The flock of people out there who have gone solar grows bigger and more diverse every year. They’re all responsible for getting solar installed on their property, but they all wouldn’t agree on the top reasons for going solar. We’ve noticed there tend to be different kinds of solar buyers now than ten years ago, and we turned that observation into a test. Which matches you best?
You were pretty sure you would go solar from the moment that:
- You heard about the tax credits and net metering! That’s what makes solar a truly good deal!
- You found yourself vibing with clean, renewable, plentiful solar on an emotional level, whether it was seeing Jimmy Carter but panels on the White House in the 1970s or hearing the call for green jobs during the early 2000s
- You watched your neighbor get solar panels last year
- You watched a whole slew of online videos of super tricked outhouses with solar, battery, electric vehicle, instant unlimited hot water, robot vacuum, smart speakers, security cameras, smart toilets, smart oven, and smart pet food dispenser and said, “this solar technology must be mine!”
When you first got in touch with the solar panel installer that you signed with, you found them by:
- Asked your neighbor who did their solar roof, and a bunch of other questions like what does it do, what happens at night, do you notice when the system comes on, do your lights flicker when it starts up, and does it make your attic colder or hotter to have the roof covered with panels.
- Met an employee or founder randomly at a community event – it was probably an environmental meeting, or an Earth Day festival, or an electric car meetup, or some kind of rally, you know it was probably a rally.
- Stumbled on their blog on Google late at night while reading up on how to finance a solar home installation and apply the tax credit proceeds to keep the loan from amortizing, so fascinating.
- Happened to be falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about solar-powered vehicles, and you think you started by reading about planes, but then you found out that the designer of the first Belgian solar car has a solar installation company and it’s right in your area! Coincidence!
When you had some fleeting second thoughts about signing your solar energy contract, it was because:
- You wondered if you could get your hands on that fancy Tesla roof instead, because it’s crazy cool, before realizing that they’re still super rare, darn it.
- You wanted to check your math one more time to compare the payback with your stock portfolio, but decided that solar is safest.
- You had some more reading to do about the green commitments of the panel manufacturer and installer, to make sure you’re working with solar partners that walk their talk on climate action.
- You wanted to look at the installation gallery on the installer’s website and make sure they’re all as nice looking as the house down the street with the sleek, clean arrays in front – so pretty!
These days, when your rooftop solar system comes up in conversation, it’s along the lines of:
- Shamelessly bragging about the super-advanced technical intricacies (and superiorities) of how it functions, and you proudly beam about low degradation rates, microinverters, and panel count for total nameplate rating, mostly to your kids’ school friends, in a display of bizarre and frightening geekiness.
- Nudging colleagues and family to take advantage of locked-in energy costs to plan an affordable rate now and basically free energy (and home value) from solar that’s paid for itself.
- To bolster your case and your credibility when you’re arguing with someone to do more for the environment, like, “Why, I’ve had solar on my own roof since 2019 and it’s great and everyone else should too because the planet needs absolutely every act we can possibly make at every level to help!” Mic drop.
- Answering questions for the new neighbor on the street, eerily like when you were asking your neighbor a year ago before you got your panels! Because that’s just what neighbors do for each other, now that solar is mainstream and spreading with a life of its own in subdivisions around here and all over the world, isn’t it cool!
Scoring:
Now, add up your total score and see below to find out what type of solar customer you are!
Question 1 Scoring:
D is 1 point, A is 2 points, B is 3 points, C is 4 points
Question 2 Scoring:
D is 1 point, C is 2 points, B is 3 points, A is 4 points
Question 3 Scoring:
A is 1 point, B is 2 points, C is 3 points, D is 4 points
Question 4 Scoring:
A is 1 point, B is 2 points, C is 3 points, D is 4 points
Your Solar Personality:
The Techie (4 to 7 points)
You’re really into computerized doodads and crazy little gadgets to make life better, more interesting, or just kind of fancier somehow. Probably someone gave you a remote control car at a formative young age, but however it started, now you have the means and time to feed your love of Sharper Image-style wizardry. Your solar consultant had better be versed up and down in the language of high-tech solar to accommodate the experience you want. If you’re happy with your solar, go back to your installer and keep in touch via your favorite social media platform to keep them up to date on the news you’re hearing and help them stay on top of trends.
The Dollars and Sense Person (8 to 11 points)
There is nothing wrong with going solar to save money. So let’s say it again: There is nothing wrong with going solar to save money. It’s brilliant. It’s proven, through carefully-designed software backed up by data, and in some instances energy storage can even help too, when the battery is configured to discharge back to the grid giving verified solar energy when a strong price signal exists. For most solar customers, there’s a little bit of a financial-minded solar client in all of us, and face it, no one is going solar thinking it’s a bad investment. Just a winking nod of warning: remember the paradoxical tendency of some solar customers to suddenly be less careful about energy waste, enjoy your savings, dollar-minded customers!
The Eco Climate Warrior (12 to 15 points)
Your solar installer is lucky you picked them, mighty green friend! Though they may still catch flack from you for the occasional faux pas like an installer drinking a bottle of water on the job or the company warehouse in a building without the ability to put solar panels on the roof (not our fault!) But you’ll help keep your installer on track, urging them to support state policies that will expand solar access, and you’ll send other activists their way for solar quotes. The environmentalist solar homeowner gets a new appreciation for the challenges that the residential industry faces as well as the opportunities to create stronger relationships with clients and installers, and can advocate growing solar much more forcefully than before.
The Next Solar Home on The Block (16 or more points)
How about that! You got panels right after your neighbor across the street (the sincerest form of flattery is imitation!) and now the houses on both sides are getting them too! This is maybe the coolest trend we see: the people who didn’t have a real personal drive or connection to solar technology, politics, or economics, and are kind of just doing it because it’s what people near them are doing, like ordering those fun fruit leather gummies for your kids on Amazon because you saw the box in your neighbors’ recycling (we all copycat each other, admit it because it’s a compliment!) These days, when there are just too many options for what’s on streaming, or what to cook, or how to spend Sunday afternoons, we all go with the flow. And that means going solar. So cheers to you and your solar neighbors, and enjoy your solar success together!
Hope you had fun with this little quiz! But don’t worry, we’re not trying to throw labels around. We know that all stripes of folks love the benefits of solar, and no solar customer is just a category. That’s why our teams take the time to get to know you and understand your goals to make all your solar visions real.
