When I spoke with Kevin and Jennie Hollister for their Humans of Uprise interview, Kevin mentioned a blog post on the players behind the scenes of a solar installation would be helpful. Uprise handles your solar design, site survey, permitting, installation, monitoring, and any maintenance you need after we install your system. But you may hear names like Enphase or Sol Systems, and wonder how they’re involved in the solar process.
Solar Financing
Uprise offers three different financing options for solar: our no-cost program, a solar loan, or cash. Depending on which option you choose, you may hear different names.
Department of Energy & Environment and DC Sustainable Energy Utility
If you’re going solar through Washington DC’s Solar for All program, you may come across the names Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) and the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU). DOEE is a local government agency, and the DCSEU is under contract to DOEE. They partner together to implement the Solar for All program. The DCSEU vets solar installers in the area, and chooses approved contractors such as Uprise.
(DCSEU also offers rebates if you’re looking to electrify your home, or simply purchase a new energy efficient appliance. Find out more on their resources page.)
Uprise does offer our own no-cost program independently of DOEE and DCSEU. So if you don’t income qualify for Solar for All, you can still go solar at no cost with Uprise!
Sungage Financial
If you pay for your solar array with a loan, you may hear the name Sungage Financial. They’re a solar financing company, and offer low monthly loan payments. They perform a soft credit inquiry, so your credit score won’t be negatively impacted simply because you applied. You can obtain a loan through Sungage, and Uprise will start that paperwork for you, or you can obtain a loan through a bank of your choice.
Sol Systems, SRECTrade, or Flett Exchange
If you paid for your solar system with cash or loan and are the system owner, you’ll need to choose a broker for your Solar Renewable Energy Credits, or SRECs. Sol Systems, SRECTrade, and Flett Exchange are all SREC brokers. They’ll navigate the SREC market for you and make sure you get good prices for your credits, much like how a stockbroker functions. Once you choose your SREC broker, Uprise will submit the registration paperwork for you. Director of Sales Patrick wrote a blog post on the pros and cons of these three SREC brokers so you can make an informed decision. (Spoiler alert: most Uprise customers end up going with Sol Systems, a local SREC broker.)
Solar Permitting
Department of Buildings
After you approve your solar proposal and our construction crew completes their site survey, it’s permitting time. You may hear the name of your local jurisdiction, who approve solar permits. In DC, for example, that entity is the Department of Buildings, or DOB. The DOB’s mission is to protect the safety of people in the District, focusing on permitting, code enforcement, and inspections. Uprise’s team handles all the permitting paperwork and submits it to your local jurisdiction, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Solar Equipment
Enphase
Enphase is an energy management tech company; they make products such as EV chargers, batteries, and microinverters. Uprise Solar installs Enphase microinverters. Each solar panel on your roof attaches to one microinverter, which Enphase describes as “the brains behind the panel.” These devices convert the direct current electricity your panels absorb from the sun into the alternating current electricity your home utilizes. The microinverters also enable us to monitor your system, letting us know how each individual panel is performing.
You’ll receive access to the Enphase App so you can monitor your panels as well, regardless of how you pay for your system. You’ll set up an Enphase account to access the app. Please let us know if you need any assistance setting up your account.
Utility Companies
Pepco
Okay, you probably know this name already since you’re giving them money every month! Uprise works with Pepco (as well as BGE, Delmarva, Potomac Edison, or Dominion Energy, or whoever your utility company is) to connect your rooftop solar system to the grid so you can receive power at night or on rainy days when your panels aren’t producing as much. Connecting your system to the grid also means you can sell excess power back to Pepco through net metering. We will get you all set up for net metering, and submit what’s called interconnection paperwork to Pepco so they can provide permission to operate, which is the final step of the solar process, allowing us to turn your system on. Once again, you can sit back and relax while we handle these details!
Ask Uprise Your Solar Process Questions!
As always, at Uprise we’re here to answer your questions and simplify the solar process for you. If you’re confused about any step, check in with your sales representative or project manager. We’d be happy to walk you through it. You can get in touch with our team at (202) 750-5718, or reach out through the contact page on our website.