Fact Sheet FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW PRESS CONTACT: Kendra Bonnett 203-535-9030 kendra@blackplatinumsolar.com Toni Black 623-434-3340 toni@blackplatinumsolar.com Names: Location: Services: Toni Black, president and CEO John E. Black, vice president and COO Black Platinum Solar & Electric, Inc. Phoenix metropolitan area Turnkey photovoltaic systems, which includes: Consulting with customer Analyzing historical electrical usage Performing site assessment Designing custom photovoltaic system Applying for all necessary city building permits Installing the photovoltaic system to be aesthetically pleasing Completing all necessary paperwork for the utility rebate Coordinating, scheduling and overseeing city and utility inspections Setting up customer s Energy Management Unit for Enlighten monitoring Instructing customer in the Enlighten monitoring system Monitoring energy production on a weekly basis Website: Facebook: Twitter: http://www.blackplatinumsolar.com http://www.facebook.com/blackplatinumsolar http://www.twitter.com/blackplatinumpv 1
Years in Business: Black Platinum Solar & Electric was established in 2007 Installations: Description: Technology: As of June 9, 2011, their 60 grid-tied Enphase Energy microinverter photovoltaic (PV) systems for residential customers (ranging in size from 8 panels to 111 panels) have produced in excess of 1.24 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity. The largest APS installation: 23.86 kw system, with 111 panels Since its founding in 2007, Black Platinum Solar has been designing and installing custom PV systems for residential customers. They are committed to understanding customers needs and delivering on the promise; they don t walk away from the complicated install. Customer service translates into communication and ensuring that 1) the customer has all the information needed to make an educated decision and 2) Black Platinum Solar fully understands customer wants and usage requirements. Black Platinum Solar is a turnkey service provider, which, of course, includes providing the legwork to secure permits and schedule and oversee final inspections. Black Platinum is a certified installer of Enphase Energy microinverter systems and an Arizona Public Service Qualified Solar Installer (QSI). The technology behind a Black Platinum Solar installation is the use of 1) a choice of 3 top-quality solar panels, varying in price point, all with a minimum 25-year warranty and 2) the Enphase Energy microinverters with the Enlighten monitoring system. We believe Enphase microinverters are currently the best technology in the business because: Microinverters have a 15-year Standard Limited Warranty (and the new M15 microinverter is guaranteed for 25 years) Microinverters have 100 percent (greater than 99.8 percent) Uptime Guarantee Enlighten 24/7 web-based monitoring and management provides real-time tracking from mobile devices and auto-email notification of issues (for greater customer peace of mind). And now all Enphase systems receive free LIFETIME Enlighten monitoring. Systems typically exceed NREL-estimated energy production by 4% - 14% Microinverters have a service life of more than 15 years and are so reliable, that the mean time between failures is 331 years Microinverters eliminate worries of a single point of failure. If a solar panel or microinverter fails, the power loss is limited to a single solar panel, with minimal impact on the total system. A failed module or inverter is easily identified, as diminished power or equipment failures are reported to the homeowner and the contractor via email from the monitoring system. In the rare instance that a microinverter fails, it is quickly replaced, thanks to the Rapid Replacement Program Enphase Burst Mode capacitor technology provides greater production in low-light conditions 2
The system is expandable to grow with customer needs. Conversion of DC to AC electricity on the roof at the microinverter means increased safety and reduced fire risk. Certified & Licensed: Arizona Public Service, Qualified Solar Installer (QSI) Member, Better Business Bureau of Arizona Enphase Energy Microinverters, Certified Installer Member, Arizona Solar Council Member, Electric League of Arizona Arizona C-11 Electrical License, ROC #232364 Estimated Yrs Homeowners can expect it to take up to 10 years to pay off a system with To Pay Off a a serviceable life of the system extending out for decades. Furthermore, System: experience shows that larger systems, especially ones that cover not only 100 percent of electrical usage but 100 percent of the utility bill will enjoy the shortest time to pay off system. Average time Spent to Install: John Black Quotes: The process begins with submission of the incentive reservation application to the utility company. Because APS approves reservation money on a quarterly basis and city government approvals vary in length, delays can draw out the time from initial consultation to activation by anywhere from 3-6 months. Actual time to design and draw plans, submit plans for review and permit issuance, order equipment, install system, conduct (oversee) city and utility inspections can be as little as 3-4 weeks. Every home is different. Every customer is different. Every need is different. That s why you can t say, It s a 1600 square foot home; it needs this. You can t even say, It s 1600 square feet with two people, and it needs this. It s possible for four people in a house to use less electricity than a house with just two people. Everything needs to be based on electrical usage habits what the homeowners use on a daily basis. So when I design a system it s designed from the perspective of USAGE. There is a difference between a system that covers 100 percent of electrical need at peak performance and a system that covers 100 percent of the electric bill. It s the difference between lowering one s bill and zero, where zero means never paying an electric bill again. Zero is achievable in the second year if a kilowatt per hour excess is in place at the end of the first year. The dollars carried over can cover meter read fees, resulting in the zero-dollar scenario. Remember, you re not paying to have someone else s system put on your roof. To give you the results you want, your system must be built around your usage history and requirements, your roof space and home orientation, and your objectives. 3
