If you give Mr. Jenkins a few minutes to talk about solar, he’ll happily give you twenty.

What started as a cautious, rural homeowner asking questions turned into someone who now feels very comfortable explaining solar to friends, neighbors, and just about anyone who brings it up.

We caught up with the Jenkins family in Southwest Virginia to hear how they worked through land, shade, and rural concerns—and how VirginiaSolar.org became their sounding board along the way.

Tell us a little about your home and where you’re located.

Well, we’re out in Southwest Virginia—real Southwest. Not a subdivision, not a cul-de-sac. We’ve got land, trees, a long driveway, and a house that doesn’t fit neatly into any brochure.

We’ve been here a long time. When you live out here, you get used to doing a lot of thinking for yourself, because things don’t always work the same way they do in town.

What made you start looking into solar?

Funny enough, it wasn’t some big plan.

Electric bills kept creeping up, and once you start noticing that, you can’t stop noticing it. Then you hear solar ads, you see a truck here or there, and you start wondering if it’s actually possible where you live.

Out here, everything comes with an asterisk. Trees, hills, shade—nothing’s simple.

What questions or concerns did you have at the beginning?

Oh, plenty. Probably more than most people.

I wanted to know how shade really works—not the sales version, the real version. We’ve got trees we’re not cutting down. Period. I wanted to know if land matters, if roof direction matters, and whether rural homes get treated differently by utilities.

Mostly, I wanted straight answers, not optimism.

How did VirginiaSolar.org come into the picture?

I found it while going down one of those late-night internet rabbit holes.

What I liked right away was that it didn’t feel like someone trying to steer me somewhere. It explained things in a way that let me connect the dots myself.

Eventually, I reached out through the Help Desk because I had questions that didn’t fit neatly into an article. I wanted to explain our property and hear someone react to it honestly.

What was that conversation like?

Honestly? Refreshing.

I talked. A lot. And instead of cutting me off or redirecting me, they let me talk. We walked through shade, tree lines, seasonal sun paths—things that actually matter out here.

No one tried to convince me it was perfect. They explained what would work, what wouldn’t, and what tradeoffs looked like. That made me trust the process.

How did that change your decision-making?

It gave me confidence to ask better questions elsewhere.

Once I understood how shade really affects production and how systems are designed around real conditions, I stopped feeling like I was guessing. I could look at proposals and actually understand what I was seeing.

That’s a big deal when you live somewhere that doesn’t fit the “typical home” mold.

What ultimately made solar feel right for your situation?

Realizing it didn’t have to be perfect.

Out here, nothing is. Once I understood solar works on averages and long-term production—not ideal conditions—it clicked. We weren’t chasing some magic number. We were improving how we use energy over time.

That mindset shift mattered.

How has the experience been since then?

Good. And predictable—which I value more than flashy.

What we were told lined up with what actually happened. That’s something I don’t take lightly. I talk about that part a lot, probably more than people want to hear.

What do you tell neighbors now when solar comes up?

I tell them to learn first.

Don’t assume your land disqualifies you. Don’t assume shade means “no.” And don’t let anyone rush you before you understand how it actually works.

If you’ve got questions that don’t fit a script, talk to someone who’s willing to listen. That’s what made the difference for us.

Why We Share Stories Like This

Solar doesn’t look the same in every part of Virginia—and it shouldn’t.

VirginiaSolar.org exists to help homeowners talk through real-world situations, whether that’s trees, land, shade, or simply needing someone to listen before making a decision.

Sometimes the most valuable part of the process is the conversation.

Note on Privacy

Names and identifying details may be adjusted to protect homeowner privacy. These stories reflect common experiences shared by Virginia homeowners across different regions and property types.