{"id":12609,"date":"2011-06-07T11:36:40","date_gmt":"2011-06-07T17:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sustainablog.org\/?p=12609"},"modified":"2011-06-07T11:36:40","modified_gmt":"2011-06-07T17:36:40","slug":"free-solar-power-system-richmond-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/free-solar-power-system-richmond-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Richmond Mom Gets a Free Solar Power System"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"richmond<\/a><\/p>\n

For Tiffany Woodwards and her two little girls (above), a solar system means more than eco-friendly power from the sun. It\u2019s an incredible help paying for utility bills.<\/p>\n

The Richmond, California family\u2019s energy costs ranged from $150 to $180 per month, but thanks to the new 18-panel home solar<\/a> array installed last month on the rooftop, a whopping 75% of that will be saved for the next 25-30 years.<\/p>\n

The system came about unexpectedly. Woodwards received a letter in the mail announcing the Single-Family Affordable Solar Homes<\/a> (SASH) program, one of California Solar Initiative\u2019s solar financing<\/a> programs for low-income households.<\/p>\n

Under the program, which is managed by Oakland nonprofit GRID Alternatives, households that earn 50-80% of the median area income are eligible for a highly subsidized or completely free solar system. Recipients must be customers of PG&E, SCE or SDG&E.<\/p>\n

Interested in the program, Woodwards attended one of the informational sessions for SASH and decided to apply. A few months later, she was in.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother always told me to save the energy,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I keep screaming to my kids, \u2018Turn off the lights! Use the sun!\u2019 Now we can also use the sun in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Woodwards remarked that though she had seen solar panels on building rooftops before, she never really understood what they were, let alone imagined that she would own a set herself.<\/p>\n

\"grid<\/a>
GRID Alternatives volunteers installing a solar system<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 12 kind folks that installed the system include the GRID Alternatives<\/a> team, volunteers from PG&E, and Richmond Solar graduates, another nonprofit focused on solar education.<\/p>\n

Woodwards\u2019 home marks the 32nd Richmond installation by GRID Alternatives to date. Richmond, an East Bay city plagued by high unemployment rates, was chosen because it deserves the assistance.<\/p>\n

Said Lara Edge from GRID, \u201cWe specifically selected the city of Richmond because it\u2019s a place where the health of the community can greatly benefit from renewable energy sources and the city itself deserves positive attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amen to that.<\/p>\n

Brittany Mauriss is an editor and solar expert at GreenMarketing.TV<\/a>, the green entrepreneur\u2019s source for start-up ideas and insightful interviews with top industry thinkers. She also blogs over at EntrepreneursforaChange.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\"Enhanced<\/a>Photos via Richmond Confidential<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Tiffany Woodwards and her two little girls (above), a solar system means more than eco-friendly power from the sun. It\u2019s an incredible help paying for utility bills. 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