The roof-mounted PV panels
power his building 100% off-grid.

Nelson shows off the equipment that
manages his 100% solar powered building.

Nelson explains how his family never loses
refrigerator contents in power outages.

“Could we be 100% solar powered?
Absolutely! I’m living proof.” — Nelson Hellmuth, PE, Solar Engineer

Energy Need

A solar engineer from the 70s, Nelson is as passionate as ever about solar power and its ability to solve our country’s energy challenges with an efficient, clean alternative to fossil fuels. Never satisfied with past accomplishments, Nelson continues to develop new and better ways to harness the sun’s limitless energy. When it comes to installing his custom-engineered systems on his own property or that of his clients, Nelson consistently trusts the experts at SunWorks.

Solar Solution

SunWorks installed a solar water system at Nelson’s home 23 years ago. Years later, we installed a photovoltaic system. Most recently, Nelson asked us to help him prove that it’s both possible and effective to rely entirely on solar energy. We installed solar thermal and solar electric at his office, making his building 100% solar powered and “off-grid.”

Savings

While the economic savings are great, Nelson is most proud of his positive impact on the environment. At home and at the office, he has almost no carbon footprint. With absolutely no power bill at the office, his home bills run just $20 to $60 a month. He fully expects his solar equipment to continue providing free, low-maintenance energy for many decades to come, and he looks forward to his children inheriting his solar panels and all their energy-saving benefits, as well as a cleaner world.

“When someone asks if solar is cost-effective, I ask, 'what's the payback on your new car or refrigerator?' We don't think twice about spending $35,000 on a car, so why do we hesitate to invest in solar systems that save decade after decade — not just in electricity — but environmentally?”

VIEW All Case Studies | Next Case Study