Sunmetrix Discover: A new look with new features

WhatNextNow Solar is excited to announce the launch of the new and improved web application Discover, where homeowners can enter their postal code and, for free, learn all about the solar potential of their location, including the important financial considerations that go along with purchasing or leasing a solar energy system.

We know that making the transition to solar energy is complicated by the immense volume of information out there, information that is not always accurate or requires the user to give their email address (so that they can be called by installers). As with the initial version of Discover, the goal of WhatNextNow Solar is to provide a one-stop resource that takes the homeowner through all the pertinent solar information in a fun, useful and accurate manner, without requiring them to give their email address or phone number. Homeowners can take control of the process while they learn about solar energy and experiment with different solar systems for their home.

How does it work?

WhatNextNow Solar Discover first takes the homeowner through a quick overview of the solar potential of their location with a glimpse at the amount of energy the homeowner can produce and what that means in dollar terms when it comes to their current utility bill.

Discover users can then explore in more detail the energy and savings numbers. Playing around with the system specifications and changing the numbers from their default values, which are taken from state averages, users can see the impact immediately. Moreover, fine-tuning the energy consumption value, by imputing the true consumption from their current utility bill, allows homeowners to truly appreciate the financial benefits of solar energy. And where solar energy does not make financial sense, either due to low electricity prices or location weather conditions, WhatNextNow Solar tells the homeowner.

What’s new?

When the homeowner is ready to take the next step, Discover takes them through the Buy or Lease Calculator so that they can determine the best way to finance their system. Discover lays out the numbers so homeowners can see when their investment will pay off and what their savings will amount to over the lifetime of their system, 20-25 years on average.

Finally, homeowners can access a list of the top-rated installers in their area. Currently, we leave it in the hands of the homeowner to determine which installers they wish to contact. In the future, we intend to build partnerships with manufacturers and installers so that we can offer special deals, rebates and promotions to our users. While Discover is free and fully functional for all users, homeowners who want to be emailed a copy of their free report do need to provide their email address (however, as with the initial version of Discover, WhatNextNow Solar does not share email addresses with a third party without the user’s consent).

It is our goal to make going solar simple and painless because we want as many homeowners as possible to make the transition to solar (where it makes financial sense!) and with WhatNextNow Solar Discover they get the information they need.