Today, I’m sharing an interview with Rob Santoleri of TerraSol Energies, a local small business in Chadds Ford that installs solar energy solutions. If you’re curious about getting solar at your home or business and want to head straight to the interview, check it out. 👆🏼 If you want to first know how I ended up here, read on. 👇🏼
We’ve been thinking about getting rooftop solar for a long time. I had a hard time justifying it for a while. Our yard was too shaded, and we didn’t have the right roof directions.
Moreover, the payback period felt too long to invest. We switched to time-of-use energy through PECO. I mostly stopped using my clothes dryer (one of the most energy-intensive appliances in a home) because I really enjoy hanging our clothes outside. I found other comfortable ways to reduce our energy bills.
Then, circumstances changed. An August 2023 storm stole many of our beloved trees (RIP 🪦), and subsequent storms took more trees over the next two years. Needless to say, we have more sunlight on our roof these days.
Additionally, we have two electric vehicles now. And have you seen power prices lately? It was time to revisit rooftop solar.
I found some vendors through the EnergySage marketplace in the past, but none of them felt right. A friend recommended Terrasol Energies, and I reached out for more information. After several exchanges and meetings with them to discuss potential plans, we decided to bite the bullet and invest in solar. Terrasol has been great so far, and I’m stoked about solar!
Is now a good time to invest in solar?
I’m quite the eco-nerd. I’ve been digging into residential rooftop solar on and off for many years. I’m not an industry expert, but I know concerns exist about solar panels.
Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
Aren’t there issues with mining the components of solar panels?
What happens to the panels at the end of their lives?
Will tariffs make them a lot more expensive?
Aren’t the tax credits for renewable energy investments going away?
These are all great questions. I asked Rob about all of them. Check out the video for his answers.
Why we invested in rooftop solar
My inner eco-nerd appreciates the environmental benefits of solar energy, but my interest goes beyond altruism. Our energy markets and infrastructure face a major shakeup, and I’m not entirely sure what this means for me.
Some expect AI will be a major customer of energy demand in the coming years. That’s not a universal perspective, but it will almost certainly increase demand in some capacity.
The world is being electrified for good reason and will need more electricity. Electric stoves don’t pollute the air in our kitchens. Heat pumps perform far better and more efficiently than most other HVAC units. EVs will soon provide a better driving experience for almost all drivers.1 Don’t knock ‘em ‘til you try ‘em.
Our country’s transmission lines are old and lacking, and we’ve forgotten how to build big infrastructure in the United States. I hope we can remember. 🤞🏼
What happens if energy demand outpaces supply?
What will happen to energy prices if demand outpaces supply? Might there be premiums for those who can afford to pay while others experience rolling blackouts? Surely, big AI companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta have deeper pockets than I do.
Yet, as demand for energy increases rapidly, our federal government is pulling back on incentives to invest in clean energy. Whether you prefer carbon-free or carbon-heavy energy, why would we not incentivize investment in lots of new energy to meet anticipated demand? I’d like to see the most significant investments in clean energy. But environmental considerations aside, what happened to the ‘all of the above’ approach in the face of skyrocketing energy demand projections?
That sounds a little apocalyptic; that energy demand might outpace supply. It’s hard to imagine a day when there’s not enough energy to go around. I hope I’m wrong. But I’d rather not FAFO.
Even if the big corporations and the wealthiest among us aren’t allowed to pay for priority, energy prices are rising (and not expected to decline anytime soon).
Our federal government wants us to pay more for energy
Here's yet another reason to consider solar energy for your home. Our current federal administration wants to eliminate products and information that help you save money on energy and gasoline. They want you to spend more money at the pump! For real. 💰 You can't even make this stuff up.
✨ Residential solar energy systems lock in energy costs (i.e., via the fixed cost of the system powered by free rays from the sun for the life of the panels) to help protect us from anti-consumer policy shifts.
As reported by the New York Times, Washington Post, and Fox News (yes, that Fox News) and further discussed by longtime environmental advocate Bill McKibben, the current federal administration wants to get rid of the Energy Star program, eliminate the “start-stop” technology in cars that prevents idling at stoplights, ditch low-flow showerheads, and bring back incandescent light bulbs.
These moves waste energy and ramp up your energy bills to benefit Big Oil.2 This is a rich agenda for an administration hyper-focused on eliminating “waste.”
Energy Star Program
Energy Star is a public-private partnership. You’ve likely seen the blue ENERGY STAR label that provides simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions.
The Washington Post reports that the program costs $32 million annually to administer. Since 1992, it has saved American families and businesses $500 billion in energy costs, including $14 billion in 2024 alone. That’s an insane ROI! Why would we get rid of this?!
