Mark McBride at The Solar Sherpa

05/27/2024

Howdy friends and customers!…
This post is a long time coming. I want to let you know that I am no longer associated with West Coast Solar. After a 13 year career, we parted ways. As sad as it was, it has opened up so many new opportunities for me. I understand some are having issues reaching service for issues. I will always help my customers…even if I’m not still employed there. I will give info to get to the right people. I will never desert you all!
With that being said, I am on the manufacturing side of the industry now. I am a Regional Manager for an inverter company not called SolarEdge or Enphase🤣. We are a Texas bases company that is growing in leaps and bounds. We have much better solutions than the big players in the industry, and can provide solutions for NEM 3.0 that are more cost effective than most on the market now.
I can also direct you to the best installation companies in the area. I have a completely different view of the industry on the equipment side, and I know who the good, bad and plain ugly are out there!
I am still always available for advice…I love the industry and only want the best for it! Feel free to continue to send me your referrals and I will make sure they get the absolute best advice and company referral from me!
In closing.
Thank you all that have put your trust in me over the last 13 years. It means so much to me that I have had a chance to help thousands of people make the right choice, ethically and honestly. Even better, the friendships I have made.i appreciate you all!!

07/11/2022

This is exactly why I work where I do…
Door knockers do this crap all the time

Ellison says the Utah-based companies used deceptive and predatory practices to sell homeowners residential solar panels that cost far more than they should have.

03/18/2022

PGE raised electricity rates in January 2022-8%
PGE raised electricity rates in March 2022 -8.9%
PGE raised gas rates in January-11%…
They are proposing another 22% this year and another 22% from 2023-2026.
That is absolutely insane and criminal. This is the time to go solar…. What other proof is needed.
The number one thing to remember is there are a lot of new solar companies popping up to take advantage of these rate hikes. Some good, a lot, not so much. People need to be extremely mindful of who they are working with and if they have your families best interests in mind.
Like always… I am always ready to help. 7 years experience in the industry with a great reputation for what I do.
West Coast Solar has been around for 15 years! Check our reviews and testimonials!
Think we can’t get you financed with super low rates… think again.
It’s never been easier to get solar financing. Soft credit checks to see if you qualify… no dings on the credit score.
Please reach out to me directly for a quote m, or even to chat about solar.
I can be reached at 925-303-6303 or [email protected].
Existing customers… send me your friends and family for solar and receive a nice referral bonus.
Let’s get it done… together!

08/04/2021

Part 2 of….
So. We have the company, the warranty and the equipment somewhat sorted out. What’s next?
So, I want to back up a bit and throw out a few more warnings and things to avoid.
Stay away from solar ads on FB or any other social media outlet that aren’t company specific. They are what’s called click bait.
Promises of free solar, Govt or state pays you to add solar, blah blah blah. It’s all crap. I’ll say it one time…THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE SOLAR SYSTEM!! You are going to pay for that system one way or another. In most cases, you will qualify for a 26% tax credit, but more on that later.
Your best bet, once again, is to research your local, family owned, reputable solar companies. What most people don’t realize is, that we have to work harder and more ethically to stay in business than a larger, corporate owned solar company. One bad review or post on social media can set a family owned company back a lot. We don’t install thousands of jobs a year, where a bad review barely hurts a large company. We all strive to do the best possible job to make our customers happy…and it’s really easy to do. Solar isn’t rocket science. We do have hiccups, but we always take care of the customer!
Ok… off that soap box….
So look at financing. Solar financing has become very good these days. Lots of options with no money out of pocket. But you need to make sure you find the best situation for you. Are you looking to just replace your PGE with a lower monthly outlay? Then you can finance with a rate as low as .99% these days… but on the other side of that equation, you are paying for that low rate. The cost of the system goes up as the rate goes lower. Same as if you were getting a personal loan from a bank. Cash is always best, but if you can’t afford it, look at the different options. Now, I am a not a fan of leases or PPA’s. You give up too much in my opinion with the tax credit and most times, Its cheaper to finance it vs a lease.
Don’t be tricked into “by leasing, we do all the maintenance…”
That is an outright lie. The only maintenance is cleaning the panels, and you would be responsible for that regardless!!
Always review ALL options and ask questions!
Part 3 later….😊

Solar Sherpa

08/04/2021

So…
I felt compelled to create this post once again, to try and steer people to an informed decision regarding to purchasing solar for their homes. I am so disappointed to continue to read ads and posts from so called “solar experts” that are in the industry to do nothing more than overcharge and take people for their money. My main goal here is to provide some education that might help you make the most informed decision when deciding if solar is right for you.

