Organization of the Month: Solarize Delco
Got Sun? Solarize Delco can help you get solar panels for your roof. It is a non-profit, volunteer organization that advises Delaware Countians on whether their roofs are suitable for solar panels and how to go about getting them.
If a roof is suitable, the group will then help the homeowner learn about how to go about getting solar panels, how much they typically cost, how much they’re going to recover in cost savings over the long run and how to find a solar installer.
The organization was founded by four Haverford homeowners and members of the township’s Environmental Advisory Committee. They are Melissa Romano, Peter Puglionesi, Noel Smyth and Mike Scheller. They are all users of solar panels and electric vehicles.
“We have a passion to conserve resources, protect our planet, and educate others to provide a sustainable future for us and future generations,” the group says on its website https://solarizedelco.org.
Before getting started on a solar panel project, Solarize Delco asks that you watch its 10-minute YouTube video, Solarize Delco in 10 Minutes and set up a call with its volunteers with any questions you may have. That can be done on its website.
What They Do
Solarize Delco does not install solar panels, it just advises homeowners on whether they want to do it and how to do it and it recommends a qualified installer.
Solarize Delco is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing solar power adoption. Solarize is run and staffed by unpaid volunteers and derives its budget from a small fee from Solarize Delco contractors.
100% of this fee is put back into the program for things like outreach materials, events, grants and their website and communication costs.
The organization can also receive tax deductible contributions, may apply for grants to expand its program in the future and is actively seeking non-profit partners with experience in obtaining grants and administering programs for low-income homeowners.
What Do Panels Cost?
According to Solarize, the cost for a typical installation that produces 7,600 kilowatt hours per year is somewhere in the range of $17,000 to $20,000 if you pay up front but you can get tax incentives (after you install) that brings that initial cost down considerably to about $12,000 to $15,000.
There are grant programs for homeowners on low or fixed incomes and loan programs available as well that Solarize Delco can advise you about.
You will recover those costs and much more over 25 or, in many cases, fewer years through PECO rebates and lower energy bills.
How It Works
The idea is, when you install solar panels, you sell excess energy to PECO and buy energy from PECO when you use more energy than your panels produce. PECO keeps a running tab and settles up every May with either a check to you or a minimal bill for the cost of being hooked up to the grid.
In essence, PECO acts as a big battery storing your energy and feeding you energy as you need it, the group says.
You may also want to install a home battery so that your home continues running during power outages if your area is subject to frequent outages. Some also combine solar panels and batteries with heat pumps to further cut energy costs and help the environment.
Solarize recently collaborated with the Delaware County Sustainability Office to provide a tour of recently solarized homes and businesses in the county. These include Temple Lutheran School and Preschool, Media Providence Friends School and the Upper Darby Municipal Building.
Solarize Delco is part of Solarize Southeast Pennsylvania. For a more detailed summary of what each group does, click here.
It’s a good idea to contact Solarize Delco before embarking on a solar panel project on your own so it can help you head off any unexpected problems and advise you about financing.
Jodine Mayberry for the Clearinghouse