Going solar can be tricky for homeowners. Turlock company has 500 people who can help
Solar Energy Partners of Turlock is growing fast in its business of helping homeowners adopt solar power.
The company has about 500 sales representatives in six states, four years after its founding, and is still hiring.
SEP does not make or install the photovoltaic panels that turn sunlight into electricity. It does help homeowners choose the right system, apply for tax credits and other aid, and navigate the process for hooking into the local utility.
“We’re able to take that person from the beginning to the end to get them interconnected, get them turned on,” co-founder Clint Williams said Wednesday.
He met with The Modesto Bee outside his Ripon home because COVID-19 has reduced access to the small headquarters just off Monte Vista Avenue in Turlock. His home has an extra-large solar system — 56 panels meeting almost all of its summer demand.
The pandemic actually boosted SEP’s business because people stuck at home had more time to consider solar, he said. The sales reps have mostly worked out of their own home, using Zoom and other means to talk with customers.
Some people choose solar because it can greatly cut their utility bills. Most of Stanislaus County is served by the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has customers here and elsewhere in Northern California.
More solar, less fossil fuel
Solar reduces the fossil fuel burning that contributes to climate change and other environmental concerns. And it could get a boost from President Joe Biden’s proposals for creating jobs and updating the nation’s infrastructure.
“California has already been on the leading edge of that, but hopefully it grows across the nation,” Williams said.
SEP had about 100 employees at the end of 2019 and about 300 as of February. It added an additional 200 or so with the merger in early March with Standard, a similar company launched in Bakersfield in 2017.
SEP has sales reps also in Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Florida and New Jersey.
Project costs vary with sunlight
A typical installation costs about $20,000 to $24,000, said Anthony Pimentel, manager for SEP’s Northern California region.
But the cost can vary depending on how much customers want to save on their utility bills, and how much sunlight strikes their roofs and other surfaces. Utilities differ in their policies for crediting excess power added to the grid.
SEP’s other co-founders are Alex Williams and Dave Madrid. In a news release, the company won praise from Todd Jensen, founder of the company that just merged with it.
“In what was a challenging year for the solar industry, SEP went against the narrative and grew at an astounding rate,” he said.
This story was originally published March 29, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
