Solar supporters come together for Solar Celebration in Frederick

By Zach Schalk on March 6, 2018
Solar United Neighbors of Maryland Program Director Lauren Barchi addressed nearly 40 solar supporters at the Frederick Solar Celebration on Saturday, March 3, 2018.

On Saturday, March 3, nearly 40 solar supporters joined Solar United Neighbors of Maryland to celebrate recent solar successes over drinks and snacks. The event brought together solar homeowners, past co-op members, community members interested in going solar, and others at Attaboy Beer in Frederick Maryland.

Lauren Barchi, the Solar United Neighbors of Maryland Program Director, kicked off the event by reviewing several years’ worth of solar success, including helping nearly 475 homes and organizations around the state go solar and fighting for Maryland’s new community solar pilot program. She also updated the crowd on our ongoing battles to expand Maryland solar by increasing the state’s renewable portfolio standards with the Clean Energy Jobs Bill and to make zoning laws more solar friendly.

Interested area residents talked to Solar United Neighbors of Maryland Program Director Lauren Barchi about going solar in the Frederick area.

To round out the presentation, Lauren talked about our new name—MD SUN became Solar United Neighbors of Maryland last October—and energized the room with our ambitious vision for the future of the organization. That future includes our new membership program, which will allow us to expand our army of solar supporters working together to build an energy future where people, not big corporations, own and benefit from clean solar power, microgrids, and electric vehicles. While no solar co-op is currently open in Frederick, several event attendees were excited to learn how the membership benefits package could help them go solar on their own with expert technical support from our solar Help Desk!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event—especially Lisa Orr, Sustainability Coordinator with Frederick County and our lead partner in past Frederick co-ops, and Joyce Breiner, a member of the Solar United Neighbors of Maryland Advisory Board—and to the volunteers, Solar United Neighbors staff, and our hosts at Attaboy for supporting solar and making the event a great success.