Our president Chad Waits has seen folks in southern Arizona choose to install solar and energy storage for many reasons. Some people want to save the most money. For some people, it's their carbon footprint. Doug and Maggie wanted to make sure they could keep important health care devices running when the grid fails.
When we sat down with Doug, he told us, “When my wife and I decided that we wanted to learn more about solar and about the resources available in Tucson to install solar on her home, I did a good deal of research myself. We first contacted Net Zero Solar, Chad had some questions for us. In fact, the first question that he asked was, ‘why do you want to do this? What are your goals?' I thought that was unique. Chad was an excellent listener and provided expertise in a patient way. He wasn’t trying to sell me as much as he could sell me. He was trying to propose a system that would meet our goals."
Doug shared the bottom line: “I did a little bit of research, with my bill. And for the year, our lowest bill of 2024 was at $36.42. The only our highest bill was in September, reflecting, of course, August consumption, it was $171. Our total bill for the entire year of 2024 for this house was $663.72. And this house is around 4,000ft², and the ceilings are pretty tall.
So it's working. Yes, it is. Saving money is saving consumption of fossil fuels to propel my house. But more importantly, it is meeting the goal that Maggie and I had when we first met with you."
Reflecting on his conversations with Maggie and Doug before they decided to install solar and storage, Chad says “I think it's important for any contractor to really understand, what are these people trying to accomplish? You have to listen and ask the right questions so that then you can formulate a solution that is not only going to meet the goals that they're trying to accomplish, but also work inside of their budget. Everybody's got a budget and they want to make sure that they're getting the best value for their dollar and accomplishing what they want."
Because it was important to Maggie and Doug to power certain critical loads, Chad designed a system that includes Enphase Energy IQ batteries to store energy and recommended that they install a mini split to cool their bedroom in case of power outages, creating a “lifeboat."
Doug loves how the system works: “The battery lasts a day or two if you need it, you know, for overnight. I like to know that I'm going to have electricity when I need electricity in my home. Chad designed a system that met our needs to preserve food, preserve my CPAP, and preserve a pleasant environment in our bedroom area."
Why did Maggie & Doug choose Net Zero Solar? He says “To start, we were essentially ignorant about the topic. And Chad's explanations of the technology and of the installation process really eased our anxieties about the whole thing. It was, from then on, a wonderful experience for us.
It doesn't pay to go with whatever is the cheapest. It pays to go with whatever is the best over the long term. Something that serves your needs, and in this case, it's a perfect fit for Maggie and for me."
Summing it up, Doug shared: “This is a company that's committed to Tucson, to southern Arizona, and committed to solar for the right reasons. Chad listened. The whole team at Net Zero Solar designed and then installed a system which now, after three years, is doing exactly what we wanted it to do for us. And it also saves a lot of money. Hello! That's nice too!"
System Details:
See More Photos of Doug & Maggie's Solar and Storage System:
945 W Silverlake Road
Tucson, AZ 85713
520-207-4053
ROC# 248710, 259756