Quick Stats

Location: Salisbury, North Carolina

System Size: 11.52kW

Installation Type: SunPower Equinox^® + SunVault^® Storage

Est. Total Lifetime Savings: $26,476

Est. Electricity Offset: 64%

Salisbury, North Carolina may be just a stone’s throw from the major metropolitan area of Charlotte, but to walk its main street is like a step back in time. It’s been the seat of Rowan County since 1753, and if the walls of its historic buildings could talk they’d surely have a story to tell. Today, that story includes solar power.

Keith Cohick has called Salisbury home for a number of years. He became interested in solar energy as a way to protect the natural environment so beloved in North Carolina and reduce his household expenses at the same time.

A technology buff, Keith spent a few months investigating solar technologies before requesting quotes for a rooftop solar panel system from not one, not two, but eight local installers.

After reviewing the quotes, he narrowed down the choices to two companies and interviewed both of them. SunPower dealer Tayco Electric and Solar ultimately won the project.

“The final question is what won me over,” Keith explains. “I asked Joe Jensen (Tayco’s Director of Sales) where he planned to be in five years. His answer was right where he is, selling in the solar industry. That told me he was not out to just make a sale. He is passionate about what he does.”

Passion is only the beginning of what makes Tayco different. Joe and the team at Tayco are meticulous with detail. The in-house team designs every system to meet the customer’s specific needs, both from an energy and an aesthetic standpoint.

In Keith’s case, his home had some electrical challenges that the Tayco team solved in a way no other company thought of, and even rerouted some plumbing vents to enable the solar panels to lay flat against the roof.

“We went the extra mile to make a clean, uniform and aesthetically pleasing array that looks very natural on the roof,” Joe explains, “Aesthetically and financially, Keith’s decision to choose Tayco and SunPower means he will have the best return on his investment, and he definitely has the best looking solar array he could possibly have!”

Saving with solar + storage in Salisbury NC

Keith’s 11.5kW SunPower Equinox system is composed of 32 solar panels that fit neatly into the steeply pitched roof. And the system packs a lot of power. On an average day, nearly 65% of the home’s electricity comes from its own roof.

On days when the sun is really cranking but no one’s home, the SunVault battery can be set to store the power for later. Keith can choose to take advantage of the power on a rainy day, or use it when utility rates are higher to save extra cash.

Solar energy was a great investment for Keith that will provide dividends for more than 25 years. He financed the upfront investment with a low-interest loan through a SunPower preferred provider and defrayed part of the cost with the federal Investment Tax Credit. Duke Energy’s 40 cents per kilowatt energy rebate sweetened the deal by an additional $4,000. The net-net is that going solar can save Keith roughly $26,000 over the life of the system.

In his post-installation Google review, Keith raved:

“Everything was spot on in regards to communication and timing. The install crew was great to work with, professional and last but not least experienced. It's the little things that make a difference. Thank you to the TayCo Electric and Solar crew for a job well done.”

Keith got great reviews too. Says Joe: “Throughout the process Keith was very grateful and fun to work with -- our kind of client!”

For their efforts to deliver this complex installation, the Tayco team won a SunPower Excellence in Design and Installation Award, recognizing the best of the best SunPower installations in terms of aesthetics, quality, performance and customer satisfaction.

Another solar job well done--thanks to an innovative homeowner and the expertise of Team Tayco.

For more information on how SunPower can help you reduce your energy use and environmental impact, reach out to a SunPower residential solar advisor by clicking the Get Started button.