StarBright Solar

10/15/2025

Even if your house is not suited for the installation of solar panels, we can still install a battery backup system that charges from the grid. It will power your critical loads, such as freezers, kitchen outlets, routers, etc. during a grid failure.

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01/31/2024

I have been getting lots of questions about rooftop systems. Here's my typical response:
It depends on many things and there is no simple answer. Many of the homes that I get called for a system are not really suitable and I advise against it.
Your home needs adequate room for the panels and the correct orientation.
Your roof needs to be in good condition. If the roof needs to be replaced then it will cost $2-4K to remove and reinstall the panels. That may not be a big part of a $30K roof but could be a major part of a $8K roof. I just had a customer have to pay me to remove panels due to a roof leak. THE PANELS WILL OUTLIVE MOST ROOFS!!!
It is ALWAYS preferable to do a ground-mount system, for the above-mentioned roof problem and for several other reasons.
Depending on your utility, a battery may be a virtual requirement due to payback.
A battery is almost always a good idea since it also provides backup power.
Get at least two bids and choose your company wisely. I recently bid $32K on a project while one of my competitors bid $55K! But, they had a really nice sales pitch!
Pick the company which had the guy who will do the project bid the project.
Any company with 'multiple installers' really has no installers, they are just salesmen.
DO NOT pick a company who contracts out the installation. If something goes wrong then neither the sales company or the installer will be responsible.
DO NOT DO A LEASE DEAL - NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.

07/05/2023

Dominion Energy is warning people about misleading tactics of solar sales reps.
About half of our business is fixing systems that were sold by misleading the customers, overcharging the customers, and installing the wrong equipment or not installing it correctly. Don't get caught up in scams, deal with honest, local companies and get competitive bids.
A big red flag is that if the sales guy says that they have a 'network of installers' then that really means that they don't have installers and will farm out the actual work to someone else. In the end, the sales guy can't come fix it and the installer has moved on and won't come fix it. If the salesman can't have you meet with his in-house installer then find another company.

Dominion Energy is urging customers across the Midlands to be aware of solar sales representatives posing as Dominion Energy employees or contractors. According to officials, Dominion Energy does not install

06/15/2023

Did you have a system built by Power Home Solar? Does it work? If not, we can make it work and the effort will probably be covered under your warranty.

06/12/2023

We are now a Certified Generac Dealer. This allows up to offer Generac systems and equipment. It also allows us to do warranty work on your existing Generac system.
Currently, we are certified installers for SolarEdge, Enphase, and Tesla, as well as Generac.

05/19/2022

We frequently publish posts on how to avoid solar energy scams. Here is another opinion along the same lines:
https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-and-utilities/how-to-avoid-a-solar-panel-scam/?ftag=CAD1acfa04

02/14/2022

Now I have seen it all.
I just got an email that claimed that they have a new product that can power your whole home without using any electricity.
That is, of course, preposterous and I hope that no one would fall for such an absurd come-on. If someone is promising you something that sounds to good to be true then it probably is too good to be true. Physics and logic hold true.
Here's the text of the email:
"Microsoft announces the official release of their most anticipated product ever. No one has ever seen anything like it.
Plug in and have it power your entire home without using any actual electricity.
See how it works.
Your power-bill will be zero and you will never pay anything again."
(I added the punctuation to make it more readable.)

04/27/2021

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 extended the 26% federal tax credit through 2022. It will drop to 22% in 2023 and expire at the end of 2023.
The state of South Carolina offer a tax credit of 25% of total system cost up to $35,000. You can take $3,500 or 50% of your tax liability per year for up to 10 years.
That is, if nothing else changes.
One thing that WILL change is the rates that you pay for energy. They will be going up. Prices will continue to rise until the price of natural gas goes up, then they will shock you.
Why not hedge your bet and invest in your own energy supply?

03/31/2021

There are good reasons why Dominion Energy is trying to stop you from getting solar. You are their captive customer. They charge you the maximum amount that is allowed by law. Of course they want to keep you to have another supplier (In this case, the sun.)
The typical system that we install has a 6 to 8 year payback. After that, you can expect 20 years, or more, of free power. That is at today's utility power rates.
It would be naive to think that those rates will not increase, as Dominion is trying to do today. It is not a free market. Those rates are set by politicians but are also determined by the fuel charges that the utilities have to pay to fire their generators. Those charges are likely to increase. Have you seen fuel prices lately? Do you want to bet that electricity will not cost more 6 or 8 years from now?
More that half of our power comes from nuclear reactors. About half the rest comes from natural gas.
South Carolina has no natural gas resources, it all comes to the state via pipelines. Most of it comes from gas fields that produce gas via fracking. When the general public becomes aware of the dangers and environmental costs of fracking then it will be outlawed. What will happen to gas prices, and the resulting cost of electricity, when that happens?
In any case, you will be more than happy that most, or all, of your energy comes from the sun. Call us and let us do that for you.

03/01/2021

A clue to solar:
If a company is offering to give you back $2039 after the installation, then they are over-charging you by that amount, and probably much more. It is not magic, it should be a straightforward and honest deal.
Also, if you claim their inflated amount as a tax credit, and take that rebated amount then that is tax fraud. They fraud you, you fraud the IRS, and everyone might just have a problem.
Avoid all that and do business with honest people who tell you the truth.