Sharing Solar Stories
Throughout SEM’s history in the solar industry we have had some truly incredible, motivated individuals who made the switch to solar. We often refer to this as starting their solar journey – the transformation that a homeowner goes through when they produce and potentially store their own energy, good energy.
Because every journey is different, every motivation is different which creates some truly interesting solar stories which we want to share with you.
Meet Kim W.
Kim is one of our solar customers hailing from Charlotte who went solar earlier this year with a FranklinWH aPower2 battery. She is a licensed clinical social worker for a disaster response organization that primarily works in the Caribbean and Central America.
Throughout her 20 years working in disaster response, she has seen firsthand the impacts that natural disasters have had on those regions. So, she decided to do her part and add a solar and battery system to her home – offsetting about 9,000 lbs of CO2 every year.
After hours spent asking neighbors, doing research, and combing through neighborhood messaging boards she found us! We love hearing what seals the deal – and in Kim’s case, it was our office pets page (plus 25 years of experience in the industry 😉).
Starting Her Solar Journey
“The collaboration between the engineer and the SEM electricians made me feel like everything was in expert hands.”
After consulting friends and family, Kim signed her proposal right before Thanksgiving and her install was scheduled for February. When ice storms hit and our crew couldn’t safely make the drive, a FranklinWH engineer rerouted a layover to personally program Kim’s FranklinWH aPower2. And of course Finn and Niko got some toys from our team to make up for the delay.
Kim’s system included one of the first FranklinWH batteries SEM installed that week. From start to finish, our team took extra care to get her battery up and running to keep her home power secure throughout the rest of the winter.
The Meter Mystery: Solved
“I never would have known our meters were swapped if I didn’t go solar!”
A few months after installation, we encourage our customers to check their billing for their applicable incentives – Kim’s bill didn’t reflect that change.
Naturally, everyone on our team hopped into Seek Solutions mode to figure out what could be the cause. After consulting with the FranklinWH team and our solar team we decided that it would only be solved by working with Duke Energy.
After a few persistent reach outs from Yanni (our Solar Designer) and Kim, we were able to get a technician onsite. The Duke Energy technician discovered that Kim’s meter had been swapped with her neighbor’s for 2 whole years! Duke is correcting the billing and Kim is expecting a nice credit to follow her $9,000 PowerPair incentive check.
Hands On in Her Community
We’ve been lucky enough to join Kim and her neighbors at her home for a Solar & Battery Tour to showcase her new system. Along with ice cream, her friends and neighbors got the solar scoop from Yanni on available incentives and for Kim she gets to share her solar journey.
“If I can get others to care about the climate, that’s a win to me.”
Along with her solar advocacy, Kim is planting trees through Trees Charlotte by dropping trees off at her neighbors’ homes for them to plant in their yards! She is truly leading the change in her neighborhood. We’re so glad to be Kim’s partner along her solar journey and can’t wait to see how she impacts her community.
Thinking About Going Solar?
“There are very few companies that offer excellent customer service these days. Southern Energy is one of them.”
– Kim. Wooley
If you’re ready to start your solar journey, we’d love to join you! Reach out to our team to learn more about what solar looks like for you and your home.
