[image-caption title="Garkane%20Energy%20member%20Matthew%20Alldredge%20in%20front%20of%20his%20home%20with%20newly%20installed%20solar%20panels.%20(Photo%20By%3A%20Neal%20Brown%2FGarkane%20Energy)" description="%20" image="%2Fremagazine%2Farticles%2FPublishingImages%2Fthinkingbig-garkane-jan2025-2.jpg" /]
After years of renting, first-time homeowner Matthew Alldredge was looking forward to installing rooftop solar panels on his manufactured home in Kanab, Utah.
But in order to sell any excess electricity from the system to his power provider, Garkane Energy Cooperative, he would first have to ace an online quiz.
As a longtime fan of solar technology, the 30-year old restaurant owner had studied photovoltaics extensively, so he understood the co-op's reasoning behind the requirement.
“It makes sense that they're making sure we understand our end and that we're not just getting solar panels willy-nilly," Alldredge says. “There's a lot more to it than just hooking up panels and going from there."
About one-third of the co-op's 250 net-metering consumers, including Alldredge, have passed the quiz the Loa-based co-op began offering in early 2023. Before proceeding with installation, those interested in rooftop solar must score 100% on the quiz after watching a short educational video.
[blockquote right quote="%E2%80%9CIt%20was%20a%20way%20to%20really%20educate%20them%20and%20know%20that%20they're%20getting%20the%20information%20that%20we%20need%20them%20to%20have.%20By%20getting%20them%20invested%20in%20the%20process%2C%20we're%20showing%20that%20we're%20watching%20out%20for%20them.%22%E2%80%8B" author="Neal%20Brown%2C%20Member%20Services%20and%20Marketing%20Manager%2C%20Garkane%20Energy%20Cooperative" align="left" /]
Garkane launched the initiative to help members identify misleading or incomplete information often given by third-party solar vendors about installation or the technology itself.
“We've struggled with solar installers with no ties to the area not understanding Garkane's process and filling out the application on behalf of the consumer," says Neal Brown, quiz creator and the co-op's member services and marketing manager.
There were instances where an installer had told a customer they would no longer have an electric bill, and the irate member called the co-op demanding a refund. More egregious cases involve outright fraud.
“The installers would come in, try a quick sell, tell them anything to get a sale, and then they were gone," Brown says. “It felt like members were holding us responsible for not educating them enough."
A PDF booklet on the co-op's website explained the net-metering and solar installation processes, but it wasn't hitting the mark.
“We definitely had a disconnect between what the solar providers were telling our members and what we expected of the members," Brown says. “The problem was with those who would read it and not be interested in solar until maybe a year down the road, and they'd forget everything they read."
'To Really Educate Them'
Brown teamed up with colleagues in the engineering, metering and planning units to design a quiz and video program to educate members before they went through the net-metering application process.
The four-minute video explains the net-metering and other technical aspects of rooftop solar, including interconnection specs. It also states that solar applicants must complete the form themselves and get quotes from reputable, bonded and insured installers with business licenses from Utah or Arizona.
Alldredge said he “had an idea of what was going on, but the video covered things that are still good to reiterate, especially if you're very new to solar."
He appreciated the co-op's openness and attention to detail.
“They made sure that I got the papers and everything that I needed instead of tossing me back to the installer. They were right on top of things and made sure I knew what I was getting into."
Installers have obligations, too. If they want approval to do interconnection work in the co-op's two-state service area, they must watch a separate video and pass a quiz with a perfect score.
The course and quiz are an extra hurdle, Brown acknowledges, but the response from homeowners and vendors has been largely positive. And by making it a requirement, member complaints have largely disappeared.
“It helped almost force the education when they were ready to do it," he says.
Garkane leaders are considering adding similar online training for other services, like battery storage, electric vehicles and new construction.
Brown says overhauling how they communicate with members on solar has helped elevate the co-op as a trusted source of technological information.
“It was a way to really educate them and know that they're getting the information that we need them to have," Brown says. “By getting them invested in the process, we're showing that we're watching out for them."
