Allegheny County residents forming solar co-op to go solar together, get a discount
Neighbors in Allegheny County have formed a solar co-op to save money and make going solar easier, while building a network of solar supporters. Pittsburgh 350, PennFuture, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, Triboro Ecodistrict, LeboGreen, The Sierra Club of Pennsylvania, Sustainable Monroeville, and Solar United Neighbors are the co-op sponsors. The group is seeking participants and will host an information meeting Monday, May 6th at 7 p.m. at the Monroeville Public Library to educate the community about solar and the co-op process. Click here to RSVP.
“While Pennsylvania is traditionally a leader on developing and installing new energy sources, we have been lagging behind surrounding states when it comes to deploying solar energy,” said Annie Regan, Clean Energy Pittsburgh Program Manager at PennFuture. “PennFuture supports the Allegheny County Solar Co-op because it encourages a unique model for Pennsylvania residents and businesses to go solar on their own initiative while we wait for our state government to create more ambitious solar goals for Pennsylvania.”
Solar United Neighbors expands access to solar by educating Pennsylvania residents about the benefits of distributed solar energy, helping them organize group solar installations, and strengthening Pennsylvania solar policies and its community of solar supporters.
“If you’ve seen your friends and neighbors going solar and have been curious about whether it’s right for you, we’re here to help,” said, Henry McKay, Solar United Neighbors of Pennsylvania Program Director. “The Allegheny County Solar Co-op can give you the information and support you need to go solar in an informed way.”
Co-op participants will select a single company to complete all of the installations. They will then have the option to purchase panels individually based on the installer’s group rate. By going solar as a group and choosing a single installer, participants can save up off the cost of going solar and have the support of fellow group participants and solar experts at Solar United Neighbors.
Allegheny County residents interested in joining the co-op can sign up at the co-op web page. The solar co-op is free to join and joining the co-op is not a commitment to purchase panels. Once the group is large enough, Solar United Neighbors will help the co-op solicit competitive bids from area solar installers.
Co-op participants will select a single company to complete all of the installations. They will then have the option to purchase panels individually based on the installer’s group rate. By going solar as a group and choosing a single installer, participants can save off the cost of going solar and have the guidance from the experts at Solar United Neighbors.