WHEN TALENTED PROFESSIONALS TALK, WE LISTEN.
Admit it, you have an inquiring mind, and you want to know about the team designing your dream home. We understand the inclination. So we decided to bring you Shop Talk-conversations with the talented pros designing, building, & outfitting your homes.
Northstone Solar
Curran Edland, Owner/CEO
Northstone Solar is a custom solar energy company with solar and storage solutions that allow customers to harness the sun, disconnect from the grid, and manage their whole home energy system. They have been operating in the Flathead Valley since 2017 and are specialists in Enphase energy systems.
What services do you offer?
Northstone Solar offers custom home energy solutions with a key emphasis on solar photovoltaic energy and LiFP batteries. Our choice of equipment is a combination of Enphase, REC, and SPAN energy systems that allow the customer to utilize power during outages, lower demand charges, and manage specific energy loads within their homes.
What projects are you most excited about?
We are currently working with a customer in Lakeside to incorporate a 45-module solar array, 10 KWHR battery, SPAN smart electric panel and EV charger, and backup Generac generator to allow him energy independence during extended grid outages due to his location at the end of the utility power line. His energy system will allow him to operate his critical energy loads even when there is a power outage. It will also set him up to add a bidirectional EV charger in the future to allow him the ability to use a future electric car to add additional storage capabilities.
Describe your process. How do you work with clients, designers, architects?
To start, a client will contact us for a free energy consultation. Depending on the stage of construction, we will schedule a site visit, ask for energy data or construction plans or any other pertinent information, and then put together an initial project estimate. From there we will work with the customer to finalize the project details based on their needs and wants. After finalizing the project and contract, we work directly with the GM, electrician, and roofer (if on an active construction site) to facilitate the construction of the solar system or manage the project with one of our project managers to coordinate our electricians and installation crew. A typical installation will take about a week.
What other specialties do you have in-house?
We offer financing, design services, and energy consultation. One specialty item that we offer is grant writing for the Rural Energy for America Program, a 50% Federal grant that is available to rural small businesses. If your business qualifies, we will work with the USDA office to make sure you receive funding for solar, storage, wind, or even energy efficiency projects. We’ve received grant funding for over 15 businesses in the last four years.
What words do people use to describe your work?
“Honest, straightforward, detail-oriented.”
What is the most exciting new product or development in your field?
By far, the most exciting development in the home energy industry is the bidirectional EV charger. This device allows homeowners to utilize the stored energy in their EV car batteries to power their homes. This is exciting for a few reasons. First, they can use their cars to power their homes during an outage. Second, they can export energy to the utility for a credit or during peak demand times to reduce their electric bill. And finally, they can charge their car directly from the sun! It is a game-changer when it comes to home energy independence with products expected to be available for purchase this year.
I started installing solar panels about five years ago but my interest in renewable energy started in college with a trip to Germany to study their energy transformation.
–Curran Edland
How did you get your start?
I started installing solar panels about five years ago but my interest in renewable energy started in college with a trip to Germany to study their energy transformation. Visiting solar companies, wind turbines, and carbon sequestration plants, I got a good look at the solar industry in its infancy. I thought it was cool that every home in southern Germany had a solar array (a country that has a similar solar production outlook to the Flathead). After returning home from college, I was able to cultivate a relationship with the founder of Northstone Solar, Lee Calhoun, and after a few years, bought the company and hit the ground running.
Do you have a favorite sport or recreational activity?
My favorite sport is snowboarding. I love the personal expression and progression that comes with it and am especially at peace on the top of a mountain or deep in the Montana backcountry.
What do you enjoy most about living and working where you do?
I grew up here and learned to appreciate the natural beauty surrounding us at an early age. Being an avid snowboarder, hiker, and hobby photographer, Whitefish and the surrounding areas provide every outdoor adventure possible. I also love the small-town feel. There are not many days that I head into downtown Whitefish when I don’t run into someone I know.
Last book read that you would highly recommend and why?
The Moth and the Mountain is a book about an optimistic adventurer and his journey to fly from England to Everest with hopes of climbing the largest mountain in the world. Although I can’t relate to the scale of Maurice Wilson’s adventure, I can understand his unbridled draw to the mountains and appreciate his ambition to be the first man on top of the world.
