What does it really feel like to own a solar system with a battery backup? Well we sat down with one to find out. She shares who pays attention to the production, what she notices on her power bill for the solar credits, and the feeling of independence now that she and her husband have completed their dream system with a backup battery. Additionally she shares her secret to making it as affordable as possible.

What you’ll learn:

• Why Claudia still gets ~9 months of $0 power bills with a partial offset system
• How a home battery keeps essentials running during outages (and how to test it safely)
• Simple maintenance (like occasional panel cleaning)
• Financing tips to avoid getting squeezed by loan + utility bills at the same time

Thinking about solar or a battery?
👉 Get a fast, no-pressure quote: bigdogsolar.com
👉 Learn about home batteries & backup

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Chapters

‍0:00 Cold open — “Don’t sugarcoat it”

‍0:08 Meet Claudia (long-time customer)

‍0:24 What’s being installed today? (Home battery)

‍0:36 Supporting the install crew (local soda stop)

‍1:02 6–7 years with solar: honest take

‍2:25 Any issues? Panel cleaning shout-out

‍3:24 Battery excitement—how to test an outage safely

‍3:40 Wrap-up & thanks #SolarEnergy #HomeBattery #CustomerStory #BigDogSolar #PowerOutage #RockyMountainPower #SolarFinancing #PanelCleaning

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Host: Don’t sugarcoat anything—deal?
Claudia: Deal. (Also…you know where I live. 😄)

Host: This is my friend Claudia. She’s been a Big Dog Solar customer for several years—not because of me—but I knew she went solar with us a while back. Our crew’s at her home today installing…what?

Claudia: A battery. So when the power goes out, the Mikums house still has lights.

Host: Love it. We’re grabbing drinks for the crew—supporting local—and while we drive I’m going to ask a few honest questions.

Host: What’s it been like having solar for the last six or seven years?

Claudia: Honestly, awesome. We didn’t size it for 100% offset, but for about nine months of the year we don’t have a power payment. Getting a Rocky Mountain Power bill that says $0 is the best.

Host: We’ve got the goods—headed back. Question two: who pays more attention to your solar, you or your husband?

Claudia: Me. I make sure the credits show up and nothing’s gone awry.

Host: (What does “awry” actually mean again?)
Claudia: Off track.
Host: Right—gone awry.

Host: Any problems?

Claudia: No. I did reach out to a local company to clean the panels—shout-out to Rinsed Window Cleaning. Honestly, I don’t obsess over it. I just love not paying a bill most months.

Claudia: I’ll be honest—the loan. We financed the system but paid it off quickly. If someone can’t pay it down fast, you’ve got the loan payment and maybe a couple months of utility bill, too.

Host: 100%. If you finance, plan ahead—like a car—pay it down as fast as you can.

Host: Any final wisdom now that you’re a solar + battery owner?

Claudia: I’m excited. I kind of hope the power goes out soon so we can see it work.

Host: You can safely test it: flip your home’s main breaker to simulate an outage and the battery should pick up the load—without annoying your neighbors.

Claudia: Perfect. Thanks!

Host: Thanks, Claudia.

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