When looking at making a solar purchase, the single most important factor isn’t the system itself, but the company installing the system. It all starts and finishes with them. How do you know if they are on the level with you, and have your interests, not theirs, in mind?
Research!!! Don’t make a snap decision to purchase a system at the kitchen table with the “nice young man/woman”. This is not a small purchase, and you owe it to yourself to research it. I always recommend checking Yelp first. A reputable company will have mostly positive reviews, normally over a 4.5 rating. Read them!! Especially the bad ones. Is there a trend? Bad installs? Leaks? Promises not kept? BBB is next, and of course friends that have solar.
For the most part, a solar install is a pretty straight forward process. Ask the question ls about their install team. Do they do their own installs, or are they sub contracted out? Using a sub contractor may not be a bad thing, but it does add another layer of people involved in your project, and if there ever is an issue, how hard is it going to be to track them down to fix it?
How long has the company been in business? Are they “Two Chucks in a Truck” Solar Company that will give you a great deal since they are small and hungry?
Does the company work with supply houses that are going to Pre-Lien your property? This is becoming a huge problem with fly by night solar companies. They buy the equipment for the install on a job by job basis. This practice creates a pre-lien situation with the supply house. It is their protection to get paid if the company bails on their account with them. They come after the homeowner for payment. I worked for a company early on in my solar career that did this, and it is not a pleasant conversation to have with a homeowner that they will receive a certified letter with a pre lien included.

Let’s move on to the equipment itself. The warranty is extremely important, and you need to read the fine print when it comes to it.
All companies these days offer a 25 year warranty on their systems, but what does that really mean? Let’s take a mid line panel. The stated manufactures warranty is 12 years. The solar company will then warranty the product for the next 13 years themselves. If you trust the company to be in business, then you should be ok. But what happens in year 13 if a panel fails and the company you bought the system from is no longer in business?
Yep, you are out of luck!
Now, all is not lost, because there are manufacturers offering 25 year warranties themselves. This protects the homeowner in the even of the company disappearing.
Inverters. Most inverters are warrantied for 12-25 years. You need to read the fine print here as well. SolarEdge, our inverter of choice, has a standard 12 year warranty… but they offer an extended warranty up to 25 years. Once again, protecting the customer against a company not being around.
Don’t let a company steer you to their preference of an inverter. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a company fibs about the different technologies. A company that sells micro inverters will tell you how bad a string inverter is… but will leave out the part about optimized string inverters being equal to it better in some applications than a micro inverter. Once again… do your due diligence on the equipment.
Part 2…. Tomorrow…

06/01/2021

Get ready for the June Swoon…AKA, your summer PGE bills.
Here is something to ponder for those on the fence on buying solar. With the severe drought in California and the Western United States, we can expect rolling blackouts caused by low flows to hydro-electric producing generators. Also, with PGE’s proposed rate hikes… it’s going to get worse.
Please reach out to me with any questions or a no hassle quote. It takes about 15 mins and I can tell you if solar will work for you or not!!

Solar Sherpa

05/23/2021

So…
It’s been awhile since I have posted on my page, with our big move, Covid-19 and such.
My topic today is…
“How to pick your solar company”.
It’s time. It’s time to finally make the decision to put a bunch of black rectangle thingys on your roof and magically make your PGE bill disappear. Or so that’s what you see on TV, mass media, those annoying solar ads on Social Media etc.
It’s a daunting task. You hear all the pro’s and cons of “going solar” but how do you know who to trust?
First things first. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!
Sorry to scream, but solar is a huge investment. A lot of companies will try and bombard you with LOTS of numbers, making what could be a horrible deal, sound good.

