National Solar Tour offers opportunity for Maryland solar homeowners to connect with their community

By Zach Schalk on August 17, 2018

This fall, solar homeowners across the nation will join together as part of the National Solar Tour. Hosted by hosted by the American Solar Energy Society and Solar United Neighbors, the Tour is the nation’s largest annual grassroots solar event. To date, more than thirty homes around Maryland have signed up to host a solar open house during the weekend of October 6 and 7, as part of the National Solar Tour.

If you’re a solar homeowner, business owner, or have solar on your non-profit organization or place of worship and are interested in sharing your solar story with friends and neighbors, there’s still time to sign up to host your own solar open house as part of the Tour! We provide you with the support and resources you need to make sure your event is a success. The sign-up deadline for open house hosts is August 31.

Solar open houses are a great way to expand interest in solar in your community. While support for solar energy is strong and continues to grow, many people still think that going solar Is out of their reach. Inviting community members to your home to see solar power in action can play an important role in growing our solar movement!

Mike and Ann Schenk hosted a solar open house in 2017.

While this is our first year co-organizing the National Solar Tour, Solar United Neighbors has supported a half dozen previous solar open houses around Maryland over the past few years.

Mike and Ann Schenk of Rosedale went solar with the Brother Sun Baltimore Solar Co-op in 2016. They hosted a solar open house to help their friends and neighbors better understand the benefits of being a solar homeowner. Their ground mounted solar system allowed them to host the event in their back yard and show guests a live display of their system’s energy production in real time!

Quentin Smith hosted a solar open house to help promote the Bowie Solar Co-op Round 2.

Others, like Quentin Smith from Bowie, have used their solar open houses to help build interest in solar co-ops. After going solar with the first Bowie Solar Co-op in 2015, Quentin wanted to help more of his neighbors benefit from the solar co-op process. So he hosted a solar open house to help promote a new co-op round that launched in his area. Quentin’s commitment to community outreach and education helped make a difference in making the second co-op a success!

Be sure to find open houses on the National Solar Tour in your area by checking our Tour Locations map, RSVP for any that you would like to attend, and sign up to stay informed about the Tour as we get closer to October 6 and 7.