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By David Dodge, GreenEnergyFutures.ca
Beth Andrew and Jordan Kruhlak know that shopping for solar can be a confusing, frustrating experience, and that’s why they started Glean Solar Brokers to help sort the wheat from the chaff.
It sounds almost too good to be true. Glean is a solar broker that helps people understand solar, get three quotes, avoid scams and ensure they are getting the best value for their money from a trusted supplier.
“We have a network of vetted solar installers, and when a homeowner comes to us looking for solar quotes, we reach out to those installers and solicit three quotes,” says Jordan Kruhlak, co-owner of Glean Solar Brokers.
“We then put the quotes together into an easy-to-compare format. And sit down with the homeowner so that we can answer all their questions and explain the differences between each quote.”
“And the best part is our service is free for homeowners to use.”
It’s easy going solar
“We get paid by the installer that the homeowner chooses, so that installer lowers their customer acquisition cost, and our fee is part of that. So, the homeowner wins and gets a free service,” says Kruhlak.
“The idea came from us working previously at solar installers and realizing that it’s too difficult for homeowners to get and compare solar quotes,” says Kruhlak. They often find it frustrating to look at the quotes and understand what all the information means.
“We are a bit of an unbiased perspective in the industry, helping homeowners to get and compare solar quotes in a more trustworthy way,” says Kruhlak.
It’s a win-win. All the solar companies have to do is prepare a quote, and since they know knowledgeable people will be looking at the quotes, they tend to be very competitive.
The customer gets all of their questions answered about solar systems, paybacks, warranties, and anything else they are uncertain about.
Beth Andrews and Jordan Kruhlak both graduated from NAIT’s Alternative Energy Program and both have industry experience, so they know how it works on both sides.
40 installers in the network
Glean Solar Brokers has about 40 solar installers in their network, and before accepting them, they must agree to Glean’s Code of Conduct and they must not sell solar door-to-door.
They started the company in 2021 and have served more than 400 customers already. They are based in Alberta but are already expanding into B.C., Ontario, and the Maritimes as demand for their services grows.
Not all door knockers are bad but Glean drew a line in the sand there and does not work with companies that go door-to-door.
“We’ve seen quotes from price gouging door knockers – you know, a price that should be between $2 and $3 a watt is $9, $10, $11 a watt, right? So three or four times the industry standard,” says Kruhlak.
Over the years, we have received a lot of emails and messages asking for information about solar at Green Energy Futures. I always say you need to know two things: 1. What solar should cost; and 2. A reputable installer. Glean offers this and more.
When Jordan says $2 to $3 per watt he is referring to an all-in price for solar. If you are getting a 6-kilowatt solar system for example, it should cost between $12,000 and $18,000 depending on your situation. This is a ballpark figure, but it gets you in the neighbourhood of good value, assuming you have also found a good, trustworthy installer that uses quality solar products.
What do the economics of solar look like?
Glean is based in Alberta, which has a microgeneration regulation.
“We have a deregulated electricity market. Our electricity prices are actually as high as any other province or higher in the country,” says Kruhlak.
However, “We also have a very lucrative electricity buyback program called the Solar Club, which allows for net billing,” explains Kruhlak. This means owners sell at higher prices in the summer.
“So you can actually achieve $0 bills here in Alberta.”
“So you can actually achieve $0 bills here in Alberta,” says Kruhlak.
We have a deregulated electricity market. Our electricity prices are actually as high as any other province or higher, uh, in the country. We also have a very lucrative electricity buyback program called the Solar Club, which allows for net billing.
So you can actually achieve $0 bills here in Alberta,
Leah Fraser was referred to Glean by a family friend
When it comes to solar, “I had no idea what to expect or what I needed,” says Fraser. But what she did know is “shopping for quotes is always a little bit of a nightmare.”
Fraser says they were in the process of getting a hot tub and were looking to put a heat pump in their Edmonton home. She wanted enough solar to cover all of their electricity use.
Fraser worked with Kruhlak of Glean on the project.
“He went out, got three quotes for us from reputable installers that he had worked with before,” says Fraser. “He explained to me the different sizes, and what we actually needed compared to what these quotes were giving us.”
Fraser says Glean even showed her what the solar was going to look like on their home.
She says her solar system is between seven and eight kilowatts in size, enough to take care of all of their needs.
“It pays for our bills,” she says. “It’s kind of fun during the summer watching our credit build up through the solar club and then slowly watch it deplete over the winter.”
“It’s going great. No regrets for sure,” she says.
We asked her what she tells people when they ask her about her solar system.
“I give them Glean’s card.”
Why are people going solar?
As for the question of why people are going solar, Kruhlak says, “I think rising grid electricity prices are actually the biggest factor for people.”
“A lot of people feel that any penny that doesn’t go to the utility is a good penny,” says Andrews.
For Leah Fraser, it was a mix of reasons.
“I’ve always been a little bit climate-conscious, and the fact that we were looking to add additional power needs to our home added a little bit of guilt that I wanted to offset.”
She’s referring to the hot tub and heat pump they added.
And “energy prices are increasing, and we could offset that … and ultimately, I wanted to see if it made sense, and he [Kruhlak] made it very clear. It made sense for us to move ahead financially and just for my own peace of mind.”
Many people are excited about new technologies such as heat pumps and solar but figuring it all out can be frustrating. Glean is making it possible for people to invest in solar with confidence.
Now, if only there was a Glean for heat pumps.
