Volume 08 | January 2019
Happy New Year! To those of you who provided feedback via the survey we sent in November, THANK YOU. We appreciate your time and insights and are moving to a quarterly email this year based on your suggestions. Thanks for reading, and we look forward to making this a bright & sunny 2019!
CONSUMER ADVISORY: It has come to our attention that some of our customers have been approached by "Tax Advisors" or "Tax Prep" agencies representing themselves as affiliates or associates of SunPower or Freedom Solar. We have no connection to these organizations and do not share our customers' contact information with anyone. We are not sure how they are acquiring this information but our best guess is publicly available permit data. If you are contacted, please collect any information you can get from the organization and send it to us so that we may pass it along to our legal counsel.
Happy New Year 2019
2019 is the Last Year for the 30% Tax Credit
The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, which enables homeowners and businesses to save 30% on solar power, will begin a 3-year step down next year. In 2020 the credit will be reduced to 26%, which equates to a 13% reduction in the value of your tax credit if your solar system is installed after the end of 2019.

If you have been on the fence about going solar, or if you want to spread more solar in Texas by referring your friends or colleagues to us, this is the year! Contact us for a free consultation or register for our referral program at FreedomSolarPower.com/Refer-Us or by downloading the Advocator App in iTunes or Google Play (be sure to enter company code 2180).
TIPS & TRICKS
Inverter Technologies
Clay McKelvy explains how inverters work, the types of technologies, and the trade-offs of each in this 2-minute video. He explains string inverters, DC optimizers, and microinverters.
Solar Power On the Go
SunPower has partnered with EcoFlow to bring you a portable solar power system that gives you a clean alternative to generators. The system pairs the RIVER portable power station with a 110W SunPower® flexible solar panel for a total cost of $899. It's available to purchase now from the EcoFlow website .
EcoFlow | SunPower Energy Bundle
EVENTS
Get Free Home & Garden Show Tickets
Spring is almost in the air, and it's time to start planning your home improvement projects. Make your home more efficient, upgrade your landscaping to native plants that are drought-tolerant, and explore other opportunities to make your home more livable and sustainable. We have 10 free pairs of tickets to the upcoming spring home & garden shows in Austin (THIS WEEKEND or in March) and San Antonio (in February).
Spring Home and Garden Show
SOLAR INDUSTRY NEWS
Cities Going 100% Green
More cities are making the bold choice for 100% renewable energy. The City of Georgetown, north of Austin, met their goal in 2018 when the Buckthorn solar farm went online in West Texas, and the City of Denton, north of Dallas-Fort Worth, has announced their commitment to 100% green power by 2020. Learn more about how Georgetown is a model for other cities across the country.
City of Georgetown Solar Farm Ribbon Cutting
COMPANY NEWS
Energy Consultant Corbin Goes to Bat for His Customer
Our DFW-area solar expert Corbin Abshier testified at a Rockwall city council hearing to protect his customer Roger Stacy's right to install solar panels on the south-facing front of his home. They approved the Special Use Permit and his system was installed last month.

See Corbin's video and read the Rowlett Lakeshore Times article to learn more about how we go and beyond to give our customers the best possible customer service.
Corbin Abshier at Rowlett City Council Hearing
PM Ryan Goes Back to 3rd Grade!
Our project manager Ryan Albert was invited to teach the third grade class of customer David Hurtado's daughter in Pflugerville. See a video of Ryan's homemade solar rover and read about the students' questions on our blog!
David Hurtado and Ryan Albert with Solar Rover at Mott Elementary