The team at OneRoof Energy can honestly claim that we have the best customers. From Honolulu to Phoenix to San Diego, OneRoof Energy has met a lot of great people who are not only concerned with cutting energy costs and getting control of their household utility bills by converting to solar energy, but also care deeply about the world around them and how to bring solar’s benefits to their communities.
Tom and Diane Berghage were actually OneRoof Energy’s first customers and decided to finance their solar energy system through our signature SolarSelect lease. Tom is a retired US Naval officer who spent the majority of his career as a Navy research psychologist. He and his wife Diane live in Rancho Penasquitos and have two children and two grandchildren.
The Berghage’s gamely opened up hearth and home to our installation crews and even went as far as to host a press conference with local media in February 2012 after their solar installation was complete. As our growing company marches toward 2014, we will be sharing “solar stories” from our customers –and what better place to start than at the beginning? We caught up with Tom to see how he and Diane are enjoying their switch to solar energy.
How did you first hear about OneRoof Energy?
We were working with our roofer – whom we’ve known for a long time – to get a new roof for our house and he mentioned that it might be a good time to see about converting to solar energy. He worked with OneRoof Energy and laid out the numbers, where we could save money as well as some of the environmental benefits.
What made you decide to “go solar”?
Ultimately, when we saw how simple and easy it was to lease solar panels instead of buying them outright, combined with the thousands of dollars we were projected to save it was really a no-brainer. When we looked at how much we would be paying for electricity, compared to the lease terms, we decided the lease was the best route to go.
Of course, the side benefit is that you’re also protecting the environment in the long run, you’re now a part of the solution.
How did it feel when you turned the system on?
After our installation was finished and we were ready to go, my wife Diane was running out to the meter every hour or so to see if the system was generating more electricity than we were using. It was really exciting to see all the work come together.
What has been the best part of converting to solar energy?
We were very excited the first time we got a $5 electric bill in the mail. Overall, we’ve seen an 85 percent drop in our energy bill since we moved over to solar. Because of our air conditioning needs in the summer months, we usually see a pretty sizable bill during that season. But
otherwise, eight months out of the year we are basically at net-zero on our bill.
From the savings, we’ve been able to spend more on water for our backyard garden. Alongside some of our neighbors in Rancho Pensaquitos, we participate in a program to raise vegetables and bring them to the YMCA as a collection point. From there, the Backyard Produce Project organizers distribute them to underserved families who may not be able to afford fresh produce.
