After Mike Czarnik built a new house on the east side of St. Paul in 2005, he drove around the neighborhood and saw solar powered homes with a few panels. He had read up about solar and looked into federal and state credit incentives.
“I am number six of 10 kids, and I have no problem being an extrovert. So I went up to the owner of the house to ask about the solar installation and the credits. It’s one thing to hear about rebates in theory, and another to hear it in practice,” said Czarnik. “He had used All Energy Solar, so I chose them as well.”
Czarnik’s solar array was installed in 2010. “All Energy said I could get 33 panels on my roof and 16 on my house. But it’s crazy to have an odd number like 49, so I said let’s do 50 panels,” Czarnik said. “My project was more like a commercial system. And All Energy’s excitement was palpable.”
It’s been 10 years with a solar powered home for the Czarnik household. And with four kids at home, Czarnik thinks it’s great to know that something is working for them even when he is not. “My family calls me Mikey, so I call it the Mikey Way solar system,” he joked. “My kids are such energy suckers, with computers, TVs, two fridges, two freezers and a water heater. Our panels produce about half of what we use per year in electric energy,” said Czarnik
He noted that All Energy has been fabulous any time he called them with issues. “We had birds nesting under the solar panels, and they put critter guards up to block the animals. We’ve never had an issue since,” Czarnik said.
Czarnik is a believer in solar power. “I’m not a tree hugger, but I believe in renewable energy and energy independence,” he said. “And I’m looking forward to the next big hail storm, so I can get new panels and produce energy for the whole neighborhood,” he joked.
