Overview
Western Solar Inc. is a leading provider of residential and commercial solar systems in Washington State. The mid-sized company was founded in 2002 in Bellingham, Washington, and for the last 20 years, has been serving Whatcom, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Island and King counties. Throughout this time, Western Solar Inc. have installed over 50,000 panels, powered over 1,500 homes and businesses, and have an estimated 5,546 tons of carbon dioxide offset annually.
The company has three main goals: to educate, provide cost-effective energy-saving solutions at the highest installation standards possible, and to fulfil the specific needs of the customer. This is reflected by the company’s achievements, extensive list of customer testimonials, educational posts and blog, and overall high ratings across a range of different websites.
Western Solar Inc. Services and Features
Western Solar Inc. Products
One aspect that makes the company stand out is their range of products. These include:
Solar Electric Panels and Systems: Western Solar Inc. offer both new construction and retrofit installation. 95% of the solar panels installed are locally made Itek Energy panels with an average installed system size of 20 panels, making a 5.6 kW system. Additionally, these panels come with a 25-year warranty.
Ductless Heat Pumps: These help customers reduce electricity bills and dependence on heating systems by using a zoned system with independent heat units to control the temperature. Unlike other local HVAC contractors, Western Solar Inc. have their own electricians on staff and therefore do not need to subcontract any part of the installation.
Battery Backup Solutions: Battery backup solutions include the addition of a battery component to your selected solar system, allowing access to excess solar production. Western Solar Inc. offer two types depending on the electrical needs of the customer: The Tesla Powerwall and the Outback Radian.
Western Solar Inc. Costs
The cost of the solar systems depends on the energy usage and size of the system required, however, the company states that most of their residential systems installed fall between $12,000 and $40,000. Against the solar panel cost graph in Washington 2022, this falls between the market average and above market average for a 5kW system. There are, however, solar incentives and solar financing options available to help support and decrease the overall price of energy. Additionally, the company offers a complimentary, no-cost site assessment, to help determine if solar is right for the customer.
Regarding their other products, the exact prices are unclear. The Tesla Powerwall costs around $11,000, including installation. Compared to other companies, including Tesla themselves, this is one of the cheapest overall prices. The Outback Radian is a monthly payment of $125. An estimation of the ductless heat pumps is between $4,000 and $12,000.
Reviewers generally seemed happy with the pricing services offered by Western Solar.
Western Solar Inc. Legitimacy
Western Solar Inc. is a legitimate company. Evidence to support this include:
- Western Solar is one of the few authorised installers of the Tesla Powerwall.
- All their electricians are NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certified.
- Their management leads the state’s solar trade organisation, Washington Solar Energy Industries Association, and is a licensed Electrical Contractor that only installs Solar Electric/Clean Energy Systems.
- Recipient of the best clean energy company in the Northwest in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
- Their website includes photographic, descriptive and customer responses of their residential and commercial projects.
- The Western Solar Initiative has an extensive list of organisations that the company has funded or donated to.
- Customer reviews across multiple platforms highly recommend the company.
- The company is transparent about its employees and contact details, providing its location, email, fax and phone number, Twitter, and Facebook on its website for ease of contact.
Western Solar Inc. Maintenance
Western Solar Inc’s driving principles are integrity and craftmanship, promising technical excellence, honesty, and transparency from every employee, and this is seen in their customer reviews. Across all platforms, customers consider them polite, professional, knowledgeable, and honest, with many of the reviews addressing the employees by name and expressing their “going of the extra mile” and excellent and easy service and ethics. After a thorough search, the lowest review is 3-stars out of 5. These highlight their very high levels of maintenance.
The SolarEmpower View
Overall, Western Solar Inc. offers a wide range of excellent services, which can come at a cost. Despite this, the company offers very high-quality services – reflected by excellent feedback from customers, blog posts on the websites and credentials and awards – and are a worthy long-term investment.
Contact Details:
Phone: 360-746-0859
Fax: 360-312-4701
Address: 4041 Home Road Ste A, Bellingham, WA 98226
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @WesternSolarInc
Facebook: @WesternSolarInc
Website: www.westernsolarinc.com
