Mathis Brothers Furniture to install 2,500 solar panels in Indio

For Mathis Brothers Furniture in Indio, it’s time to go solar. With a two-story showroom, a large warehouse and a lot of light fixtures, televisions and adjustable mattress bases, “The amount of power being used is pretty huge,” said sales manager, James Dorris.

On the rooftop, Solar Forward, an Los Angeles based company, is already hard at work installing nearly 2,500 solar panels.

“We’re really excited to be working with Mathis Brothers to install the largest solar system here in Indio. Basically this system is so large it could power 125 homes,” said Mark Smith, CEO of Solar Forward.

The installation’s expected to take two months and cost $2.5 million. The panels will lighten up Mathis Brothers’ electric bill 95 percent and could trim your bill too.

“We’re making the energy on site. It’s going to go from the roof into the main panel and be used right here. Any excess energy just gets distributed right in the area, consumed in the local community,” said Smith.

“We want to be able to cut down as much as we can, not just for our own benefit, but for our community,” said Dorris.

The workers are facing several challenges including the Coachella Valley heat and pigeons! They’re using everything under the sun to keep the birds away such as reflective tape and sound decoys.

“There were swamp coolers and the pigeons made it their home. Now we’re trying to teach the pigeons to go somewhere else,” said Smith.

Solar Forward said it’ll need more hands on deck to get the job done.

“Solar Forward is LA based. We want to hire local people to facilitate this installation. We need local help. This is a huge job,” Smith said.

“Overall it’s the step in the right direction for everybody,” said Dorris.