Tephra Solar

• Solar Service Payment Options
• Experienced CEO

Solar Service Payment Options

Tephra offers four service payment plans to finance a solar panel installation:

• Purchase — When clients purchase the solar service outright, they immediately own the system with no monthly payment, but have upfront costs. This option qualifies for the federal solar tax credit, worth 26 percent of upfront costs.
• Loan — Through a loan, clients can own their solar system with little to no money down by paying a monthly payment to the financing partner.
• Power purchase agreement — With a solar PPA, the client has no upfront costs and is essentially renting the equipment and paying for the energy they use (often at a rate lower than their current energy bill).
• Lease — Tephra also offers leasing plans. Leasing solar systems is similar to PPA plans in that the client has no upfront costs and rents the equipment, but instead of paying for what they use, they pay a set amount each month. Clients do not own the equipment with PPA and leasing plans and clients may also be bound to a long term contract with possibility of an annual increase of interest rate.

Experienced CEO

CEO Jared Slemboski previously worked at Vivint Solar, a residential solar energy company that operates in 23 states, before starting Tephra Solar. Jared Slemboski worked at Vivint Solar for more than four years as a District Sales Manager in East Bay California and Director of Sales for Northern California.

• Short Time in Business
• Solar Panels Undisclosed
• Warranty Lengths Undisclosed

Short Time in Business

Founded in 2017, Tephra Solar has been in the solar industry a relatively short time. When clients choose a younger solar company, they run the risk of it not being in business for the solar system's full warranty. If a solar company goes out of business before the full warranty, clients lose the remaining warranty on their system and have to hire a separate solar company for maintenance services.

Solar Panels Undisclosed

Tephra Solar does not disclose the types of panels the company installs or the manufacturers it uses. There are three commonly installed solar panels:

• Amorphous — Amorphous panels are more affordable, but have the lowest efficiency and durability ratings out of the three panel options.
• Polycrystalline — Polycrystalline panels are a good option for clients who have plenty of installation space, but need a more affordable option than monocrystalline.
• Monocrystalline — Monocrystalline panels are popular because they have the highest efficiency ratings and take the least amount of space.

Clients will need to ask for further information on the types of panels Tephra provides and research the reputation of the manufacturer.

Warranty Lengths Undisclosed

Although Tephra Solar states that system warranties are provided in its payment plans, it does not disclose any details pertaining to its warranties. Solar systems are an investment and warranties help protect clients from additional, unexpected costs. Reputable solar companies will offer the following:

• Equipment warranty of 10 to 12 years
• Performance warranty of 90% up to 10 years
• Performance warranty of 8% up to 25 years