Renewable Power Perspectives Q&A with Ally Mendoza, CEO of SUNTEX

By Constance ThompsonSeptember 16, 2021

The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is delighted to share the 4th installation in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog site series.
Each installation features industry leaders and subjects associated with speeding up a fair and simply transition to a renewable resource economy. In acknowledgment of National Hispanic Heritage Month, our September features highlight how 3 Hispanic-owned Accelerate member business are prospering in the sustainable energy sector.
What inspired you to start SUNTEX?
As a natural-born leader, I constantly set high expectations for myself and always search for opportunities to serve others– be it by offering remarkable customer care, language translations, or just sharing understanding with others. My personal goals and desire to help others led me to work in the sustainable energy sector, where I can pursue this dream on a larger scale.
Tell us about SUNTEX?
Our businesss mission is basic: we desire to make solar simple and cost effective every step of the method. We mainly serve the Hispanic neighborhood in Texas. That is what we do best– help Spanish speakers comprehend and embrace renewable energy as a lifestyle, helping generations to come.
Please show us more about your journey toward developing SUNTEX. Existed an “aha moment” when you decided to focus on solar?
Back in August of 2018, my service partner and I had the chance to join a very promising little solar setup business in Houston. Through this work we saw the opportunity available to bring solar into our (the Hispanic) neighborhood. As a result, my partner and I integrated his experience in offering to the Hispanic market with my consumer service expertise to create SUNTEX where “the customer is the factor we exist as a business”. Our focus is linking the Hispanic neighborhood and our consumers with excellent customer care.
Why is focusing on the Hispanic neighborhood a top priority for SUNTEX?
Number One: it is in our blood. My service partner and I are native Spanish speakers, and we can recognize well with our individuals and their worldview. Second: in the past, we have actually personally experienced a lack of care and communication from those that can not identify with our culture. We understood that solar benefits everyone, no matter race or background, which our individuals would need a great deal of support to comprehend how to get this benefit for their homes.
What difficulties do you deal with? Why?
Being a little business with a high level of service expectations for our customers features its own set of challenges. The greatest challenge we face is shared by a number of little companies: turnover. Furthermore, despite the fact that solar energy has actually been around for a while, the essentials of these tasks are not extensively taught in school. We have to spend a lot amount of time training sales personnel to make sure they are able to provide a high level of customer service.
How are you making an impact through SUNTEX?
By just living up to our truthful worths. I have actually found out throughout my life that in business, there is no other way to do it best however to be sincere. While others might take shortcuts, the truth always dominates.
Please show us a current company success story.
Recently, after helping a customer “go solar” in 2 of her homes, she referred a brand-new customer named Angela to us. During our initial appointment, I noted that they might just achieve about 56% of solar energy offset due to their homes usage rates and shading from trees on the residential or commercial property. We went over a couple of additional energy effectiveness upgrades to the house to minimize energy intake, which might provide a greater energy offset. Angela at first flinched at the thought of investing more money into the home, but ultimately she called me back and stated she wished to move on with the solar and energy effectiveness upgrades. We completed a Home Energy Audit to see why her usage was so high and found that her house needed a larger a/c unit, plus extra ducts to distribute the air conditioning evenly throughout the home. We likewise told her that the financing partner could add the cost of that upgrade to the solar loan– and that in doing so, she could get approved for a lower rates of interest than any other house enhancement loan for that air conditioner upgrade. She took my recommendations and decided to move on and was, in fact, able to minimize her loan rate of interest.
Throughout the installation, we wound up paying for Angela and her senior mother to stay in a hotel until their upgrades and inspections were complete to ensure they were comfy throughout the process.
Now, Angelas planetary system covers 100% of the electrical power utilized in her house. Thanks to the a/c upgrade, they have minimized their energy intake greatly, and she has a flat, predictable solar payment every month that is less than she was paying prior to installing solar. This is what we indicate by “customer service.”
From a nationwide viewpoint, how can we improve access to sustainable enery?
Most of the homeowners that we visit are fortunate to own a home, yet many of them have actually not qualified for solar due to numerous combined or separated elements such as subprime credit rating, lower yearly family income, self-employment, or an absence of knowledge of available loan programs. We need to offer more people with opportunities to adopt renewable energy with fewer hassles.
How has your Accelerate membership assisted your company?
By empowering us to believe that there is somebody there to support our development in this market, and giving us the opportunity to meet others in the very same boat. Now I understand that there is expect minority small companies in the renewable resource industry.
How can prospective partners work with you?
It is important that we share the same worths and mission to assist others, even if it suggests leaving our convenience zones. It might cost a little more for us to do organization, but its worth it in the end for our consumers. We d love to satisfy to go over possible partnership opportunities if youre willing to begin there.
Is there anything else you would like to share with ACORE members and partners?
We are truly grateful for the Accelerate membership program and for all of the chances you have actually offered. I know this is only the beginning, and we have a long road ahead of us; nevertheless, I look forward to becoming a sponsor to help lead the way for other Accelerate members in the future– with an unique thanks to all of my clients and partners at SUNTEX, considering that they are the fuel that drives the mission!
To get more information about SUNTEX, go to https://suntexllc.com/.
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Furthermore, even though solar energy has actually been around for a while, the essentials of these tasks are not extensively taught in school. Throughout our preliminary consultation, I noted that they could just attain about 56% of solar energy balanced out due to their houses intake rates and shading from trees on the property. We went over a couple of extra energy efficiency upgrades to the house to lower energy consumption, which could supply a higher energy offset. Angela initially winced at the idea of investing more cash into the home, however ultimately she called me back and stated she wanted to move forward with the solar and energy efficiency upgrades. Thanks to the A/c upgrade, they have decreased their energy intake greatly, and she has a flat, predictable solar payment each month that is less than she was paying prior to installing solar.