Whole Sun Designs Overview
Whole Sun Designs Inc. is a solar installation company based in Southern Indiana. Since 2011, the company has been serving local residents and businesses in Southern Indiana and the surrounding region with what they call “honest, personal service and high-quality components”.
They have completed well over 350 solar projects. As a self-proclaimed leading solar contractor in south central Indiana with headquarters in Bloomington, IN, their main mission is to transition the whole region to clean, sustainable energy.
What is the main mission at Whole Sun Designs? They claim it is to empower individual business and home-owners to generate their own solar power with quality systems – installed and maintained by skilled employees.
Whole Sun Services and Specifics
Specific Solar Panels Offered
Panasonic Solar Panels
Panasonic Solar panels have been around since 1975, and is one of the most recognizable names in the solar industry. The company specializes in creating the half-cut HIT Module solar cell which is used in their newest line of solar panels, the EverVolt series.
Tesla Solar Panels
Whole Sun offers Tesla Powerwall power storage systems for off-grid installations so you can store solar energy generated, assuring power even in the event of a grid outage. Each Powerwall holds 12.2 kWh of usable capacity and maintains a 10% reserve so that when the power goes out, the battery has enough power to turn your solar on to get the battery recharged when the sun comes up the next day.
Specific Types of Solar Offered
Residential and Commercial solar installations.
Brands sold by Whole Sun Designs include Panasonic, Canadian Solar, and Tesla. Whole Sun Designs Inc. has worked on a wide variety of solar power systems including: solar electric, solar thermal, passive solar home design, and hydronic/radiant flooring heating systems. Their main focus is on grid-tied solar electric/PV systems for residential use. By focusing on what they do best, they proclaim to provide personal service and fine craftsmanship to ensure maximum production of power systems.
Installation Costs and Processes
Costs
The average cost of solar panels in Indiana is between $3.10 and $4.50 per watt. This means that a solar system that is 5 kilowatts in size would generally cost between $15,500 – $20,500 to install. Whole Sun Designs does not advertise a specific cost for its solar installation since its system’s costs vary depending on factors such as the design, size, and materials used.
The first step in sizing and pricing your system through this company is to look at your current utility bill. Ideally, this company analyzes the last twelve months’ bills in order to add up annual usage in kilowatt hours (kWh). Using these digits, they have a simple formula to size a solar array based on your usage and price it based on system size.
Reviewers were generally happy with this service, with few mentions of dodgy quotations or surprise charges. Here is an example:
| “Whole Sun Design is a great company. They are very knowledgeable, honest, fair and conscientious. Four years ago they installed our solar array. Ryan overcame any and all of the problems that we were presented with on our ground mounted system. They helped/ did everything from getting permits and dealing with our utility company ( SCIREMC) to excavating to make our array not block our neighbors view of our field, burying the cable from the array to our house and erecting the array and frame. Their price is very competitive and their integrity is unmatched. Their estimate of production has been within 3% each year that we have had the array. They are patient with answering any questions that you may have. All of our friends that we recommended using them are very happy as well.” |
Legitimacy
| Whole Sun Designs has been licensed in the state of Indiana since 2011. |
| Residential Contractor, License #24212, Vanderburgh Co., Indiana
Electrical Master, License #27505, Van. Co., IN Master Electrical License, Monroe Co., IN |
| The company has a large gallery of completed works that can be viewed on its website. |
| The company is owned by Ryan Zaricki, a graduate of Rose-Hulman Inst. of Technology in Terre Haute and a NABCEP Certified Solar Installer. |
Awards and accreditation:
- Elite Installer – Panasonic
- Certified Installer – Tesla Powerwall, SolarEdge
- Top Solar Contractor 2018
- Certified Member – Solar Energy Industries Association, Midwest Renewable Energy Association
Maintenance
Solar panels installed by Whole Sun Designs carry a warranty of 25 years; however, the company does not provide information regarding the terms of its workmanship warranty or production guarantee.
These are crucial factors and we urge all customers to inquire about these elements beforehand.
Whole Sun Designs provide online monitoring as a standard solar service. With power optimizers, they monitor production details at the panel level. This simplifies ongoing operations and maintenance. With that said, access to system monitoring can be done from any smartphone, computer, or tablet. They design systems to be simple, efficient, and maintenance free in order to provide customers with reliable energy production.
| Key Points | |
| Solar Panel Warranty | 25 Years |
| Workmanship Warranty | Unspecified |
| Power Production Guarantee | Unspecified |
| In-house contractors | Yes |
| Free Consultation | Yes |
Customers have reported that the company is easy to contact and that they provide excellent ongoing care.
The SolarEmpower View
We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Whole Sun Designs. They are well-reviewed, and stand out for their heavy focus on residential PV. If you’re looking for a solar installer in Indiana, you won’t go too far wrong with Whole Sun Designs.
| 💲Cost: 9/10 | ✅Legitimacy: 9/10 |
| ⭐️Quality: 9/10 | 📞Customer Service: 10/10 |
