The solar industry, while booming with potential, has recently encountered significant hurdles that threaten its long-term viability and consumer trust. A recent Time article shed light on these challenges, particularly highlighting the collapse of several residential solar companies nationwide due to unsustainable business practices. The article focuses on aggressive high-pressure sales tactics, specifically through door-to-door sales, and the financial instability of relying heavily on leasing models- when the fact of the matter is, the only person that benefits from a leased solar array is the one who sold it, not the one who bought it.
In contrast, Kasselman Solar has consciously developed a business model that not only addresses these issues, but sets a new standard for integrity, sustainability, and doing the right thing in the solar sector. At the end of the day, if someone is trying to sell you something by going door-to-door on a sunny day in your neighborhood, chances are, they are simply just trying to make a quick buck.
A Different Approach to Customer Engagement
High-pressure sales tactics have not only led to consumer distrust, but also regulatory backlash. Kasselman Solar diverges greatly from this approach. In ten years of business, door-to-door sales has never been a part of our model, as we opt for a customer-centric approach. Potential clients can easily request information on our website, allowing them to engage with renewable energy on their terms- not ours.
Then, if the customer decides they are no longer interested in solar later on, we respect their decision and do not resort to high-pressure sales and badgering tactics to make a quick buck. This method respects the customer’s decision-making process, ensuring they feel informed and in control of their own situation, while eliminating the pressure of on-the-spot decisions. We believe that homeowners and businesses should go solar because of their desire for clean energy, not our own personal agenda.
Consultations Without Obligations
The article also highlights the financial risks customers face with the leasing models prevalent in the industry. When you lease a solar array, you can benefit from decreased utility bills, but because the panels are property of the person/company that sold them to you, you receive significantly decreased financial incentives. Plus, what happens at the end of your lease? The panels still have life to them, but will they even work? Will the leasing company shut your system off when the lease expires? Who will pay for their removal? These are all unanswered questions in the leasing process, whereas when you own your system, the array is yours to keep for good.
Kasselman Solar only offers solar arrays to own, not lease. In addition, our free, no-obligation consultations are designed to provide transparency and education, giving customers the opportunity to make informed decisions that best suit their financial and energy needs. This approach ensures that when a customer decides to sign a contract with us, it’s based on a clear understanding of the benefits and costs, devoid of any unwelcome surprises along the way.
Financial Clarity: Transparent Solar Financing
More and more companies use the leasing model to sell mass amounts of customer leases to investors with the hope of removing debt from their balance sheet. As time goes on, these companies need to acquire customers faster to keep their business open, so the high-pressure sales tactics are even more prevalent because it’s literally do-or-die for the company.
Because Kasselman does not lease, we offer reliable financing for our customers. This is not only in the best interest of the consumer, it’s also a sustainable business practice. Dealer fees are all too common in the solar scape, but we use only local credit unions and government-backed financing options to prevent our customers from being duped into dangerous loans. Our partnerships with Green Jobs Green New York and Affordable Solar (both backed by NYSERDA) and First New York Federal Credit Union, a local bank, ensures our customers have a secure loan without any hidden fees or dangerously high interest rates. In many cases, dealer fees can exceed 30% on to the principal of the loan, which can be an excess of $9,000 added to your solar project.
Commitment to Quality and Recognition: The Kasselman Way
In an era where solar companies nationwide are losing profits and/or going out of business, Kasselman Solar is proud to celebrate 10 years in business in 2024. Our innovative approach has garnered local and national attention, including a feature in Forbes. In addition, we have been named a 2024 NYSERDA Quality Solar Installer for the fifth year, including a second consecutive year with an extra nod of Gold Status designation. These accolades are not just a gold star for success, but a reflection of our role in setting a new, sustainable direction for the solar industry that stays away from the shady practices that have led to its instability.
Our team of NABCEP-certified engineers is here to help you start your solar journey. We’re a local company that’s received national praise. By learning from the past and preparing for our future, we are committed to leading the solar industry towards a brighter, more sustainable horizon. Get started with renewable energy today and reap all of the benefits tomorrow!
