Batavia resident sees savings thanks to Solar Plus USA of St. Charles

How does a $0 electric bill sound?

That was what Batavia resident Ken Case experienced last month. In fact, he got a credit.

“This last bill I got, I owed less than zero. I gave a surplus back,” Case said.

He is one of a growing number of homeowners to install solar panels on his home. He has 17 panels on the roof of his house and was simply motivated by the immediate savings on his bill.

“I’m not one of those green-type people,” Ken Case said.

Ken does have a connection in the business: brother Steve Case of St. Charles owns Solar Plus USA and installed the panels on Ken’s home.

Steve Case is a general contractor and Illinois-licensed roofing contractor. He began building homes in 1997, but after the housing market crashed in 2008, he saw the need for value-added remodeling companies to provide basic services on all homes, specifically within the roofing industry. In 2014, he started Solar Plus USA and has since installed more than 20 residential arrays, including four in Batavia and four in St. Charles. Solar Plus USA also has started installing solar panels on businesses.

“Of all of the home improvement we’ve worked on, I’ve never seen any sector more prepared and self-taught than those that choose renewable energy,” Steve Case said. “It’s not a common item. It starts with curiosity, then research. Then we get a call.”

Former Kane County board member and Geneva resident Mike Donahue has had a solar array installed at his home for nearly five years. Donahue, now retired, worked in the renewable energy industry – specifically with wind turbines – and used a different contractor to install his panels.

“I have an ideal situation; [the panels] are mounted on the ground on the back part of my property and screened from view. Most people I know that have been here don’t even know I have them,” he said. “It’s a large array and provides more than 100 percent of my home [energy needs].”

Donahue said that in the past five years, the price of installing solar panels has plummeted, making the upfront cost more reasonable. While on the County Board, he advocated for the savings taxpayers could enjoy if local governmental institutions installed panels on their buildings.

“For institutions like schools and governmental facilities, it makes complete financial sense to install solar panels on their buildings. They’ll pay for themselves in five years,” he said. “From the taxpayers’ perspective, this is a no-brainer. The judicial center is enormous and uses a lot of electricity. To offset with solar would be a financial gain.”

Donahue said his own solar array has been incredibly reliable. The only time the panels didn’t produce was during the recent polar vortex when the panels iced up.

“Before we installed, they estimate our usage and project the output from your array. Now going almost five years, the output of my array is at 99 percent of their projections,” he said.

Steve Case said the solar panels he installs are durable, and each is tested using a simulation of the worst hail storm on record: hail flying at 249 mph. Coming from the roofing side of things, he also feels Solar Plus USA offers a little extra peace of mind to the homeowner.

“The No. 1 issue with installing solar panels is roof leaks. So, as roofers, we don’t have the same concerns than if an electrician installed the panels,” he said.

Steve Case said the upfront cost can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, but a large chunk of the cost would be recouped the next time the homeowner files his or her taxes.

“You’d recoup a 30 percent [Solar Investment] Tax Credit off of your tax obligation, and you’d recoup that the next tax season,” Steve Case said.

The Solar Investment Tax Credit is secured until 2019, and then it depreciates the following two years. The state of Illinois also offers solar tax incentives.

Having installed his panels in late 2015 and claiming the tax credit on his recent taxes, Ken Case said the process was easy, using TurboTax to make the claim. As for the system itself, Ken Case said he expected to hear an electrical “hum” but said it’s silent. Even during the winter or on cloudy days, the array still produces energy.

“You don’t notice anything but your bill,” he said.

Ken Case said he hasn’t had any complaints from neighbors, either.

“One lady down the road wants to stop over and look at it,” he said. “My direct neighbors don’t say anything about it. It’s flat on the roof and black. You don’t really notice it unless you’re halfway back from the house.”

Steve Case said he spends a lot of time educating people on solar. In addition to the tax incentives and how many panels can be installed, he also informs potential clients about the increased value of their home.

“Some people have said their [homeowners association] doesn’t allow it, but Illinois has a law that overrides any HOA for renewable energy,” he said. “Anybody that is doing solar is passionate about it. It’s just neat putting a power source on your roof.”

For more information, call 800-530-8615 or visit www.solarplususa.com.