APS Just Set an All-Time Power Record: Why More White Mountains Homes Are Going with a 12kW Expandable Solar Kit
APS Just Set an All-Time Power Record. Is Your Home Ready for What Comes Next?
On July 25, Arizona Public Service pushed more power through its grid than ever before, an all-time peak of 9,053 megawatts. APS says it had enough reserves to cover it. The company also admitted it has been planning for this moment for years, buying power from other states and trading with western utilities just to keep up on the hottest days.
That is the easy part. The harder question is what happens as data centers keep signing up for Arizona power. The Department of Energy already stepped in once this year, ordering the mid-Atlantic grid operator PJM to curtail power to data centers during a May heat wave so residential customers would not face rolling blackouts. Arizona has not hit that point yet. The demand curve says it is only a matter of time.
Rooftop solar in the White Mountains. Every kilowatt hour you make yourself is one APS can never raise the price on.
White Mountains Homes Feel It First
Rural communities like Show Low, Snowflake-Taylor, Pinetop-Lakeside, Concho, Saint Johns, Vernon, White Mountain Lakes, and Shumway sit at the end of the line. When the grid strains, we are usually the last ones back on and the first ones to lose the well pump, the freezer, and the heat. High-elevation homes also run more hours of heating and cooling than a Phoenix apartment, so every rate hike and every demand spike lands harder here.
The APS Rate Case Still Is Not Settled
APS is asking regulators for about a 14 percent increase. The hearing on that request ran 31 days and wrapped up in July, one of the longest in Arizona Corporation Commission history. An administrative law judge is expected to issue a recommendation by late November, and the full Commission has to vote by the end of December. If it is approved, the new rates hit bills in early 2027, right as White Mountains homes are running full heat through the winter.
Nobody knows yet what the final number will be. What we do know is that every kilowatt hour you make and store yourself is one APS can never raise the price on.
Why More Homeowners Are Going Bigger: The 12kW Expandable Solar Kit
A few years ago most homeowners called us for a small starter system, enough to keep the well pump and refrigerator alive through a short outage. That conversation has changed. With APS demand at record highs and a rate increase still working through the system, more White Mountains homeowners are asking for a 12kW expandable solar kit that can run the whole house, not just the essentials.
Our 12kW kits are built around a 12,000 watt hybrid inverter with room to grow. You are not locked into the battery bank or panel count you start with. Add more lithium batteries when your budget allows. Add more panels if you pick up an EV or a shop. The system is designed to expand with your home instead of forcing you to guess right the first time.
A 12kW hybrid inverter and lithium battery bank installed by our Show Low crew. Built to expand as your power needs grow.
Every Kit Leaves Our Show Low Shop Pre-Built and Tested
Whether you choose a small starter kit or a full 12kW whole-home system, it arrives the same way: pre-built, pre-programmed, pre-assembled, and tested in our Show Low shop before it ever reaches your driveway. DIY customers only have to connect the panels and batteries to the unit. Everything else is already done. We also sell hybrid inverters on their own for technical customers who want to design their own system, and we stock both new and used solar panels so there is a lower cost way to add capacity.
From First Call to Final Connection, and Every Year After
White Mountains Solar has sold and installed solar kits from Show Low since 2009, and we handle the entire process start to finish. We size the system for your home and your APS bill, build and test the kit in our shop, and either walk a DIY customer through connection or send our own crew to install it. That is not where it ends. We also offer ongoing solar maintenance, including panel cleaning, battery and inverter checkups, and warranty service, so your system keeps performing years after installation day. No-money-down financing is available for homeowners who want to start now and pay over time.
A whole-home battery backup install. We handle sizing, installation, and the maintenance that keeps it running for years.
Serving the Whole White Mountains Region
Show Low, AZ
Snowflake-Taylor, AZ
Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ
Concho, AZ
Saint Johns, AZ
Vernon, AZ
White Mountain Lakes, AZ
Shumway, AZ
Lock In Your Power Price Before the Rate Case Closes
The Commission is not expected to vote on the APS rate case until the end of December, but your decision does not have to wait that long. Send us a message with your address and your average APS bill and we will size a 12kW expandable solar kit or a smaller system that fits your home. Or call 928-251-0114 and talk to a real person in Show Low.
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