From necessity to service

Like so many American small businesses, the Lighthouse story started from a need. In 1989 the Hamberger family moved to a new home located in the foothills of the Chiricahua mountains in southeastern Arizona. The power company said it would cost $20,000 to bring in power to their new home and so began their off-grid solar journey.

They started small--a few panels and a couple of batteries--and over the years upgraded, changed and learned. Bruce started his own business in 1995 as Bruce's Ag and Auto Repair but with his solar knowledge he was often called to help off-grid friends and neighbors even then. As Bruce and his wife, Diana, raised their four children, the opportunity to connect to conventional electricity occasionally presented itself and was considered, but ultimately they decided to remain off-grid, The whole family took pride in learning to live the solar life-style, experimenting and expanding until they had built the system they have today.

As the year's went by and his experience and the need for knowledgeable solar technicians grew, Bruce knew that solar was where his heart was. When he became a licensed electrical contractor in 2006, Lighthouse Electric and Solar was established. Over the years, Bruce has built a business around good old-fashioned service because he lives it and intimately understands the needs of his customers. As the solar landscape has changed, many new players in the residential solar world have started selling and installing solar, but few of them have the level of experience that compares to thirty years of off-grid living.

Family Business

In 2018 Bruce's son-in-law, Joshua Schaa, sat down across from Bruce at a In-N-Out and asked to come join the family business. After that conversation many more happened but the decision was made. Joshua and his wife Jenna along with 2 kids and one on the way moved from Tucson back to Pearce to learn the electrical trade and the art of running a small business.

Since marrying into the Hamberger family Joshua has been involved in the business in various ways over the years. From solar installation grunt power to helping stand up the building that ultimately has become the warehouse the business is run from. These experiences laid the foundation for Joshua to learn the trade and the business.

Over the next few years Joshua and Bruce spent many hours working together and working on building the business. In 2022 the business officially changed hands and is now owned and operated by Joshua so that Bruce could slow down. Bruce is still active in the business and provides much needed guidance and wisdom.

Joshua is passionate about solar, electricity and family business. The good old-fashioned service that Bruce has been known for since 1995 is still at the core of the company. Joshua is proud to take the torch and keep serving our community.Photo: Joshua and Bruce show the solar well pump they installed at an orphanage is Zimbabwe in 2009.

With thirty years of experience we offer a wide range of services. Don't know what you need? Or don't see what you need? Just give us a call.

SOLAR CONSULTATION

Our solar consultation is an in-depth assessment of your needs and dreams for solar. Our team will come to you, review what you are looking for and how we can help make that a reality. We will also help analyze your current power usage, discuss how solar can fit into your lifestyle, and how to take advantage of state and federal incentive programs.

OFF-GRID SALES AND SERVICES

With thirty years of off-grid living experience, we bring to the table an extensive understanding of how to design, build and install off-grid systems to suit our customer's needs. We have a network of human and equipment resources and a unique perspective on the service needs of our off-grid clients and their systems.

GRID-TIED SALES AND SERVICES

Although we brand ourselves as off-grid specialists we by no means limit our services to that. We have years of experience designing and installing grid-tied systems. We are happy to consult with you on new installs, upgrades, or servicing of your grid-tied system, as well as helping you make the most of your ability to sell back your excess power.

SOLAR INSPECTIONS

We provide off-grid and grid-tied solar inspection services for real estate sales or insurance.We will come out and evaluate how the system is performing, assess needs, and make recommendations for repairs or upgrades as necessary.

SOLAR EDUCATION

We love to teach because the more you and your family understand your solar system the more you will get out of it. If you just want to learn more about your existing system or if you bought a home with solar and need to know what to do and why to do it, give us a call.If you are building a new home and are considering solar, call us before you build and we will help you with home orientation and site assessment.

OFF-GRID BACKUP SOLUTIONS

When living off-grid there may be times when you need another source of backup power. The most common solution is a generator or even when available a small feed from the grid.We can help make sure you get the correct generator for your system and help install the generator as well.If you are looking for an automatic solution, we are Kohler Sales and Service Dealer.

See our Work In Action

Mounting 22 REC Solar Panels on a metal roof

Upcycling 12 Solar Panels to Power an Off-Grid House

Solar Panel Upgrade

Does my power stay on if the grid goes down on a grid tied system?

The easiest answer is typically no. The reason for this is the inverter will shut down to prevent sending power on the power lines when the technicians are working on them. It is a safety feature to make sure they can get the grid restored without getting shocked. This helps them but it doesn't help you.What about the "typically" qualifier in your answer?Well there are two solutions for grid tied systems to have power when the grid is down.The first is an inverter made by SMA. This inverter has a feature that can provide up to 20 amps of "opportunity power" from your panels to one outlet. This means in the event the power does down you can flip a switch and plug in your fridge, phone charger or other essentials, as long as the sun is shining enough to provide the power. This inverter does cost a bit more, but it is currently* the only one on the market that has this feature on a grid tied system without batteries.The second is a hybrid grid tied with battery backup system. This really is the most ideal of the solar world because you can produce your own power, sell to the grid and run on batteries when the grid is not available. As you can imagine this can add significant cost to the system and more time on the design side as it is a more complex build.The solar world is ever changing, at the time of this answer (08/2018) this was current data.

Are solar roof tiles as good alternative to traditional photovoltaic panels?

As with many different technologies this one has had a lot of media attention. Which as a result has people interested and asking questions.Unfortunately, the roof tile system is not economically practical. According to EnergySage, an online solar marketplace who compared the cost between a traditional photovoltaic (PV) system and a roof tile system. The numbers speak for themselves.The comparison was for a system on a 3,000 sq.-ft home in Southern California with a $200 electric bill with two different scenarios.Scenario 1: You don't need a new roof.Standard PV system: $26,030 resulting in an annual production of 13,000 kilowatt hours.Solar Roof Tile system: $50,900 resulting in an annual production of 10,000 kilowatt hours.So, the cost is almost double for less annual production.Scenario 2: You do need a new roof.Standard PV system with a new roof: $34,030 (using $8,000 for a new system from consumer reports)Solar Roof Tile system: still $50,900So, the cost is closer but still less production and more cost.The solar world is ever changing, at the time of this answer (09/2018) this was current data.

I saw an ad on TV that said I could power my entire house for $20,000. Is that True?

It depends on several things. Is your house all electric? Do you have large, heat-producing appliances (like electric water heaters, ovens, stoves, furnaces, and hot-tubs)? If so, your needs may be greater than would be covered by that size system.This is why we start with a solar consultation where we evaluate loads, needs and desires to custom design a system for you.

What is the best way to know what size solar system I will need?

One of the simplest ways to calculate your needs is to keep track of your current power usage via your power bill. Give us a call and we will tell you how.

If we get an off-grid solar system, what will we do for power at night?

Off-grid systems use a battery bank to power your home at night and during low-sun conditions (clouds).

Below you will find some helpful guides, documents and forms that we use for the business and personal use.

Battery Discharge Charts

Battery voltage is an often confusing thing, for good reason. For example if you have a 12 volt battery and it is measuring at 12 volts it seems that would be good. However a 12 volt battery at 12 volts is actually at 40% charge. And this confusion does not stop at a 12 volt system. So we have developed a easy discharge chart for each major battery voltage. We recommend printing one out and posting it near your battery bank so it is a easy reference tool.Note all of these measurements are on a static (no load and no charge) lead acid batteries. When a load and/or a charge is present these numbers are not accurate. For Example if you measure the battery on your car when you are trying to start it (load) it will read very different then when the car is off (static).

Why you should have your solar inspected