TRUE SOUTH SOLAR CELEBRATES 13 YEARS

For Eric Hansen, owner of True South Solar, the largest solar power company in Southern Oregon, his career in solar polar was very serendipitous. He moved to Ashland from Portland in 1991 and attended SOU, earning a degree in journalism. After graduation, he got a job working for Talent-based Home Power Magazine. And that is where he learned about the vast potential for solar power.

“Along with Shawn Shreiner, we had documented for the magazine a story about local residents who had discovered how to power their lives with solar energy,” Eric said. “These DIYers were pioneers who understood the value of 100% Southern Oregon-made energy. I got totally hooked on the potential for solar energy to power our lives. In 2010, I learned the trade and partnered with Shawn and a few other friends and started True South Solar, which operated out of an Ashland storage unit.”

Eric and Shawn were driven to be change-makers in the community, bringing affordable solar energy to local homes and businesses, freeing everyone from renting power from power companies and enabling locals to own their energy.

“True South Solar is your local solar plus storage installation company,” Eric said. “We install solar energy systems for homes and businesses which can offset as much as 100% of their energy use. We are also a certified Tesla Powerwall installer, which means that you can store solar energy during the day for use when the sun goes down or the power goes out. In our 13-year history, we’ve seen a number of large solar companies come into this area to compete with us, but we’re a different kind of company. We have a top-notch team of solar experts who engineer custom energy independence solutions for each of our clients. We contribute to a number of local nonprofit organizations and sports teams. We service both homeowners and business owners. Our motto is ‘Solar for Everyone and the Best Jobs Ever!’”

Eric remains the owner of the company, and Shawn still works for True South. The company has grown to nearly 30 employees and still serves Southern Oregon exclusively, having installed more than 1,100 solar energy systems across Southern Oregon.

Educating the public about solar is a big part of their mission.  “We hear a lot from local folks who are interested in what solar is all about,” Eric said. “For example, what is Tesla Powerwall? It helps homes and businesses with resiliency. The more that each person can produce and store their own energy, the less reliant we all become on the power company. We’re happy to educate you and help you understand the benefits to owning your power, while also being realistic. We’re your friends and neighbors; we want you to be happy and join us in being part of the solution. We work with our clients to understand their power consumption and then install solar panels and the associated gear on the roof of the home or business. Solar energy systems can be paid for with cash and we offer affordable financing solutions so you can essentially replace your power bill with a solar bill.” 
There are a number of great programs available through the Energy Trust of Oregon and others to offset the cost of a solar electric system. True South Solar offers a number of tax credit and incentive filings for clients so that solar is as affordable as possible. Through the Solar Assure program, they offer annual maintenance and cleaning services. They also consult with organizations to help them transition to solar energy.

“Our team takes great pride in our work and we love what we do,” Eric said. “We regularly hear from our clients how enjoyable it is to work with us because we bring our joy and passion with us each and every day. When you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life, right? When you have the best job ever, you’re going to be giving ridiculously great service and that’s really important when you’re going solar.”

For more information, call 800-947-1187 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also see them at truesouthsolar.net and on Facebook and Instagram.