Check out the companies you are getting quotes from. BBB, Yelp, Google search. Are they local? How long in business? Company install or sub contractor doing the install and subsequent service if needed. Is the warranty a manufacturer’s or a company provided, and if the latter, what happens if they go out of business?
Do they or their suppliers put a pre-lien on your property? This is important. If the company goes out of business, you are on the hook for any unpaid balances on the equipment.
The equipment. A reputable company will sell you what is best for your situation, not what they get the most $$$ from. This is very common. Be wary if any company that makes their panel choice to you sound like their’s are like a Ferrari, and the competition’s are an older VW bug. A panel has a specific output rating. A 335 watt panel provides approximately 335 watts at it peak performance. There are no turbocharged panels (yup… I have heard a company told a customer that line)
I always try to make the systems I design expandable for the future. Battery/Generator/Electric Vehicle charging station ready. Plug and play if you decide to upgrade in the future.

Financing vs. Cash.
Any reputable company is going to charge less for cash over financing. 10% is a good number to look at.
What financing terms are best for you? Once again, you need to make that choice. How long will you be in the house? What are your future plans?

Traditional financing vs. leasing.
This is a hot topic. I personally refuse to sell a PPA/Lease. It benefits the selling company far more than the homeowner in my opinion.
You lose the 26% tax credit, which in most cases, is cash in your pocket. The only scenario that a PPA/Lease might benefit a person is if they cannot utilize the tax credit. But then, solar financing has become so much easier to qualify for and the price is very close to leasing.

Finally, pick a company that treats you like a person, not a number. I pride myself on building relationships with my customers. I have hired them for my needs. I feel if they can trust me with their solar investment, I should do the same. You do not get this from a large company that grinds out new salespeople daily. I make myself available after the sale, often as a liaison if there are ever issues.

In closing, you have a ton of choices in solar companies. I hope this helps in making your decision about going solar.
Please feel free to reach out to me directly with other questions, as this is but a thumbnail of what to look for!
925-303-6303
[email protected]
PM me as well!!

07/27/2020

So...
One of the questions I receive the most from prospective customers is why they should go with West Coast Solar and not one of the “BIG NAME” solar companies you see advertising on TV and Social Media.
I tell them point blank...”do your research on ALL of us”
A lot of the bigger companies are in financial distress these days, with a large Roofing and Solar company filing for Bankruptcy, and two merging to try and salvage one combined company.
Even the darling of them all, you know... the guy who makes the killer cars and does solar, tunnels and shoots stuff into space... yep, they are also suffering.
So why West Coast Solar, or better yet, Me.
We are a family owned, local business, with deep roots within our community. Over 15 years in business. In solar, that is a long time.
We are your neighbors, friends, teammates. Our kids go to the same schools. We see you at events, the grocery store. The difference is, we care about our customers and our community. We are held at a higher standard than any corporate owned entity. As a family owned small business, we have to perform a step above all of our competitors. We fail, and it affects us harder than the big boys.
With that being said, what really differentiates is from everyone else is our honest, ethical approach to selling solar. We aren’t young kids, knocking on doors to hawk our wares. We are all seasoned experts in the solar arena. We will tell you if solar is right for you, or not. I’ve personally walked away from dozens of potential customers because solar was not the right fit. Who else can claim that? We aren’t quota driven zombies that have to make that deal or else...
We only use the best materials with the best warranties. And we have, hands down, the best operations and installation team in the world!!
I hope to hear from lots of potential customers.... even if it is for advice. That I will give even if you go elsewhere. Feel free to contact me via Messager or drop me a direct email at [email protected]

03/16/2020

Customers, friends and family.
We are all facing a few weeks of tough times. I want to offer the following promotion that could help us both out.
Starting today, my referral payout will be as follows.
First referral that signs earns you $500
Second one $1000
Third $1500.
I figure if we help each other out, we can all make a little bit.
Have them call me directly (925)-303-6303
Thank you to all!