uploaded from flickr.com. Dept. of Energy Solar Decathlon
The abundance of sun in DC is most notable in the summer, as we swelter in heat and humidity. Channeling that sunlight into energy is clean, quiet, and seemingly endless, but where to start? Capitol Hill has the highest concentration of homes powered by solar energy in the District. For many residents, though, the up-front costs and slow-moving city rebate program are barriers to solar energy system installation. Enter DC Solar United Neighborhoods (DC SUN), an organization dedicated to making solar energy accessible and affordable to all residents in DC.
If you’re interested in getting off the grid and using the sun’s free(ish) energy for your home electric needs, you should attend the DC SUN Solar 101 + Bulk Purchase meeting on July 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hill Center. Part of this meeting will cover the basics – how a solar energy system works, how photovoltaic panels tie into the energy grid, and the overall performance information of solar energy systems already in place. The rest of the meeting will focus on bulk solar purchasing – if a group of residents come together to purchase a larger number of solar panels, the per panel cost goes down. There may be savings on installation as well. It’s sort of like buying in bulk at Costco, but without the free samples of frozen pizza and granola bars. DC SUN has helped organize bulk solar purchases in Wards 1 and 4 already, and participants saved 20-30% on installed systems.
For more information on solar energy systems in the District, check out the DC SUN website and sign up for their listserv. Note there is also an event coming up on July 31 organized by DC Green Homes for residents with solar energy systems to share their experiences with those interested in pursuing energy from the sun. Links for that event are also on the DC SUN site.