Southern Energy Management

The references to net-metering do not fit the now preferred sell-all strategy. Utility connections made and contracts in place, but not NET metered.

Great job, my only complaint is that my gas bill has a fixed minimum fee on it, so I am not saving as much as we anticipated. Average bill prior was around $50 now it is $18, but $12 of it is the fixed fee, I did not know about. No big deal, because I love the system.

The only issue I have had is the system makes more noise than I thought it would. Noise was never mentioned as a consideration in the placement of the system. I would have made another choice for placement if I had any idea that the system emmitted an electronic buzz. Tax incentives are an absolute neccessity if we are going to get renewables installed on a large scale. The public cannot afford renewables without tax relief. It also indicates the the gov. backs sustainable policy--and that the public doesn`t have to bear all the upfront cost of a shared global problem.

Mostly we are satisfied with SEM, but they did not do a good job of explaining the relationship with NC Green Power (who we are very dissatisfied with) and our options regarding NCGP and/or net metering. SEM did a great job of dealing with a PV installation problem that was created by the general contractor. General contractor did a terrible job of coordinating with Duke Power & SEM to organize the workflow of the installation.

These guys are on the ball. They came out and swarmed over the project getting my hot water heating system installed and functioning in one day. A few days later a state certified plumber came by to inspect the job making some cosmetic changes so everything would be exactly perfect. Overall I`m 100% satisfied with the installation and the function of our solar hot water heating system. Please listen to an environmental podcast I`ve started: http://H2Opodcast.com also another related podcast: TarSandsPodcast.com which also includes information about Mountaintop Removal

highly professional company

They did a great job in half the time we thought it would take. They brought a professional crew. Made suggestions to make our system better. They seemed to really care about the work they did. They made suggestions as to how we could shore up our home in other energy areas. Highly Recommend. This is something we have wanted to do for 25 years. Our kids have finally gotten older and we have two jobs so were at a time when it was doable. We love our system!

My only negative comment relates to an email I sent to the company president, commenting that we felt the water was not hot enough, resulting in our turning our original water heater to its former settings. I asked for advise about this but never received a reply or recognition that the email was received. Installing only a hot water heater did not require a permit so questions above re this aspect do not apply.

SEM has a great group of people who are knowledgeable and the presentation to our group at Fearrington was very helpful. I would like to have them out again sometime as the issue of alternative energy seems to be catching on out here.

Great to work with!!! Installation went extremely smoothly, finished way ahead of time.

Producing approx 430 kWh during summer months Very satisfied with Southern Energy - they did a great job!

SEM did everything: paperwork, installation, stat-up. There was never a hitch or correction needed. One of the most hassle free purchases/installations I ever experienced. In addition all the employees of SEM were extremely friendly, capable and enthousiastice about their work SEM provided Energy Star inspections in our community. That is how I got in contact with them. Once the contact was established there was no doubt that they would be my contractor.

I have been interested in solar power and all aspects of reneable energy for a long time so my sources of information were and are all of the above. I am set up as a sole proprietorship/business with a seperate meter.

This was my first venture into renewable/solar energy, and the company spent alot of time with me explaining and sorting out my needs. The website is informative as well, and I appreciated pictures of finished jobs. The crew finished the work quickly, and worked with me timing-wise to gain the maximum tax credits available my system went online January 2006 to bebefit from special federal tax credits for the years of 2006 and 2007. The job was neat, and when on a follow-up visit, I asked for a small repair to a small piece of split molding, that was handled immediately, no questions asked. The difference between my December 2005 and my January 2006 power bill was nearly $60, so needless to say, that caught my atention. Savings seem to be in a more realistic $40 a month. I`m not a large hot water user to begin with, so didn`t realize I was spending that much each month just keeping water hot that I wouldn`t use. With the current tax credits, the system suprised me how afordable it was, and at this rate my system will be paid off in a little over five years. Thereafter, I`ll make 20 percent a year on this investment, an inflation-proof use of my money that I would be hard-pressed to duplicate in the stock market. Six months after the system came on, I got a follow-up note with a test strip and instructions on how to keep an eye on my system. I appreciated the reminder and the info. Overall, it`s rare that I find a contractor who overdelivers. If this company ever wants to expand into the Sandhills, I would be first in line to be a rep.