While living in Houston, Texas, James Showalter and his family went through two hurricanes that cut the grid in their area for more than two weeks at a time by the time he turned 13. In one case, this forced them to drive 2 hours to College Station just to do laundry and meet their basic needs. During Hurricane Ike in 2008, James and his brother John started crunching numbers around solar technology and the dropping costs while they sat in utter boredom – with no power.
The hurricane’s aftermath highlighted the fragility of relying solely on traditional power grids. Determined to ensure they could weather future storms more independently James’s family began exploring alternative energy sources. They started with generators and smaller solar systems, experimenting and learning the ins-and-outs of these technologies. By 2012, they built their first whole house system which barely provided their parent’s home with power.
In 2015, James and John began installing solar systems for customers of their fence building business who had discovered their solar DIY hobby and wanted installation services. This turned into four years of James driving the installation company to greater efficiency and quality while meeting a unique, rural Texas market driven by low power costs, anti-solar utility companies, and a hunger for real power backup from customers. The scale of sales and expansion led to buying and selling solar panels on the side to get the best cost for customers. His family’s property soon became both a home and a hub for the business, complete with a warehouse and an additional house where James could expand his solar endeavors.
Making Solar Affordable
After transforming from a DIY hobbyist to a successful installation company owner in six years, James wanted to contribute to helping others along similar paths. He spent many evenings chatting with other gearhead friends discussing how they could get into solar. What became clear was that in the industry, there was no central place to start for people getting into solar, which made the solar industry opaque in general and complicated for people to do what he had already done.
Recognizing the potential in the market, James and his brother John launched Signature Solar with a clear mission: to make solar energy projects more affordable and transparent for everyone. This transition from installations to selling products marked a pivotal moment in their business journey.
The Birth of EG4
One of the new company’s key moves was buying and reselling inverters and panels from solar companies with overstock. These ventures into buying and selling solar products highlighted a significant business opportunity. James realized that securing products at a lower cost by buying in bulk could be more lucrative than installations alone. This approach allowed him to offer competitive prices to make solar technology more accessible. This led to professional supply relations with tier one suppliers as Signature Solar got off the ground.
James rallied his town of Sulphur Springs, TX together as a rapidly growing tech company. He also set up the first dealer-based North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) training facility with paths to promotion based on achieving certifications for all the talented and energetic people that joined the company.
Driven by a vision to further reduce costs and enhance efficiency, James and John ventured into battery manufacturing. They developed their design for server rack batteries, marking the start of the EG4 brand. By focusing on solar component sales, James aimed to make the overall cost of solar energy systems more affordable. This strategy was a game-changer and quickly set EG4 apart in the rapidly developing solar industry.
Sustainable Growth and Customer-Centric Approach
EG4 Electronics’s fast growth raised eyebrows, with many people questioning how the company could expand so quickly while maintaining low prices. The secret lay in James’ business approach. By reinvesting profits back into the company, he ensured sustainable growth. The constant gain of market share by EG4 was driven by thoughtful attention to the end users which helped the EG4 team create products that always boomed in popularity at launch.
Growth and Charity at Home and Abroad
Beyond his business achievements, James is deeply committed to fostering community growth. He hires a sizable portion of the EG4 workforce from the small town of Sulphur Springs and is actively involved in or sponsors many events in the community. His dedication to the community extends globally, as he travels to other countries and even hired a dedicated employee to help lead off-grid charity work including water wells, hospitals, and orphanages tied to faith-based work abroad. This embodies his belief in giving back and supporting those in need both locally and internationally.
Vision for the Future
James believes that EG4 has a bright future ahead of taking off grid and hybrid solar into mainstream home improvement nationally. EG4 Electronics will seek to stand in the gaps left by the older hardware companies and continuously make products that make solar easier for everyone.
By focusing on affordability, products that empower the end user, quality, and customer support, James and the team at EG4 Electronics have made significant strides in solar energy accessibility for everyone. As the company continues to grow, its mission remains clear: to provide sustainable, reliable, and affordable solar solutions for a brighter, energy-independent future.
Please visit the social media pages and blog of EG4 Electronics for more information about how EG4 can help you develop a more sustainable future.
