Home Solar Survey

We’re always looking to learn how we can better serve homeowners on their home solar and clean energy journey.

In return for taking this 5-7 minute survey we’d be happy to send you a $10 Amazon gift card.

[Note: please do not take this survey if you have already completed the Home Solar Assessment survey]

How much do you know about home solar?

What are the biggest reasons you don't have solar energy at home yet? Select up to 3.

How will you decide whether or not to purchase solar? Select up to 3.

Please review Sentinel's business and service

Our mission

We exist to help homeowners get better home solar and clean energy.

Our promise:  A better experience and better outcome

We often see homeowners confused by the technical and financial complexity of home solar itself because different quotes are based on different financial and energy models, different (and sometimes inaccurate) assumptions on the 25 year performance and financial returns of home solar and different system designs using different equipment. We see high-pressure sales tactics and companies peddling “free” solar panels. We see poorly designed systems delivering a fraction of the value a homeowner could have gotten.

Sentinel was founded on the belief that homeowners would have a better experience and outcome if they had an independent and objective expert working on their behalf.

Our process

Here's how we deliver a better experience and better outcome.

1.  Get a free assessment

We look at your home and property and tell you whether you’re a good candidate for home solar.

We do this for free so that you can feel comfortable before investing any more time and money in exploring home solar.

2.  Use our solar design service

If you have good solar potential, we assign you a dedicated energy advisor and custom-design a home solar system for you. 

As an objective advisor, we have no interest in selling you a bigger system for more money. Our focus is designing the right system for you.

3.  Compare your options

Select up to three prescreened local contractors. We generate your project specification, request quotes and prepare an easy-to-understand comparison for you.

Since all contractors are quoting the same project specification, you’re able to compare apples to apples.

4.  Connect with contractors

At your request, we connect you with the contractors who have provided the best quotes and give you guidance on questions to ask them.

Numbers in a quote don't tell the whole story. You should feel completely comfortable with anyone working on or in your home.

5.  GO SOLAR!

Make a decision knowing that you're getting the best home solar system for you.

6.  Schedule a follow up

Make an free appointment with us after 3 months and 1 year after your system is installed. We'll review your home solar system's performance and provide updates on what's happening in the world of solar and clean energy.

Compared to the traditional process where you would find, research and select contractors, get quotes from them and evaluate those quotes yourself...

[On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being not valuable and 5 being very valuable]

How valuable do you find Sentinel's overall service? *

How valuable are the following attributes of our business and process to you? 

[On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being not valuable and 5 being very valuable]

Advice from experts allows me to make better decisions *
Recommendations are made in my best interests and are not influenced manufacturers, contractors or anyone else *
The process saves me time compared to doing it myself *
I control the timing of the process and can start and stop when it's convenient for me *
There's no pressure to make a decision or sign a contract *
Real human beings are available to help me when I need it *

If you were considering making a $20,000 to $30,000 investment in home solar, how much would would you be willing to pay for the service described above?

Please indicate how important each of the following attributes of solar contractors are to you.

[On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being not important and 5 being most important]

They have the lowest price *
They are local - they live and work in my community *
They are a large company with a well-known brand *
They have done many installations already *
They have qualifications and certifications from industry organizations *
They have strong health and safety policies *
They have many good reviews *
They were recommended by a friend or family member *
They were recommended by someone on a website or social media *
They have been screened by an independent third-party like Sentinel *
They practice what they preach (for example, they have solar, drive an electric vehicle, etc.) *

This next (and last) section is about energy in general. 

"How the world generates, distributes and uses energy will change significantly over the next decade."

To what extent do you agree with this statement? *

At Sentinel, we're seeing the beginning of the biggest fundamental change in how we generate, distribute and use energy in more than a century. In the coming years...

The shift to renewable energy will continue

The cost of energy from traditional sources will continue to increase. The cost of energy from alternative sources will continue to decrease allowing homeowners to generate, store and control their own energy even more cheaply and easily.

Electric appliances will become the norm

Car manufacturers will stop producing combustion engines and only produce electric vehicles. Electric appliances like heat pumps, hot water heaters and stoves will become more efficient and less expensive.

Energy sources will become more localized

Homeowners with home solar and batteries will be able to join together, creating "virtual power plants" and selling excess energy or grid services to utilities and each other.

Energy policies will change with increasing frequency

New rules, regulations and incentive programs will be put in place to incentivize, support and control changes in the energy sector.

Assume for the moment that the Sentinel view on energy changes is correct...

Would you find it valuable to have an energy expert who could help you navigate new energy-related technology, products, rules and regulations, saving you time and money? *
Why do you feel you'd be better off without an advisor? Select up to 3

On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being not valuable and 5 being most valuable:  If you had a partner advising you on energy, how valuable would you find the following?

Having a single-source of information on everything related to energy *
Having someone I trust that I know is looking out for my best interests *
The convenience of having someone else do the legwork and analysis and bring me options that I can choose from *
Having an expert who can simplify complicated changes in technologies and regulations that I can understand them and make more informed decisions *
Having a real human being who is available to answer any questions I have *

On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being not valuable and 5 being most valuable:  Thinking about generating and storing your own energy, how valuable would the following be to you?

Options for clean energy if home solar can't supply all of my needs *
Monitoring my home solar and battery system to ensure that it's working properly *
Monitoring my home solar and battery system in order to make recommendations on how to improve their performance *
A simple way to sign up for a virtual power plant so that I can make money selling energy and services to the utility or to others *
An appraisal of the value of my home solar system during a home sale or other event *

On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being not valuable and 5 being most valuable:  Thinking about how energy is changing in general, how valuable would the following be to you?

A simple way to see how I use energy at home so that I can use energy more efficiently and lower my energy cost *
A simple way to control how my home uses energy so that I can use energy more efficiently and lower my energy cost *
Monitoring and analysis of my home energy use to make recommendations for ways to lower my energy use and save money *
Recommendations for new products which help me better control or reduce energy use or increase my home solar energy generation *
Recommendations for new products which help me switch from fossil fuel-based heating, cooking or driving to electric *
Information on programs, rebates and incentives for electric or energy efficient appliances and electric vehicles *
Help understanding new energy-related rules and regulations and how they impact me *

Would you feel comfortable allowing a company to monitor how your home produces and uses energy in order to make recommendations on products, programs or other ways to control, manage or reduce your energy use?

On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being not important and 5 being most important:  How important are each of the following factors to you if you were considering allowing a company to access your energy information?

They have a strong privacy policy so I could be confident that they would not share my personal information *
They explain very clearly how they would and wouldn't use my information *
I have worked with them before and they earned my trust *
They have a strong brand (Apple, Google or Tesla for example) *

All done!

What email would you like us to send your Amazon gift card to?

Would it be OK for us to contact you about your answers? *
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