The bottom line with a PV system: It works. It absolutely works. My only caveat is that the system must be designed to the specific needs of the client. This is not a cookie cutter business. If a salesperson sells a homeowner a 5- kilowatt system, when he really needs a 10-kilowatt system well then all bets are off. Toni Black Quotes: Cost is everyone s major concern. People know that energy costs are going up; they want to put in a PV system to protect their future now while the renewable energy incentives and tax credits are in place to bring down the outof-pocket outlay. They are also looking to eliminate their electric costs and never pay an electric bill again, as long as they remain in their home. If we could give homeowners only one piece of advice, it would be this: Ask your questions, no matter how insignificant or silly you might think they are. Understand the process thoroughly because not all systems are created equal and neither are all solar contractors. There are a lot of numbers and a lot of calculations that go into the design of an optimal PV system. But the number that most homeowners are looking for is zero. They never want to pay an electric bill again. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vum7jw7otc Customer I am a customer service professional, employed for 33 years at IBM. I am Testimonials: TOTALLY IMPRESSED by John Black s and his team s professionalism, project quality, accuracy, communications and courtesy. In fact, I am so satisfied, that I have already moved forward with additional projects with John and his team. BRAVO! M. Wulff, Cave Creek John Black is the most dependable contractor I have ever hired. His attention to detail and his willingness to explain options, etc. was outstanding. L. Hervey, Scottsdale John, you still walk on water! J. Abrahamson, Desert Hills In my view, Black Platinum exhibited the highest ethical standards and professional expertise throughout this solar electric project. Your company went far beyond our expectations to ensure the project was completed in a most timely manner with the highest quality standards. M. Logvin, Phoenix I got that [Enlighten] alert while I was at work, I did not have time to respond. Thank you soooo much for looking into it for me! You are the BEST!!!! The electric bills are non-existent. I had a $243 credit [APS utility service], so that is paying all my bills this year! I LOVE my solar!!!! D. Fox, Phoenix 4
I obtained bids from six companies prior to selecting Black Platinum Solar to install my solar power plant. My two-story house does not have a lot of southern real estate for panels, but I wanted to get the largest system possible. Black Platinum`s bid provided the largest kw STC system size of all the bids, almost three times the size of the smallest bid. Black Platinum had no problem with any of my several change requests, even relocating a furnace flue to squeeze one more panel in. John Black, owner, spent hours on the phone and in person explaining the technology, and working on the design. Every aspect of this project exceeded my expectations. I must say that Black Platinum Solar ranks at the top of my satisfaction list of all companies that I have ever done business with. Now if only I could find a dentist and auto mechanic with the same honesty, friendliness, and work ethic. B. Kolkebeck, Anthem There was an issue with the city permitting, and Black Platinum dealt with it very professionally. I did not have to take any time to deal with the situation. They did the research into it, and resolved the problem with little delay in the project. I was very pleased with the service. They still send messages to ensure the system is working properly! M. Detmer, Buckeye Black Platinum explained all details in advance, talked about options, gave an itemized proposal, and recommended a system size estimated to supply all needed power over a year. The system was installed on schedule and works fine, providing expected output. We really appreciated the personal attention and excellent work provided by John Black and his team! R. Crowe, Cave Creek John Black, [vice] president of BLACK PLATINUM SOLAR & ELECTRIC, INC and his people were a pleasure to have worked with. John and his organization were extremely knowledgeable and professional. I chose Black Platinum because they presented a solar system that met my requirements and offered the latest technology in DC/AC invertors, the Enphase microinverter. In addition, I liked John s installation philosophy to hide the work so nothing would be visible on the exterior other than the meter. John and his organization not only speak to customer service and satisfaction but deliver on those ideals. John has a very engaging personality, and I enjoyed our conversations about solar and the newer technology he is utilizing. He was always available to answer any question and encourages his customers to become more informed and knowledgeable about solar. I am extremely satisfied with the performance of my system. I feel extremely confident my decision to have Black Platinum do my solar has been validated and would not hesitate to have Black Platinum do additional solar work for me. I had the highest confidence in the contractor I selected in terms of ability to get the job done properly. The city and the utility made the installation more difficult by requiring unexpected upgrade work be done that was not directly related to the solar system. The contractor did the upgrades with no additional work to me. I believe the contractor showed a great deal of patience and integrity. A. Robbins, Glendale 5
This project exceeded my expectations in all categories. I just hope I can work with John and Toni Black again. Every once in the while you find a contractor that is competent, forthright, honest, and in every way a pleasure to work with that describes Black Platinum! T. Andreski, Buckeye # # # 6