When Ellis Harkin decided it was time install solar at his Ewa Beach Gentry-built home, he searched with the resolve of a retired Army serviceman and current U.S. Defense Department employee for the perfect Hawaii solar company.
“I’m a soldier and I like things American-made,” he said. “I wanted quality materials and workmanship, and didn’t want any foreign-made panels on my house.”
His search led him to contact SolarWorld in California, the oldest and largest solar manufacturing company in America. SolarWorld suggested he use one of its certified installers in the Islands, which include Bonterra Solar.
“The next day, I got a call from Bonterra,” he said. “Their senior sales consultant, Steve Hochart, came to the house. He was completely prepared to answer all of my questions. I was really impressed.”
From contract to installation, the process was easy
Harkin signed a contract with Bonterra, obtained a clean energy loan from Bonterra’s banking partner, American Savings Bank, and his 25-panel photo-voltaic (PV) system was installed in one day.
“The main thing is I didn’t want a sloppy panel layout,” Harkin said. “And I wanted some room to grow should I need more panels down the road. They did everything right. They handled all the paperwork. On the day of the installation, they started at nine in the morning and by 6:27 p.m., the system was online.”
Bonterra welcomes another homeowner into its ohana
“Ellis is the kind of customer we love working with,” said Andrew Yani, Bonterra Solar founder and principal. “He knows what he wants and we do everything we can to make him part of our solar ohana.”
“Bonterra was installing solar systems on three other houses in the neighborhood, so they included me in a group discount,” Harkin said. “I really liked that.” (Bonterra Solar is the trusted solar installer for Gentry Homes.)
Harkin said he and his wife wanted to go solar since buying their house 12 years ago, but they wanted to wait until the solar market established itself.
“The time was right,” he said. “The cost of electricity was going up and Bonterra was the perfect company to work with. In the first month after the system was installed, I saved $350. I can’t say enough about Bonterra Solar.”
contact // 548-7657 (SOLR)
address // 4218 Waialae Ave. #A203
web // www.bonterrasolar.com
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