Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joshua Kennedy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Joshua thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?

I have a customer in Riverside ca named Christina that purchased her home with an existing leased solar system. The solar system was not operational but Christina did not know this until she got her first Edison bill. The bill reflected 100% Edison usage which was ridiculously expensive. She knew something was up with her solar system. She had the installation company out several times but they couldn’t get it right. She reached out to me via referral from a neighbor and explained her situation. I went out and first explained how the lease works and how the installation company is not meeting their production agreement and has to reimburse her for the down time. We were able to locate the production agreement in the contract and I figured out the issue was undersized wire from the main panel to the solar envoy box that was melting the backfeed breaker almost catching her new home on fire 4 different times!!! Now that she was empowered I wrote a report explaining the reason I believed the wire to be undersized and melting the breakers. The installation company took my advice and the system has been running strong for the last couple years now, Christina was able to get reimbursement for the down months and I go out every six months to clean the system and make sure it’s still in normal operation. My core is to help solar owners understand and benefit from their investment as to loose money and gain frustration.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

At 16 I was offered a helper position for a plumbing, heating, and air conditioning company out of Calimesa ca. By 19 I was a crew lead and genuinely enjoyed what I was doing since I have always had a fascination with electricity and am mechanically inclined from my father’s backyard mechanic skills I picked up while helping him out as a kid. In the 2008 recession times I was struggling to find work but ended up taking a job with a big solar company in Los Angeles doing energy efficiency, solar, batteries, etc…. I had found my calling! Solar energy!!! I learned as much as I could about every aspect of the trade and business. Running service is when I realized the need for the business I run today. My typical service call was system under producing. When a company has a production agreement they have to meet that agreement or they are in breach of contract and have to reimburse the home owner for the lost production so if a system is under producing the company sends a technician to investigate the under production. I found 80% of the time the systems just needed a good cleaning. But the big companies that install solar do not clean solar or pay any needed attention to it for that matter, unless their losing money. So through the hundreds of systems we maintain the data shows an average production loss of 30 to 50% of the daily output. This is hundreds of dollars a year. So my goal is to give pricing to allow for the home or business owner to make money on the cleaning by the production surpassing the expense. Example: Cleaning Mr. Smith’s 20 solar panels generates a 40% production increase from my first visit, we go out every 6 months. We charge $250 a year but the system is putting out and additional $350 worth of energy so the cleaning/inspection pay for themselves and there is still some meat on the bone for the solar owner. My goal is to help people who have existing solar systems benefits from their investment not regret it.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

Figure out a way to start with absolutely no extra money and a toddler was tricky but ended up being a great time in my life because I realized as a business owner I can easier walk the line of parenthood and work when I’m in charge of my own schedule. I love being a Dad! So I would load up a backpack, diaper bag, ice chest, and stroller or wagon to take my son along for the journey. I made clever flyers on a free app, went to fed ex and printed flyers. Then I would find a decent little neighborhood with a bunch of solar and we would pass out flyers for a couple hours. Then we would find beautiful parks to have luch at or go on little hikes an stuff! Good times. Then slowly I started landing jobs and with each job I purchased new equipment and made more flyers. Fast forward 5 years and we are not only generating profit but are expanding and in our current economy this is tough for any business let alone a start up in a knitch market even more so!

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

My initial game plan was for my side hustle income to surpass my w2 income so I can break free of the matrix and move freely. After 5 years in business I am at a point where I am ready to leave my employee life behind but am stuck do to credit enquires that are easier obtained if I have the stability of a salary as to the fluctuations of a small business owner income.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.solarpanelcleaningspecialists.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spcsconstruction/profilecard/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@solarpanelcleaning951?si=rCOUz2eUOYfl5QqX
• Yelp: Check out Solar Panel Cleaning Specialists! https://yelp.to/NnD8soPjGH

Image Credits

My son Justin in training, my employee Brian Gonzales on an HOA project in Ontario ca