Energy Right Out of the Sky

When Dean Kaliakmanis, Jr., moved to Cottonwood from the suburbs of Chicago with his wife, Stephanie, and his family in 2021, “We wanted to enjoy living a simple life,” he recalled. “We believe in the Verde. Everyone talks about solar. We decided to purchase three solar systems for our homes from a large solar company out of Phoenix. It was just a very bad deal. We were lied to. We were told we would get a check back from government as a rebate. That never happened.”

In early 2022, Kaliakmanis, who has a 25-year background in finance, said he’d had enough of bad experiences with contractors. “I started getting pretty frustrated with this whole process,” he said. “I started thinking, I’m going to start a solar company.”

Kaliakmanis started Stellar Solar in Cottonwood. “We were doing pretty well, when, through the grapevine, I heard that Greg Collins, founder of Verde Solar Power in Cornville, might be interested in retiring.”

The Cornville business dated back to 1989, and Kaliakmanis thought it would be a good idea to merge his new company with the older one. He took over running Verde Solar Power in late 2022. In March 2024, he bought the company and moved it to Cottonwood. Collins is still a retired silent partner in the business.

Renamed Verde Solar + Electric, the company is also associated with Verde Roofing Partner LLC, both located on Route 89A in Cottonwood. “We’re kind of like the gateway to Cottonwood,” he said. “We have a very recognizable office; it looks like a little brick cottage. Everybody loves it. We’re a five-star rated, honest, family-run business.”

The sunny climate of Arizona has made residential solar power a fast-growing industry in the state. From the start, one of Kaliakmanis’s main goals was to make Arizona the home state for solar energy. “You want to get on the solar train; it’s energy that comes right out of the sky. The energy solution comes up every morning.”

Making solar energy affordable was also a major goal. “As president of the company, I want everybody who wants solar to be able to afford solar. We will do everything in our power to make it work financially.”

Kaliakmanis set about showcasing what can be done with solar but found some resistance from potential customers who were nervous about installing the panels. “There’s no good reason to not have solar, but buyer beware,” he warned. “People have become so jaded by lying and deception they are not buying solar. A lot of people are getting mixed up in these bad contracts and they don’t know what they’ve signed. The [Arizona] attorney general is involved in it now.”

For several years, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has been warning the public about unlawful telemarketing sales calls and misrepresentations relating to the sale and installation of residential solar panels in Arizona and beyond.

“I will not tolerate dishonest sales practices or harassment through unwanted calls that pressure consumers into unfavorable contracts,” Mayes stated on July 27, 2023,
in conjunction with a lawsuit for violations of federal trade, telephone solicitations and consumer fraud.

Nonetheless, Kaliakmanis believes everyone should be able to have energy independence. “If solar is done correctly, you should be able to severely impact your energy bill or eliminate it. We try to design and build the correct solar system for each client, not the solar system that’s going to make us the most money.”

Even though it has gained popularity as a sustainable and clean energy source, many people are not familiar with the basic concepts involved in solar power, also called photovoltaic (PV) systems.

In concise terms, a typical, simple residential solar power setup consists of solar panels, an invertor to convert DC power to AC power, mounting racks to secure the panels (the solar array) on the roof or other nearby sunny location, electrical wiring and sometimes a battery storage system, especially if the system is an off-the-grid installation. In addition, a charge controller is needed to manage battery charging if it is a battery system.

The whole system is connected to an electrical panel in the residence or business and to a utility grid through a meter. Generated electrical power is distributed by utility providers in Arizona, such as SRP and APS, which is the largest utility company in the state.

One benefit of installing a solar energy system is the option of selling excess power back to the grid, which is also monitored by utility companies. “The more people that engage in solar, it will allow the industry to stabilize and create better pricing,” said Kaliakmanis.

At Verde Solar + Electric, a popular solar power product is an entry-level, 9-kilowatt, non-battery solar system. “You can overproduce energy during the day, and it offsets your nightly bill,” he said, adding that another solar power option is a battery-hybrid system with a battery-ready inverter.

Kaliakmanis said his company has installed about 350 solar systems in the past three years. “We’re fighting against these multi-million dollar companies,” he explained. “We want to keep solar affordable.”

Verde Solar Power is now employing 15 employees and is offering roofing as a separate business. “It made perfect sense for us. We’re always removing solar from roofs that have to be fixed.”

In fact, all the endeavors – solar, electric and roofing – have recently been merged as the Verde Family of Contracting, he added. “It makes it extremely convenient to tackle those three things under one roof.” QCBN

By Betsey Bruner, QCBN

Courtesy Photo: Dean Kaliakmanis, owner of Verde Roofing Partners, said it was a natural fit for the roofing company to be installing solar panels.