“Start-stop” technology in cars
According to Fox Business, Lee Zeldin, head of the EPA, wants to eliminate “start-stop” technology in cars. The feature can improve fuel efficiency by 4-5% (reducing your gasoline costs), can be turned off in most vehicles if drivers don’t like it, and is not required by law. That sounds like a great free-market solution, so why would “free-market” conservatives want to change this? 🤔
Waste reduction home upgrades (shower heads, light bulbs, etc…)
Swapping out your shower heads and light bulbs for energy-efficient alternatives won’t wildly decrease your energy bills, but it’s not nothing. The savings are greater than zero. So why all the hate? McKibben sums it up best:
Remember all that endless Trump nonsense about low-flow shower heads? They cut the use of hot water by about forty percent. Ditto incandescent bulbs, which use 75-90 percent more energy, and which Trump is trying to bring back. It’s strange to be pro-waste, but there you are.
Big Oil bankrolled the current administration
All of these moves increase your PECO bills and your gasoline budget. The “anti-waste" administration literally wants you to waste energy and money to benefit Big Oil, which bankrolled its path to the swampiest of swampy Washingtons. The "groceries" and "inflation" guy wants to inflate the cost of driving your groceries home, keeping them cold, and keeping the lights on in your kitchen.
Six months ago, articles about eliminating the Energy Star program and incandescent light bulb nostalgia would have been in The Onion or The Babylon Bee. Now, it's real news in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Fox News. Our president is whining about toilet bowls and water pressure. 🙄 They're laughing at us, not with us, friends.
Solar energy systems provide reliability and hedge against volatility
Whether you want to spite federal government stupidity, give a Big Middle Finger to Big Oil, or just save money on your friggin’ energy bills, consider solar energy for your home. It's a big upfront investment,3 but the long-term return on investment is great. If you can invest, locking in energy prices for the next 25 years is probably more reliable than investing in the current volatile stock market, whose whiplash reactions have no end in sight.
Renewables aren’t meant to be a stand-alone energy source for the entire economy. No one needs to hear that “it’s not always sunny in Philadelphia.” We know. 👍🏼 However, as zero-marginal-cost resources (i.e., sun and wind are free), renewable energy systems like solar hedge against commodity price volatility. This is good for your energy bills and provides a buffer from elements of global and geopolitical instability that impact power prices.
A rooftop solar energy system provides energy independence and peace of mind about pricing. ☀️ Sunlight is free, so once you lock in the price of a solar energy system, you can budget for your effective electricity prices for the next 25+ years. Energy independence and price predictability are not political. I know people from across the political spectrum who have solar, and they all love it.
Ready to consider rooftop solar?
Investing in solar energy with a small local installer is a great way to be a good neighbor if it's in your budget and you're ready to make the investment. It provides certainty around energy for your home in a political environment rife with unpredictability and an administration keen on skyrocketing energy prices.
It supports a small local business likely to be caught up in the chaos of ugly and unnecessary trade wars, impulsive tariff policies, and cuts to useful tax incentives for non-billionaires. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, if you want altruism points. Plants, animals, and all the kids with asthma will thank you! 💛
Contact Terrasol Energies to learn more about what they can offer where you live. We don’t have our system installed yet, so I’ll keep you posted. But we’ve heard only great reviews from local friends who’ve been using Terrasol for years.4
Although we haven’t installed our system yet, I wanted to share about rooftop solar before tariffs and tax credit reversals significantly change the financial calculus of the investment (if that happens). If you have any questions, reply to this email, leave a comment, or reach out to Terrasol directly.
P.S. This is not a sponsored post. If it were, I would definitely disclose it. I received no discount or benefit for sharing about the company. I’ve just been happy with my experience and wanted you to know about it while it’s still a good time to invest in solar energy. I hope that window doesn’t close anytime soon! ☀️
I’m not saying there’s an EV for everyone right now. But after driving EVs for four years, I’m convinced that you’re unlikely to go back once you get an EV. I know one person who returned to an ICE truck for a specific reason, but most people love their EVs. As the EV market continues to mature (in the US and especially globally), we see more options, and prices drop (China makes very affordable and good quality EVs, so the tech is already available), the transition will continue. And most importantly, you will never miss going to the gas station to fill your tank if you can charge at home. Ever. 🫶🏼
That’s not their public messaging, but give me a break. The propaganda is clear as glass. 🙄
There are options to lease solar panels that essentially offset the cost of your current energy bill with minimal upfront investment. They work for some people, but (at least in our analysis), they had high implicit interest rates. The ROI for us was higher when purchasing the panels ourselves. Only you can decide which option is best for your circumstances.
I didn't talk to Rob about government policies or decisions, so if you love this administration, don't attach commentary on policy to him. That's on me.
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