S O L E C T E N E R GY LAGRANGE COMPANY SERVICES A VARIETY OF SOLAR AND ELECTRICAL NEEDS Story & Photography Provided
By the end of September in 2020, more than 3,900 solar power installations were complete in Indiana according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. This number doesn’t include countless other homes, cabins, and RVs with off-grid solar systems. There are several benefits to going solar according to Larry Miller, co-owner of LaGrange-based Solect Energy. “First of all, having a more sustainable and renewable energy source, and not being so dependent on the power company is a benefit,” Larry says. “Saving money on your electric bill is another one.” When Solect Energy was first established in 2014, Miller and his brother David, along with their friend Marlin Miller, exclusively sold and installed off-grid solar systems, which are completely disconnected from power companies. When the business began, they sold primarily to a growing Amish market. Although a large percentage of their business remains in the off-grid market, the company is seeing a rapid increase in gridtied solar systems among non-Amish clients. “We are seeing a lot of interest in grid-tie as well as people wanting to have an offgrid vacation home or cabin,” Larry says. “This market has been especially busy since COVID and all the uncertainty that people are seeing right now.” In 2016 Mike Miller bought David’s share of the business, and the ownership currently consists of Larry, Marlin and Mike, all with equal shares. David still works for the 64 / THE LAKES / MARCH 2021 / TheLakesMagazine.com