Blog – Summer 2020 Newsletter
Summer 2020 Newsletter
In late 2019 we celebrated our 10-year anniversary as a company!!! As we have learned and grown over that time, we have strived to consistently provide to our customers the values of: Quality, Ethics and Customer Service. Highlights of our company journey over the past 10 years are below.
2009 – The Seed of a New Company is Sown
In early 2009 Michael Higgins, one of our co-founders and current Vice President was doing land title work for wind farms in west Texas. Based in Midland at the time, Michael encountered a man in Midland who was starting his own Solar energy company which fueled Michael’s interest in pursuing environmentally friendly energy solutions.
Later that year, Michael worked with co-founder & President, Gary Bynum, to provide seed funding and in November Green Star Solutions was officially formed. Gary and Michael decided on the initial focus to be in the San Antonio and Austin markets.
2010 – First Steps and First Job
Michael and Gary spent of good portion of 2010 learning and soaking up as much information that they could on solar industry rules, utilities and procedures needed to install solar energy solutions. In January the company acquired a Texas Electrical Contract License.
In the summer they started their FIRST project, a commercial 5 kWatt installation for Morrison Supply company in Austin. This project provided challenges and lots of opportunities to learn.
They followed up focusing on residential projects in the San Antonio area for multiple reasons:
- The electrical utility was very aggressive in promoting solar solutions and offering attractive rebates for solar energy system installations.
- The Advocacy Group called “Solar San Antonio” (SSA), formed by Bill Sinkin worked with utilities and the government to promote solar solutions.
2011 to 2014 – Lessons Learned and a Steady Business Build
The Green Star Solutions grew and slowly built the business doing 8 to 10 residential installations a year in central and south Texas. This was a time where awareness in solar solutions was really growing and there were many solar suppliers that came and went. Some of these installers were “fast buck” artists whose priority was soaking the market and leaving. Their priority was NOT not on the quality and customer service aspect of the solar install. Green Star began with and adheres in these values: Quality, Ethics, Customer Service. This helped Green Star maintain a steady course through this volatile time in the solar industry.
In 2012 the process was started of pursing NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certification. By the end of 2012 Gary achieved his professional NABCEP certification and in 2014 Michael supplemented this with a NABCEP PV Technical Sales certification. To this day, Green Star is one of a few solar energy solution companies that have 2 NABCEP certifications!
For the early installations, Green Star used quality PV modules but these were in the category of “market normal” quality. Through education gained at conferences and trade shows Michael and Gary learned about advantages of “thin-filmed” modules and film technology. They researched and upgraded the offering of PV Modules that work well in high heat conditions, which is a staple of Texas spring and summers. To this day providing “thin-filmed” modules that work well in high heat to their customers is a major focus of Green Star Solutions.
2015 to 2019 – Green Star Solutions Hones its Craft
Over the last five years, Green Star Solutions had further honed their craft and established partnerships with the top solar electrical solutions suppliers in the business.
- In 2018 Green Star transitioned to Panasonic PV Modules from Stion because Panasonic has the best-in-market temperature coefficient, a Premium PV Module and an outstanding warranty. Green Star is an Authorized Installer for Panasonic.
- Green Star used top brand Inverters from EnPhase because of their high conversion efficiencies, module-level monitoring and great warranty support which includes a standard 25-year warranty.
- Iron Ridge provides quality structural hardware for residential and commercial solar systems that allows for the most roof coverage, especially roofs that are flat or have challenging pitches.
Installations have grown into bigger and more efficient systems. Whether small, medium, or large we take pride in treating every customer with dignity and respect.
Green Star Solutions became an accredited business and has an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). We support the BBB’s efforts to promote truth in advertising and integrity in business.
2020 and Beyond – The Future Looks Bright (and green)
In January 2020, Green Star Solutions, Inc was selected for the 2020 Best of San Antonio Awards in the category of Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services. Each year, in and around the San Antonio area, the San Antonio Award Program chooses only the best local businesses. This recognition is a result of Green Star Solution’s dedication and efforts as well as the work of others in their organization that have helped build their business.
Residential solar energy solutions have taken root in Texas. If you drive around your neighborhood you will most likely see solar PV modules on many roofs. Green Star Solutions is poised to provide quality solutions as more and more people seek solar solutions that greatly reduce their dependency on electrical utility companies. We thank our many customers over the past 10 years that have helped us learn, grow and become the company we are today!
By chris@covertcommunication.com | August 14th, 2020 | News