Florida solar company PPM to expand to Florence

FLORENCE, SC (WMBF) – Gainseville, Florida solar contractor Power Production Management said in a news release Friday it plans to expand to South Carolina and will have an office in Florence.

PPM installs residential and commercial solar energy systems, is licensed in four states and is currently working on expanding throughout the region. Founded in 2009, PPM has consistently made the Top 500 Solar Contractor list since 2012. In January 2017, PPM was listed as the twelfth-best residential solar contractors in Florida.

"We're excited to expand to South Carolina because we know we can provide better, cleaner electricity generation for South Carolina residents," explained PPM director and co-founder, Jason Gonos. "We analyzed electric bills in the Palmetto State and were baffled by how much residents were paying. We're determined to help them offset their monthly electric bill by installing the highest quality solar panels with an industry-leading 25-year guarantee."

The release stats South Carolinians who have a solar system installed will have the ability to save money on their electric bill, raise their home value, and improve the way the world is powered. This allows residents to have control over their energy bills and lock in a lower utility rate.

"By improving and diversifying the energy portfolio, growing the renewable energy resource, South Carolina will not only benefit by generating more clean renewable energy, but by having an immediate positive economic impact from direct and indirect job creation—from solar installer to engineering and accounting jobs," said Alex Khokhlov, PPM director and co-founder.

Khokhlov said one of the biggest myths about solar panels is they're too expensive.

"When you do the math, you realize not only how affordable they are, but how many thousands of dollars you're throwing down the drain," explained Khokhlov. "You're actually losing money by not going solar. That's why we provide a free quote to anyone interested in having a solar system installed."

SC residents receive a 30 percent federal tax credit in addition to a 25 percent SC tax credit. Duke Energy Progress and Santee Cooper are also offering rebates, offsetting the cost of a solar system, the release said.

WMBF News talked with Jonah Spring, a Solar Consultant on Friday afternoon. Spring was meeting with potential clients in the Florence area. He explained the assessment process deciding if a potential customer will qualify or not for solar power.  "We'll be honest with you we'll say no your house is not good for solar, or yeah it looks great lets go out there right now and do an assessment. Then from there we generally ask for twelve months of utility bills so we can do an accurate assessment of your needs. You don't want a system too big you don't want a system too small."

Part of the process Spring said is by testing things first like the orientation and age of a roof to make sure the most amount of electric generation will come from the sun. He said a lot of the time that process can even be done online using Google Earth, so it can take as little as five minutes. Also things like the amount of trees and shade on the property.

Spring added, "The installation process takes about a week and it's not complicated, we sell sun power solar panels they come with an inverter on the back of the panel, so we don't have to install a big bulky inverter in your garage, it's a much faster much more streamline process."

There is also a push for the solar agriculture industry in South Carolina, Spring said, because of the popular agriculture business in the area. Farmers can have raised ground mount solar panels for livestock or vegetable farming.

Currently, Spring said there is a Lexington location for Power Production Management, and the goal is to set up a final location in Florence for consultants to be set up. For people interested in the Pee Dee Solar Workshop to chat with a consultant to learn more Click here.

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