by League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters – Gainesville/Alachua County is excited to announce our second solar cooperative. Alachua County residents and business owners are forming the cooperative to save money and make going solar easier, while building a network of solar supporters.
Alachua County residents interested in joining the co-op can sign up as a member at the Cooperative web page: www.solarunitedneighbors.org/alachua. The solar co-op is free to join and joining 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.
The Cooperative will be hosting our third information session on Jan. 24 at 7p.m. in the Millhopper Branch Library at 3145 NW 43rd Street, Meeting Room A in Gainesville. Our first two sessions, on Nov. 28 and Dec. 12 were well received and have generated a lot of enthusiasm for the Cooperative.
The Cooperative is a partnership that includes The League of Women Voters of Alachua County, The Sustainable Design Group, Unitarian Universalist Church of Gainesville, Living Arts Meta Program, Sierra Club Suwannee – St. Johns Group, Hands On Gainesville, Ygrene and Solar United Neighbors.
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 on the costs of going solar and have the support of fellow group participants and solar experts at Solar United Neighbors.
Solar United Neighbors (SUN) supports solar co-ops across the country. These co-ops are a part of the organization’s mission to create a new energy system with rooftop solar as the cornerstone. Solar United Neighbors holds events and education programs to help people become informed solar consumers, maximize the value of their solar investment and advocate for fair solar policies. Those interested in supporting the organizations’ work and becoming a member can do so at the SUN website.
Now is the time to act. 2019 is the last year that solar installations will qualify for a 30 percent federal income tax credit. This credit will be slowly reduced over the following years. Installing solar now saves your pocket book by letting the sun pay your electrical bills and saves our environment by reducing our reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels. Join us today by going to our web site: www.solarunitedneighbors.org/alachua and together we can lead as the shining example of the “Sunshine State.”
For more information, contact Wes Wheeler at wes@wheelerandtraviss.com.