It’s no secret that utilities are having a difficult time in California right now. With wildfires increasing in intensity each year, more utilities are having to shut down power to save their grids. It’s pushing even more people to consider solar and storage to create their own microgrids to keep emergency services online.<\/p>\n
So it’s not especially surprising that the state’s investor-owned utilities have cried that age-old claim that solar customers are not paying enough for grid upkeep. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is now considering a monthly charge for solar customers<\/a>, and solar advocates have joined against this attempt by the utilities to “undermine consumer choice.”<\/p>\n It leaves installers like Cosmic Solar<\/a> in a precarious position. In this episode of the Contractor’s Corner podcast,\u00a0Solar Power World<\/em>\u00a0editor-in-chief Kelly Pickerel talks with Cosmic co-owners Bahram and Judith Shadzi about how they are supporting the “Save California Solar<\/a>” campaign while also diversifying into roofing and maintenance services to ensure the 13-year-old business stays afloat in the worst-case scenario.<\/p>\n A portion of the interview is below, but be sure to listen to the full podcast for even more insight, including how the Shadzis’ solar-powered home encouraged customer trust in the product and how customer education has evolved over the last decade.<\/p>\n Find the Contractor’s Corner podcast on your favorite podcast app.<\/p>\n