or ground-mount location, structure and condition, shading through the day, electrical service capacity, equipment placement and utility requirements.
- 03
System design and proposal
You get system size, estimated production, the specific equipment, optional storage and project pricing in writing. Production is an estimate. We label it as one.
- 04
Approvals and installation
We coordinate the applicable permits and inspections and, for systems connecting to the Oncor grid, the interconnection application. Then we install to the approved design.
- 05
Startup and support
The system is commissioned and tested, monitoring is configured, and we show you how to read production and system status so a problem in year three is obvious.
Permitting, engineering and interconnection requirements vary by jurisdiction and by utility. Whatever applies to your property is identified in the proposal rather than appearing later as a surprise line item.
The approvals step
Interconnection is where solar projects stall
A grid-tied system is a generating source connected to somebody else’s distribution network, and that network gets a say. Across most of our service area that means an interconnection application with Oncor, which runs in parallel with the local permit and inspection process. Both have to be complete before the system can legally operate.
Timelines are outside any contractor’s control, and any installer who promises you a firm energizing date at the point of sale is guessing. What we can control is submitting a complete package the first time and telling you which stage a project sits in when you ask.
The electrical service is worth checking early too. An older panel with no spare capacity can turn a straightforward solar project into a service and panel upgrade discovered halfway through. We look at that during the property assessment, not on installation day.
What we will not do
Things you will not hear from us
Solar has a reputation problem in Texas, and it was earned by a specific set of sales habits. Here is what we avoid.
A guaranteed savings number
Your bill depends on rate plans, delivery charges, minimum charges, buyback terms and how much electricity you use in a hot year. We estimate production. We do not guarantee what it saves you.
A payback period
A payback figure requires assumptions about future electricity prices and future rate structures that nobody can support. We will show you the system cost and the expected production and let you do your own arithmetic.
Tax advice
We are a licensed electrical contractor, not a tax adviser. Ask your tax professional what any credit or incentive is worth in your situation. We will supply whatever equipment and cost documentation they need.
A zero-bill promise
Minimum charges, delivery fees and seasonal swings mean most grid-connected customers still get a bill. Anyone promising you otherwise is describing a rate plan they have not read.
Financing is available through multiple lenders, subject to credit approval, and we will show cash and financed pricing side by side on the same proposal. What we will not do is quote a monthly payment without also showing you the full system price. The financing page lists the lenders we work with.
Solar questions
What homeowners ask before they sign anything
Will solar keep my house running when the power goes out?
Not by itself, and this is the single most common misunderstanding in the industry. A standard grid-tied array shuts down the moment the utility goes down, because it is not permitted to energize lines that a repair crew may be working on. Running your house on sunlight during an outage requires battery storage or a hybrid inverter with backup capability, plus equipment that isolates the property from the grid.
How many panels do I need?
It comes out of your actual consumption, the wattage of the panels we specify, the usable roof or ground area, shading through the day and how much of your usage you want to offset. We work from twelve months of billing rather than one summer bill, because a system sized off August alone looks very different from one sized off the whole year.
Is ground-mount better than rooftop?
It depends on the property. Ground mounts give you free choice of orientation and tilt, easier access for service and room to expand later, which suits rural lots, metal buildings and shaded roofs. Rooftop uses space you are not otherwise using and avoids trenching. On a lot of properties out here the roof is fine and the question never comes up.
What happens when my roof needs replacing?
The array has to come off and go back on. If your roof is within a few years of replacement, it is almost always better to replace it before installing solar rather than paying to remove and reset a new array. We handle that work as well, so if you already have panels and a roof claim, see our page on solar removal and reinstallation.
Are there solar incentives or a tax credit in Texas?
Texas has no statewide solar rebate, and incentive programs at the utility level change without much notice. We are electricians, not tax advisers, so we will not tell you what any credit is worth to your household. Talk to your tax professional about your specific situation, and we will give you the equipment and cost documentation they ask for.
Does Texas have net metering?
There is no single statewide buyback rate. What you are credited for exported production depends on your retail electric provider, municipal utility or co-op, and the plans differ a great deal. Your utility plan should be reviewed before the system is sized, because a plan with poor export credit changes the case for storage entirely.
How long does the whole process take?
The physical installation is usually a matter of days. The full timeline includes design, engineering where required, permitting, inspection and utility interconnection approval, and those steps are outside our control. We tell you what stage a project is in rather than quoting a date we cannot hold.
Related
Keep reading
- Home Battery BackupThe equipment that lets solar do something during an outage.
- Solar Removal & ReinstallationDetach and reset when the roof underneath needs replacing.
- Generac PWRcell SystemsSolar, storage and a generator managed by one set of controls.
- Standby Generator InstallationLong-duration backup for properties where outages last days.
- Electrical Panel UpgradesService capacity that supports solar, storage and everything else.
- Service AreasParker, Palo Pinto and Erath counties and West Fort Worth.
Two ways to start
Which one are you?
Need a generator
We start with what has to keep running at your property — the well, the AC, the freezer, the shop — and size the system around it. You get a written proposal with the equipment, the electrical work and the site prep all in one number.
Already own one
Repair, diagnostics and scheduled maintenance for Generac, Kohler and Briggs & Stratton systems — including units another company installed. Tell us the brand and what it is doing and we will bring the right parts.